[Jobs] New Year's Resolutions for Peoplle with Disabilities

Wed Feb 7 17:00:32 CST 2007

New Year's Resolutions for People with Disabilities

By Joyce Bender President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services.

We spend so much of our time wondering when we are going to change the

attitudinal barriers that exist in the mind of employers who still resist

employing Americans with disabilities. This is only normal, as it is so hard

to understand why employers do not recognize the great value of employing

people with great abilities. We, people with significant disabilities, are

the largest group unemployed in the United States today. It is frustrating

and hard to understand.

In addition, we wonder when school systems will stop labeling children with

disabilities and telling parents "don't expect too much from Sam." I have

met so many young adults in my life who were told they could not and would

not even be able to work, but are working today in competitive areas, and

yet that negative labeling continues on.

We wonder why some parents themselves lower the bar of expectations and

dreams of their own child. There are times when the real limits imposed on a

young child or even a young adult with a disability come from the parents.

I wish I could say all of this will stop soon, but it will take time. After

all, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and yet we face racism today in

America, in the workplace. Ignorance and fear are deeply entrenched and it

takes time to dig it out.

I think this year for our New Year's Resolutions, we should start by

agreeing that we cannot wait for the world to change for us - we must change

for the world. I believe we, people with disabilities, can no longer wait

for change - we are the change the world needs today. One by one, we have

the power to create change and for too, too, long we have waited for the

cloaks of discrimination to fall off first - they won't.

I am going to focus on five ways we can begin to work on becoming the

change. This year I hope you will make it your year. Don't wait any longer

for others to change.

Our first resolution for the New Year must be that we will work on changing

ourselves by improving our self-esteem. We can do so much if we do not

listen to others, but instead focus on our own strengths and our own dreams.

For too long, people with disabilities have been made to feel inferior and

have been pitied. Pity, like racism, is the kiss of death for people with

disabilities. When you pity someone, you are saying - I feel sorry for you.

We are not inferior in any way, we are just people with disabilities. We

must stop listening to the outside world. I do not care if that negative

information comes from parents, teachers, friends, or counselors. We must

start believing in our own skills and our own abilities. We must work on

resisting pity and building strong self-worth everyday. Remind yourself

everyday of the great potential you have.

Second, we must work to improve our skills. We must find out what employers

are seeking and if there are skills we do not have, get them. If you do not

have the right skill set, you will never be employed competitively.

For example, I heard former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank, Alan

Greenspan, say, "There will be the world of the have's and the have not's

and the have not's will not be computer literate." Today, whether you are a

computer programmer or an automotive mechanic or work as an executive

assistant, you must be computer literate and at least know the Microsoft

Office suite of applications. In addition, you need good English skills, as

you will be asked to write, and will use e-mail. You should take classes or

go to the library and study to improve your basic skills to be employed.

Third, you must learn to network more. We need to get out and meet people if

we want to be known or be part of the community. When you are in college,

you should participate in all types of events to meet people in the business

world and in your community. If you are in high school, there are so many

opportunities, such as Disability Mentoring Day, that allows high school

students on the 3 rd Wednesday of every October to job shadow at a company

and meet business people or people working in Federal agencies. You need to

get out and meet people to be known.

This brings me to my fourth point, and that is volunteerism. To build

character, you must volunteer and give back to the community. This will also

help you meet many wonderful people. When you get involved and do volunteer

work in your community, you will meet executives and at times, CEO's of

major corporations in the United States. It is a great opportunity to build

your skills for your resume, meet great contacts, and as I stated, build

character.

I must quote the Honorable Tony Coelho, who so eloquently says, "Whenever

you get the chance, take the podium." Congressman Coelho, author of the

Americans with Disabilities Act and a man with epilepsy, has never stopped

speaking up and speaking out for equality for all Americans with

disabilities. His life is a ministry of passion and advocacy for Americans

with disabilities. He is my mentor and he should be your role model. This,

the final New Year's resolution is advocacy. As I stated before, we cannot

wait for change, we must create change. To create change, you must become an

advocate for equality for Americans with disabilities, in the areas of

employment, education, transportation, and housing. Take the opportunity

this year to volunteer to speak at your school, college, church, synagogue,

or mosque. Take the opportunity to volunteer with non-profit organizations

in your community such as the Epilepsy Foundation or United Cerebral Palsy.

Do not sit back - speak up!

Remember, you are the change.

