SAN ANTONIO — Mark Andrade arrives an hour early for his shift at the San Antonio Zoo’s giraffe deck for the favorite part of his day — hearing the lions roar.

After work, he posts clips with the growls from Big Cat Valley on Facebook. Andrade has loved animals since he was a toddler — his first words were “come back,” to Shamu, the killer whale at SeaWorld.

His fascination with wildlife continued to grow after doctors diagnosed him with autism when he was 2 years old. It prompted Andrade to share his passion with others. It soothed disappointments and slights. It led him to supporters who helped him achieve a long, sought-after goal of working at the zoo.

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“It’s been a dream to be part of the team,” Andrade, 26, said. “You have to have a commitment. I just love it.”

Andrade is one of several employees across nine different departments at the zoo with physical disabilities, on the autism spectrum or facing other challenges.

Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said the zoo’s human resource department led the drive to find positions for people with a passion to work at their skill level. He said plans include an increased focus on accessibility, learning from and building a better facility for guests with disabilities. For example, the zoo is working on a more accessible entrance at the front gate, a universal changing station for guests, securing a certification for autism and a sensory garden area.

“We’re really reaching out to the entire community across the spectrum to get a better grasp on what we should be doing to make a better and equally accessible experience for all of our visitors,” Morrow said.

Morrow said every staff member plays a part in the organization’s success.

“We proactively want employees with challenges to be working at the zoo and give them the opportunity to grow and be a part of what we’re doing,” Morrow said. “These employees are directly working with guests and having an impact on the experience when people visit us.”

Every morning, Andrade sets up the cash register before guests buy tickets to feed giraffes at the deck that overlooks the African Savannah habitat. He educates guests about the long-necked mammals — a role he hopes to expand. For several summers, Andrade has helped the nonprofit Eagles Flight Advocacy & Outreach’s animal play program in Boerne for abused, foster and children with special needs.

“We knew animals would be a big reinforcer for him,” said Pam Allen, Andrade’s mother and Eagles Flight founder. “The zoo was a natural path for him and gave him that opportunity as well. There’s a community of adults with special needs there who look after one another.”

Allen credits her son’s job at the zoo to Abby Hughes, a special education transition specialist with the Northside Independent School District. Hughes worked at the Nellie M. Reddix Center, where Andrade was a student from 2016 to 2018. The center helps young adults, from 18 to 22, seek independence through life-skills classes, transportation, volunteering and work. Hughes went through the job search and interview process with Andrade advocating on his behalf when others doubted him.

The zoo also works with advocacy groups to encourage applications from their constituents and job coaches, Morrow said.

Cyle Perez, public relations and integrated marketing director, said to further their efforts, zoo leadership hired Alex Rodriguez as diversity equity inclusion coordinator. In June, Rodriguez organized the weeklong PRIDE event at Night Out At The Zoo, celebrating the LGBTQ community.

“It was so important for these communities to feel seen, included and welcome,” Perez said. “We’re a zoo for all.”

Jennifer Soules, 27, has thrived in her role as an actor educator. Soules’ parents raised her to love animals and the environment, passions she brought to roles such as a pirate, a whooping crane and a butterfly princess. Using her skill-set to help guests with challenges has been a plus of her job for the past three years. She was 12 when doctors diagnosed her as being on the spectrum. Ballet and theater classes gave her focus.

“The fact that a place is trying to make it accessible to people on the spectrum was unheard of,” Soules said. “We definitely need more of it, and that means the world to me. I want to be a role model to other people on the spectrum, especially kids.”

A diversity committee member, Soules recalled the thrill of attending the recent PRIDE event and seeing the first sensory zone for people who have autism or a sensory-processing disorder.

“It’s a very emotional thing for me,” Soules said. “It makes a huge difference. It’s a way of saying, ‘We see you, and we’re going to work to do that.'”

Revenue associate Jorge Rodriguez, 28, wore a wristband his father gave him with the words, “Don’t Stop” as he steered his black wheelchair around the newly reopened Nanyuki Market, straightening stuffed animals, gifts and clothing.

He applied for and was hired at the zoo in December. Rodriguez was born with a tumor on his spine, a condition that prevented him from walking and required surgeries.

Rodriguez credited family and co-workers for his keep-pushing philosophy. He greets each guest as if they’re the first visitor of the day, a customer service tenet he learned working in his uncle’s home store in Monterrey, Mexico.

He also works the cash register that rests on a new counter that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and stocks items on ADA shelves that are more accessible for him and children. Rodriguez finds motivation in a saying written on his therapy center’s wall.

“It says, ‘Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits,'” he said. “That’s what I try to live by every day.”

© 2022 San Antonio Express-News
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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