By Tamar Asedo Sherman
One of the first questions someone who sustains a spinal cord injury (SCI) is likely to ask, is: Will I ever be able to return to work? There are many factors involved in answering that question. For example:
-
• How old were you when you were injured?
• How long since you sustained the injury?
• What did you do before your injury?
• How much education do you have?
Legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was intended to improve overall employment opportunities for people with disabilities, but the proportion of people with SCI who are employed remains lower than that of people with other disabilities.
Studies have shown that the younger you are at the time of injury and the higher your level of education, the better your chances of going back to work. As more time passes, you’re also more likely to be employed in the competitive labor market.
During the first two years following injury, people are going though intensive rehabilitation, learning how to manage activities of daily living. Studies have shown, however, that after about two years, people begin to resume many of the activities they were involved in prior to injury. In one study, the percentage of people with SCI who were employed increased from 12.6% two years after injury to 38.3% 12 years after injury.
The extent of injury also has some bearing on returning to work. In another study, by 10 years after injury, 32.4% of persons with paraplegia were employed, while only 24.2% of those with quadriplegia were employed, according to the Spinal Cord Injury Information Network.
A clinical study is underway to determine what issues veterans with SCI face when they attempt to find employment. Some veterans with SCI are very successful at finding employment, either becoming self-employed or working for a company, while others are not so fortunate, perhaps because of age, past work history, or other factors.
Very little research has been done about how to help veterans with SCI to regain employment. For more information, or to see if you qualify to participate in this study, check www.clinicaltrials.gov or call 214-857-0238. Technological advances and the availability of assistive devices have also increased the possibilities for people with SCI to return to work. That doesn’t mean that if you were a construction worker before your injury, you could return to the same kind of work. You’ll probably need some retraining. But if you were a white-collar worker before, you might well be able to return to your old job or a similar one with some accommodations.
The first step is to discuss with your employer the essential functions of your job and determine whether you are still able to perform them. If you will have difficulty carrying out certain tasks because of your disability, you can ask for an accommodation. You might know what you would need to be able to continue to do the job. Perhaps you could switch those tasks with another employee or modify the way the task is done.
If you don’t know how to ask for an accommodation, or don’t know what would apply in your situation, you can seek the assistance of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at www.jan.wvu.edu or call 800-526-7234. JAN lists accommodations for all kinds of disabilities. For wheelchair users, it recommends modifications to the building to ensure accessibility. That might mean constructing a ramp to get in the building, widening doorways to 32 inches, enlarging a restroom stall and installing grab bars, or modifying the work space by raising the desk or lowering file drawers.
Someone with quadriplegia might need assistive devices to answer the phone or use the computer. There are different ways to adapt the computer keyboard- alternatives include voice-activation, “sip and puff ” technology, or laser light on the forehead to identify which letter you want to use. Modern technology can enable someone without use of arms or legs to drive a car, to stand, or even climb stairs.
Some employers, however, feel uncomfortable hiring someone who uses a wheelchair, even though the expense for accommodations might not amount to much. I was not hired for one job for which I was eminently qualified because, I suspect, the reception area wasn’t big enough to allow me access into the office in my wheelchair. The receptionist’s desk was too big and the room too small for me to pass. Of course I was not told that was the reason I was not offered the job. If I had been, I could have suggested a simple accommodation: Rearrange the furniture.
Tamar Asedo Sherman works as an employment specialist at UCP-Suffolk in Hauppauge, NY. She can be reached at action@unitedspinal.org
