Issues facing those with disabilities

Disabled has different issues that one may have to worried about that other professional does not have to worry about. Like if I take this job will I lose my Benefits, if I get married will I lose my benefits? Sound like an easy question, who passes up a career position to keep their benefits? So benefits like personnel care attendant are too much to give up. Yes Social security can advise you. But why don’t we have a support system among ourselves to deal with these issues? Other issues we all deal with are accommodations, transportation and other. We do have different issues but no place to go to, that allows us to discuss these as professionals.

Prespective

Growing up disabled was a memory I will not forget, now as a successful professional I look back at where I came from and I am blown away, but now compare my self to my friends now. I now feel far behind. It took a few years in my 20ies to realize how to enjoy what I have. I know many with disabilities may have the same issue. Yes we have over came a lot to obtain success but we can not completely compare ourselves to our professional colleagues. It a hard lesson to learn but once learnt understanding life more is easier.

Kindness or Pity?

I hate to be skeptical but after 36 years of cerebral palsy I am.

Last Saturday I went for a haircut, which I needed. When I got to the place to get a haircut, I noticed a man who had on an Illinois Rose bowl shirt, so I ask him was the Illinois Missouri game that day or the next Sat. He said the next Sat. So I went back to reading my Magazine. As I was getting my hair cut, he paid for mine also.

I thought quietly how offend I was toward this act. Did he see the disability and felt sorry for me? Or was it true kindness. I wish I knew. I know some people feel sorry for us, even though some of us are in the top half of wage earners in the U.S.

Questions and Answers please

It is a pretty simple question what accommodations do you need. But is it. I have found that when an accommodations is given, not all the questions are asked at that time. Because the logistics have not be able to be thought thru or worse yet the answers are assumed before and never asked. When I was 18 I went to my college for placement tests , when we got there we forgot to request a note taker, Whoops assumed I would have one because I always had one. I had a friend who asked for a handicapped accessible Hotel room only to realize they forgot to ask the width and found his chair did not fit. Basic questions but over looked. Then after the accommodation is made realizing not all questions were asked, like who is responsible for what.

I’d like to think 50% of the discrimination we as disabled professionals face is because people 1. Don’t know the question to ask 2. Don’t know how to ask it or 3. Feels the laws prevent them from asking. Its up to us the disabled professional to deal with these issues, and concerns. We are self don’t have the answers but through building a network we can educate ourselves and others.

How are we Viewed

It is sad when I saw a member of congress have a father of a disabled child removed from a town hall meeting on Health care. I would love to have seen the son speak for himself. However, it puzzles me on why congress would put billions in to stimulus to educate the disabled only to have to amend the health care bill to make sure we are covered? Once again does the fact we are educated make the one in powers feel good? We need more; we need people to see what we can do. Only when we are accepted by society can we grow. This will happen when the numbers get together and demand it.

What is a Professional Disabled?

Ok, what is a Professional Disabled? We are those that have a college degree or operate a business that requires a skill set i.e. photography, graphic design, technology, etc. This is the skill set that the support given to the disabled does not provide for. Why are we in this position? Well, we have passed the movement; we are disabled minority pioneers. While most of the movement is focused on the basics, we have surpassed that. With the passage of IDEA in the mid 1970s and ADA in 1990, we are also the first generation to have these challenges. Since we are competitively employed or have a degree, the services look at us as a success; however, having a foot in the door is merely the beginning of the journey. If we want to progress in our careers we have no support, just networking and pure luck. Other minorities have groups working with them to get affirmative action and other programs; we need this for our community. It’s up to us as the community to help us take the next step. Other than careers, we also worry if I make X or get married will I lose the benefits that make me independent. Issues that others may not have to worry about.

Stronger Movement II

In working for one voice we must realize each of our disabilities needs are different. Some of us can function with limited adaptations while other major adaptations are needed. This makes devolving a movement so much more difficult. So like myself needs to worry about only a pc to function in everyday life while others need a personnel care attendant to function. With this being the case it makes building a case for building a movement so much harder, so that truly parts the ball in our court.

One thing that was meant to help us was the ADA, a good intentioned law, that when we with disabilities interview, future employers has their hands tied, or thinks that because they are unsure what questions they can or can’t asked about our disabilities. This has limited there questions where maybe if they could address it we would get better chances. I once had a possible employer said they had questions about my CP, who could they call? I sent them to the local rehabilitations office. And they did not get any help there and lost interest in me. Once again where if we had a stronger movement it would have helped.