Cutting Through the Red Tape
I saw a post on social media this week that made me pause. It said that the office jobs that say "Must be able to lift 20 lbs" are trying to exclude people with disabilities. I never thought about it that way. I thought that if a person in a wheelchair had to pick up a 20 lb. box; it might be difficult to hold a box and wheel their chair. I know I struggle holding a few books on my lap for a short distance. I never thought of it as a way to keep people with disabilities from applying for a position. People want to give the appearance of inclusion while denying the disabled community opportunities to better themselves. Then they complain we are a burden and don't want to work.
I know a few of my friends with disabilities started their blogs and businesses to combat transportation issues they would have if they had to travel to an office. It also allows them to stay on Medicaid to cover their medical expenses. A few years ago, before I graduated from college, I received a letter from the Social Security Administration that if I agreed not to earn any money for a decade my student loans would be forgiven. This offer was tempting at the time, but I decided to decline because the goal of going to college was to gain a skillset for a career. Why would I delay working to pay for college?
After all, like the episode with Commissioner McEwin said, people with disabilities wouldn't need to be "burdens" on the government if they were able to find employment.
Once we find a company that will hire us, we have to find a way to get there.
I often have to leave my apartment an hour early for a 20-minute bus ride downtown to account for a few busses not letting me get on due to lack of seats available. It takes four bus seats to create the wheelchair space on the bus. Sometimes people don't want to move from their seats, and the bus driver doesn't want to make anyone move.
My friends already know I will be late if I have to take the bus. I know a job won't be as forgiving.
I hope that one day people with disabilities can work and get to their jobs without any extra issues. Until then we'll do our best to navigate the red tape.
This article was inspired by the podcast episode with Commissioner Alistair McEwin. You can find the link to the episode here:
by Stephanie Wyatt
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