McDonald’s Builds an Inclusive Place Where Everyone Belongs

That commitment comes to life through leaders like Heather Harvey, who has spent more than 25 years within the McDonald's system, championing disability inclusion in her restaurants. Heather's philosophy is simple and keeps equity at the forefront: meet each person where they are and build the role and training around their strengths.

Her approach centers on thoughtfully designed, flexible training plans. Each new crew member receives a tailored schedule based on their interests, whether they're drawn to service, production, or both. No one moves to the next step until they've completed the "See It, Try It, Check It" process, which ensures they feel confident and capable before taking on more responsibility.

Over the years, Heather has supported team members with a range of abilities. Through patience, clear communication, and flexibility, she's watched shy new hires become confident, skilled contributors, many of whom have stayed working at McDonald's for nearly a decade or more.

"Working as a team is how we achieve a smooth restaurant experience for customers," Heather says. "Going the extra mile to make sure each team member feels supported, respected, and understood makes all the difference and makes our teams even stronger."

Heather remembers one crew member who handed her a simple card that read "Thank you for making my first job not suck." Today, that same team member is a food safety ambassador known for her attention to detail, her commitment to quality, and for bringing joy to her team for over nine years.

Another colleague, who is legally blind, once had difficulties getting the information he needed in a busy kitchen. Heather and her team worked together to redesign the way the restaurant crew communicated by training them to proactively call out grill settings and Hot Off The Grill (HOTG) screen counts so he never had to ask twice. The shift changed the culture of the entire crew's core values by encouraging them to go the extra mile for their team member.