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REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE LIBRARY
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Going for the Gold:
Self-Employment
Revolutionary Common Sense by Kathie Snow
www.disabilityisnatural.com
Tony never had a single art lesson in his life. His ability to create beautiful images on canvas was a natural, inborn talent. For years, he waited patiently (and then impatiently) for a variety of vocational-rehabilitation (VR) counselors to help him get a real job. But the VR counselors did not see a career in art as a realistic, viable choice for Tony, so he was assessed to see what type of job would be “most appropriate.”
A couple of job placements were made over the years, but they never worked
out over the long term. Tony remained unemployed and poor, existing on SSI.
After years of waiting, the 46-year-old had enough. With encouragement from
friends, Tony bravely took a new and different path to employment. He “fired” his
VR counselor and struck out on his own.
Tony connected with other artists in his community, and with a little help
from his friends, he is on his way to self-employment as an artist. It’s
a little scary, but the fear is greatly diminished by the power Tony feels:
he’s in control of his own destiny.
As a child, Beth always loved combing her mother’s hair. As she grew,
she moved beyond brushing to arranging her mom’s hair in a variety of
styles. And she loved going to beauty and barber shops when anyone in the family
needed a hair cut.
During her high school years, Beth was included in several regular ed
classrooms. In her junior year, a voc-rehab counselor joined the IEP
(Individualized Education Program) team. He didn’t think Beth’s dream job of a hairdresser
was a realistic goal for a person with Down syndrome, but said the assessments
he could administer would tell them what Beth was capable of doing.
Turning the tables, Beth and her family decided the assessments were
not appropriate and declined VR services. They had already made contact
with a local beauty school and continued with their plans: Beth would
enroll in the trade school after high school. And getting a real job
on her own would be no problem: she had many contacts with folks in
the beauty business in her community. As an independent contractor,
Beth will join the ranks of other stylists who enjoy the benefits of
self-employment.
Like Beth and Tony, many adults with disabilities are going for the
gold and fulfilling their dreams through self-employment. One’s attitude—not
the disability—is the only barrier to a successful career. What’s
your attitude on the subject?
©2002-06 Kathie Snow, www.disabilityisnatural.com. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this article: you may print this web page and photocopy it to share with others. Click here to download the PDF handout version of the article. As a courtesy, please tell me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) how/when you use it. Do not violate copyright laws: request permission before reprinting or republishing in newsletters, on websites, or in other media
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Our words reflect the way we think, so let's get rid of descriptors like "handicapped, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning disabled" and other words that focus on the condition instead of the person. People First Language promotes dignity and respect for all!
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