Joyce Bender is President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services. Please

direct questions for Joyce to

info at disability-marketing.com
-------------- next part --------------
New Year's Resolutions for People with Disabilities
By Joyce Bender President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services.
We spend so much of our time wondering when we are going to change the
attitudinal barriers that exist in the mind of employers who still resist
employing Americans with disabilities. This is only normal, as it is so hard
to understand why employers do not recognize the great value of employing
people with great abilities. We, people with significant disabilities, are
the largest group unemployed in the
United States
today. It is frustrating
and hard to understand.
In addition, we wonder when school systems will stop labeling children with
disabilities and telling parents "don't expect too much from Sam." I have
met so many young adults in my life who were told they could not and would
not even be able to work, but are working today in competitive areas, and
yet that negative labeling continues on.
We wonder why some parents themselves lower the bar of expectations and
dreams of their own child. There are times when the real limits imposed on a
young child or even a young adult with a disability come from the parents.
I wish I could say all of this will stop soon, but it will take time. After
all, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and yet we face racism today in
America
, in the workplace. Ignorance and fear are deeply entrenched and it
takes time to dig it out.
I think this year for our New Year's Resolutions, we should start by
agreeing that we cannot wait for the world to change for us - we must change
for the world. I believe we, people with disabilities, can no longer wait
for change - we are the change the world needs today. One by one, we have
the power to create change and for too, too, long we have waited for the
cloaks of discrimination to fall off first - they won't.
I am going to focus on five ways we can begin to work on becoming the
change. This year I hope you will make it your year. Don't wait any longer
for others to change.
Our first resolution for the New Year must be that we will work on changing
ourselves by improving our self-esteem. We can do so much if we do not
listen to others, but instead focus on our own strengths and our own dreams.
For too long, people with disabilities have been made to feel inferior and
have been pitied. Pity, like racism, is the kiss of death for people with
disabilities. When you pity someone, you are saying - I feel sorry for you.
We are not inferior in any way, we are just people with disabilities. We
must stop listening to the outside world. I do not care if that negative
information comes from parents, teachers, friends, or counselors. We must
start believing in our own skills and our own abilities. We must work on
resisting pity and building strong self-worth everyday. Remind yourself
everyday of the great potential you have.
Second, we must work to improve our skills. We must find out what employers
are seeking and if there are skills we do not have, get them. If you do not
have the right skill set, you will never be employed competitively.
For example, I heard former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank, Alan
Greenspan, say, "There will be the world of the have's and the have not's
and the have not's will not be computer literate." Today, whether you are a
computer programmer or an automotive mechanic or work as an executive
assistant, you must be computer literate and at least know the Microsoft
Office suite of applications. In addition, you need good English skills, as
you will be asked to write, and will use e-mail. You should take classes or
go to the library and study to improve your basic skills to be employed.
Third, you must learn to network more. We need to get out and meet people if
we want to be known or be part of the community. When you are in college,
you should participate in all types of events to meet people in the business
world and in your community. If you are in high school, there are so many
opportunities, such as Disability Mentoring Day, that allows high school
students on the 3 rd Wednesday of every October to job shadow at a company
and meet business people or people working in Federal agencies. You need to
get out and meet people to be known.
This brings me to my fourth point, and that is volunteerism. To build
character, you must volunteer and give back to the community. This will also
help you meet many wonderful people. When you get involved and do volunteer
work in your community, you will meet executives and at times, CEO's of
major corporations in the
United States
. It is a great opportunity to build
your skills for your resume, meet great contacts, and as I stated, build
character.
I must quote the Honorable Tony Coelho, who so eloquently says, "Whenever
you get the chance, take the podium." Congressman Coelho, author of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and a man with epilepsy, has never stopped
speaking up and speaking out for equality for all Americans with
disabilities. His life is a ministry of passion and advocacy for Americans
with disabilities. He is my mentor and he should be your role model. This,
the final New Year's resolution is advocacy. As I stated before, we cannot
wait for change, we must create change. To create change, you must become an
advocate for equality for Americans with disabilities, in the areas of
employment, education, transportation, and housing. Take the opportunity
this year to volunteer to speak at your school, college, church, synagogue,
or mosque. Take the opportunity to volunteer with non-profit organizations
in your community such as the Epilepsy Foundation or United Cerebral Palsy.
Do not sit back - speak up!
Remember, you are the change.
Joyce Bender is President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services. Please
direct questions for Joyce to
mailto:info at disability-marketing.com info at disability-marketing.com