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November 08, 2005
The Issue of Being Out But Not Yet In
Sometimes it’s wise to take the path of least resistance.
For instance, Debra L. Angel and Elizabeth E. Harney, authors of "No One is Unemployable: Creative Solutions for Overcoming Barriers to Employment," advise job seekers with disabilities to seek opportunities among disability friendly employers – no matter where they are – in an effort to reduce competition from just-as-qualified, non-disabled candidates.
Those opportunities can range from sheltered workshops and non-profit organizations to public service agencies and disability friendly corporations.
In fact, the authors suggest another career strategy of least resistance. Make your mark early in your career, they say, by creating an entry-level job for yourself in a specialty that others can’t easily duplicate.
Then, they suggest using the experience you gain as an employee to eventually start your own business which offers a unique service for a niche group of customers. That’s a mid-career strategy which also reduces the even tougher competition you’ll encounter for senior jobs in the corporate and public service sector.
My own career, with not much forethought on my part, roughly took that course. Such a career track can be fulfilling, particularly if you’re motivated to become a mentor to others during the later stages of your career.
Check my personal-experience story, "Out but Not Yet In."
I felt so lucky to be in mainstream, meaningful employment during the 1980s.
But, as the only person with a disability within my business circles (some five years before the ADA), I began to realize how it felt to be included but still be apart.
Sometimes it’s better to hit inclusion issues in employment head on.
My uneasiness in the 1980s stemmed from a lagging attitude and awareness about disability within my social and business circles. Both attitude and awareness seem to lag behind advances in technology, which allow people with disabilities in 2005 to compete effectively for mainstream jobs.
But, back in the 1970s and 1980s, I also realized there was a lag in my own development as a team player.
So, during the 1980s when experiential learning was the vogue in management training, I took team building courses designed to develop my ability to trust team members through such strange exercises as rope climbing and gully jumping. I was an active participant only as a cheerleader for my fellow team members as we endured stress and a hint of danger, but I learned how gaining experience as a team member (which we, as individuals with a disability, often lack) was so vital to successfully swimming in today’s mainstream business world.
I now believe even the experience of being part of a team in high school sports (even though they are often emphasized too much) gives our non-disabled counterparts an edge over us as they move from school to career.
As a high school junior and senior, I was the locker room clean-up guy for the football team and ran the "riding" clock during wrestling matches. Though both occurred 45 years ago and were tangential to the public team effort, I still find those experiences valuable.
In that light, here is the discussion question this week on eSight’s "Swimming in the Mainstream" blog:
What "out-but-not-yet-in" issue have you had to address while swimming in the mainstream of competitive employment?
Add your comments to this posting
Posted by Jim at November 8, 2005 04:46 PM
Comments
One big "out but not in" issue which I am facing right now is not knowing what the heck is going on with my rehab case. My sister and I both got a new counselor about two or more months ago, but noone has heard from her even after calling her office. This isn't the first time something like that has happened, and one would think that the VR agency would learn a lesson from their mistakes? Well I guess they're too dense to learn anything. At this point I think I am going to talk with someone at the Client Assistance Program.
Posted by: Jake Joehl at November 9, 2005 04:38 PM
Jake keep calling , and if you can't reach her ask for a supervisor, perhaps she 's been discharged or left and no -one has thought to tell her clients. Happens all the time up here to us on ODSP.
It seems weird to have to say this but the issue of attitude surrounding disability. You'd think by now , with television programs and radio shows , integrating disabled students that the public , espeicially architects, city planners, government officials universities, boards of ed would have ' gotten it' by now but they haven't.
We're still struggling with attitudes that disabled people even have a place in society let alone being able to work and be independent . I realize for some sheltered workshops will be the only place they'll be able to find work, but in another respect telling disabled people to seek out that kind of work, only ghetto-izes us. I'm all for entrepeneurial spirit and creating a niche but I think everyone whether disabled or not should be doing that in work.
Just saw a program last night on our CBC news program the National, where they were showing how Vancouver is one of the most accessible cities in North America because of the attitude of the city planners, government and transit and employers. There's still mistakes being made , but when the Olympic Games come to Vancouver, they want people to see that they are inclusive and have been for a long time and it can be done , if you have the will to do it.
So I think the issue that should be out but isn't is attitude of the general public towards disabled people.
If that would just be almost like breathing that disabled people have as much right to be in society and function independently we wouldn't have to be reinventing the wheel with each succeeding generation. We don't want to be designated as special we just want to be included and be like everyone else. Liz
Posted by: Liz at November 10, 2005 09:36 AM
I am a single parent with a Bipolar Disorder and I also have a 25 year old, 15 1/2 year old and a 14 year old children who are all Bipolar.
I have a job as a Peer Navigator and I am employed with Alaska Youth and Family Network but my actual office location is at Denali Family Services.
I work around alot of College Educated folks. (I have no degree, Just lived experiences.) I sometimes don't feel as thou I fit in. Mind you everyone is very nice to me, But sometimes I feel I am tolerated because it makes the company look good to have a disabled person on board rather than the work I have done and can stiil do. I do love my job it is very rewarding.
Posted by: Lori Batiste at November 14, 2005 05:50 PM