Cerebral palsy has helped determine the career path I have taken. With my role as a school based Occupational Therapist, I have challenges rooted from CP, including moving slower than my colleagues to complete tasks, slurred speech during conversations with others, not being able to demonstrate skipping to a child during the screening process, or a risk for falling when carrying equipment. These challenges take up time and energy on a regular basis however I always manage my job duties.
People around me somehow forget I am disabled because I manage daily tasks well. I immediately look for ways to overcome a struggle and feel lucky to have this tenacity within me. This determination will lead me down a path where I am able to celebrate my shortcomings. I have gone to war with myself physically and mentally to manage each day. Fitting in with individuals who are considered physically normal is exhausting. Celebrating my differences will lead to positive energy and a path of sharing my gifts with the world.
The consequences of not addressing physical and medical components of a disability will affect job performance. I realize this because of personal experiences. I wonder if other professionals with disabilities are trying to cope with similar challenges?
After degrees are earned and Human Resources fits someone into a workforce, support for an individual with a disability dissipates. Why is it up to the employee to maintain a fulfilled life while in the career world when paid professionals helped the individual earn an education? Challenges, successes and failures of what happens during the career span when there is no longer a team to collaborate is unique for each individual.
Gratitude ensues to let educators know the impact they had on me during my education. Since they facilitated appropriate programming, I earned a graduate degree, became a taxpayer and created a career. I wish it were as easy as “this individual met her goals.” However, the journey had just begun.
I’m sharing what it’s like making the able bodied majority feel comfortable around me while I constantly navigate standards they have created in the workforce. There is no role model of what a lifestyle should entail for a person with my neurological capacity. I’m rarely someone’s client and I have my own caseload of students. My role in special education has done a complete shift. I’m capable of achieving my goals however, my vivacious drive has led me down paths of fitting in with the “norm” rather than celebrating my individuality.
My quest involves reaching a good balance when approaching my career. I believe all educators struggle with this. I will give my students everything they need but be diligent about where I utilize my energy. The easiest path is throwing in the towel on education. However, I want to create solutions.
Where I place my energy, react to negativity and how that affects my body is fascinating. The energy I create is a gift. I’m learning to exert the energy I have in more desirable directions and diminish the distractions. This is not taught to professionals entering into education therefore mundane negative habits are created which cannot be my default.
I have requested reasonable accommodations. This was a difficult thing for me to follow through with. I knew accommodations would be more than just a piece of paper. They would mean going against the cultural norm of the work place for educators.
My master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling became an asset when requesting reasonable accommodations while employed in education. This experience was demeaning. My self advocacy soared when the Human Resource director assigned me to a “check in buddy” so my physical and cognitive deficits (IQ 121) could be monitored. Frustration continued when I had to have my doctor fill out one form twice when “changing positions to reduce muscle pain” did not suffice when requesting an adjustable standing desk for report writing. I knew the paperwork would be completed and placed into my HR file. The level of grit required to stand alone to fulfill these accommodations in real time is the hardest part. When thinking about the bureaucracy, logistics and implicit bias that are tied in with utilizing Federal Laws, I can’t imagine how an employee would feel with a different professional background. It would be easier to “throw in the towel.” Would that be fair? Would I be leaving an untouched system manageable for the next person? What if one of my former student’s came in as a newly hired employee? I want this process to be approachable for everyone.
Since the age of 13 my biggest goal was to be normal. Back then, strength was defined by how well I could disguise the qualities that made me different from anyone else. It’s instilled in me that normal is easier and better.
At work, I have achieved something when I am using my expertise to help children reach their educational goals. My energy depletes when clerical duties, technology mishaps, schedule changes and situations occur with no solution insight.
Reasonable accommodations help me manage my health, safety and productive energy towards the kids I am servicing. As I utilize the accommodations; I am undoing the bad habits of many old beliefs. Before, I was putting forth 110% effort, regardless of where it landed. The difficult part was my effort wasn’t making a difference. Exhaustion increased when I expected myself to do more for a colleague, or committee to even out “the lack of effort” I must have placed into students that didn’t thrive. I utilized my energy with good intentions however I was exerting my energy to keep up with the culture of what was occurring around me. It takes effort to shatter old beliefs. The healthiest option is going against the norm even if I feel like I don’t fit in. Sticking with the norm can include being negative towards situations that don't relate to the agenda I had set for the day. My accommodations are the foundation of energy conservation many professionals in education need. I have learned the importance of taking care of myself along with maintaining the status of a valued employee.
Strong people are able to show the world who they really are. I keep moving forward down my defined path which makes my role in education more desirable. Within the past year, I’ve worked on easing physical demands and emotionally focusing on positive things rather than negative and making sure I use universal supports available through my job.
My professional role can be draining however it’s rewarding to research and create the solutions as I discover more about myself. My body has given me a gift to take action to seek out the best circumstances in difficult situations. It’s a body that is slower, sensitive to stress but fully aware of changes that need to occur. My mind has the gift of problem solving and creating a balance so I am able to experience the positive components of life. I am authentic, honest and truthful about my experiences. With my unique approach I know my presence in education is an asset.
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