|
||||
  |
By Tamar Asedo Sherman When we are injured or impaired, we tend to be so focused on what we can no longer do that we lose sight of what we still can do. We forget all about the skills, talents, and abilities we developed over the years that remain and which could be used in other jobs or occupations. Those are called transferable skills and we all have them. One thing I’m painfully aware of as editor of this magazine is that spinal cord disorders (SCD) are expensive. As much as I enjoy bringing readers information about new therapies and technologies to make living with SCD more bearable, I am often struck by the steep price tags these products and services carry. I am aware that their costliness is made worse by the prevalence of unemployment among Americans with disabilities and by the infuriating fact that, on top of the discrimination people with disabilities face in the labor market, the Social Security system discourages so many of this segment from working [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman Self-employment is an option worth considering if you want to get back to work but don’t think you can handle the stress of going to and from an office, having to arrange transportation, possibly getting a personal care attendant to help you get ready, and maintaining regular business hours. If you work for yourself, however, you have the flexibility to work when you feel like it, any time of day or night. You don’t have to worry about transportation, dressing up for the workplace or getting to your desk by a certain time. You’re the boss and [...] Employment Discrimination: The ADA Needs You! Many people with disabilities want to work and are able to work, but they find that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not protect them in the workplace. While the ADA was intended to protect people from employment discrimination, the courts have eroded its employment protections. At press time, it was expected that legislation would soon be introduced to restore the intended meaning of the ADA on employment issues. Your story is important! Members of Congress respond when they hear how real people have been affected by government policy. The more examples we can [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman Myth 1: A common misconception is that people with disabilities get preferential treatment in applying for jobs, thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This erroneous thought could lead others to resent people with disabilities, thinking that we are not qualified for our jobs and were hired only because we have a disability. It’s not that simple. We must meet all the same basic requirements for a job, have the requisite skills, experience, education, and be able to perform all the essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodations. The truth is that an employer is free to [...] United Nations Adopts Treaty on the Rights of People with Disabilities In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a treaty on the rights of persons with disabilities. The treaty’s provisions detail the rights of persons with disabilities covering civil and political rights, accessibility, participation and inclusion, education, health, employment and social protections. United Nation’s Secretary General, Koffi Annan stated that with the passage of this treaty, “There promises to be a dawn of a new era for the 650 million people around the world living with disabilities.” Secretary General Annan went on to say that, “It was the community [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman Suppose you’ve been injured or are experiencing exacerbations from a chronic health condition that impacts your ability to work. Before you leave that job in anger and frustration, stop and think. Is there some modification or adjustment to the job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that would enable you to continue to do your job? By Tamar Asedo Sherman To tell or not to tell: that is the question facing many workers with hidden disabilities. There is no reason to tell your current or perspective employer about your disability unless you are asking for an accommodation. You cannot expect an accommodation unless you disclose that you have a disability and, therefore, require an accommodation to carry out the essential functions of the job. And the employer cannot ask if you have a disability, or what the nature of your disability is, if it is obvious that you are using a wheelchair. The employer can only [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman Thanks to technology, there are many devices that can increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of people with spinal cord impairments, enabling us to live independently and even return to work. If you can move anything—a finger, your mouth, your eyelid or your head—you can operate a computer. Technology is progressing so fast that there are few limitations that can’t be overcome. United Spinal is partnering with PepsiCo to create a model corporate culture for people with disabilities. By Dominic Marinelli During the past year, United Spinal Association has worked with the PepsiCo family, which includes Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana, to improve employment opportunities and accessibility for people with disabilities inside the company. The initiative began during the fall of 2005 when the leadership of PepsiCo invited United Spinal to participate in a day-long meeting focusing on the varying abilities of employees and customers. Throughout the day, staff members from United Spinal discussed issues impacting people with disabilities with PepsiCo management. “We were specifically [...] 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 [...] A classified ad running in our current issues (November and December 2006) has incorrect contact information. The correct information is provided below: Help Wanted Manager, Storage Facility–Located in Cutchogue, New York (Suffolk County). Full-time position. Live-in option. Handicap Accessible. Call 631-734-2177, ask for Marty. By Tamar Asedo Sherman October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. This is not something new that came into being with passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, but began in 1945 as one week and was expanded to a month-long focus in 1988. Despite the ADA’s guarantee of freedom from discrimination in employment, only 32 percent of Americans with disabilities aged 18 to 64 are working, compared to 81 percent of those without disabilities, according to the National Organization on [...] The theme of this month’s Action—education—coincides with one of our major programmatic endeavors: the annual conference of our three professional associations dedicated to spinal cord injury. Through these conferences we hope to ensure that physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers (and this year, physical and occupational therapists, as well), are upto- date on innovative treatment modalities and provided the opportunity to network. The conferences are, in my view, essential to ensuring that progress in the lab or classroom transfers quickly to health care professionals. A cross between a classroom and an employment agency, Lift, Inc. trains and helps place people with disabilities in the information technology field. By Carrie Smoot Tabitha Estrellado graduated in May 2006 from Pace University with a B.S. in computer science and a 4.0 average. When she’s not thinking about computers or on the job as a mainframe programmer for a major life insurance company, she spends time with family and friends, sings, writes stories, poems and songs, and plans the next Broadway show to see. She’s not sure where her IT career will take her. “I want to love the work I [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman One of the benefits of having a disability is that you get a hiring preference by federal, state, and local governments. All federal agencies are required by law to identify qualified candidates with disabilities to meet workforce diversity goals. Here’s your chance to get a good paying job with health and retirement benefits, but you must be proactive. The jobs are out there, but they’re not going to come looking for you. You’ve got to make yourself known by networking with local agencies, contacting resources listed on the Internet, and aggressively seeking out all available governmental employment opportunities. Federal [...] By Tamar Asedo Sherman Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination in employment against people with disabilities in the private sector as well as in state and local governments. That sounds good, but what does it really mean for us, for people with disabilities who want to work? One thing it does not mean is that an employer must give preference to an individual with a disability. An employer is free to select the most qualified applicant available and to make decisions based on reasons unrelated to the existence or consequence of a disability. For example, if two [...] CORPORATE CONNECTIONS: United Spinal Association was invited by the Merrill Lynch Disability Network to conduct last month’s Lunch & Learn educational workshop. The program, held on May 11, featured United Spinal Association’s John Del Colle and Marlene Perkins, along with Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, a United Spinal member and rehabilitation research scientist at Kessler Medical Institute. Entitled “Spinal Cord Injury: Lessons, Life & Independence,” the program was designed to educate Merrill Lynch staff about rehabilitation, medical research, community resources and life after SCI. By Tamar Asedo Sherman Once you’re determined to go back to work, you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary energy expenditure by visiting your local One-Stop Career Center. Established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, these centers are designed to provide a full range of assistance to job seekers in one location so you don’t have to go from place to place to get the services you need. They offer assessment, training referrals, career counseling, job listings, placement, and other employment-related services, all under one roof and free of charge. That’s right-they don’t cost you a thing! By Tamar Asedo Sherman You might have received a “Ticket to Work” in the mail a couple of years ago, or maybe more recently. The ticket looks like a certificate and helps you seek services to return to work. Don’t be alarmed. You don’t have to use it. It’s strictly a voluntary program and you won’t lose your Social Security benefits if you choose to participate Originally a feature of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, the Ticket Program was designed to increase opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment, vocational rehabilitation and [...] |
 |
||
|
Copyright © 2012 United Spinal’s Action Online Magazine - All Rights Reserved 
|
||||
