Working With A Disability

I was just in an interview online for a work from home job and encountered a situation that is not new to me, or probably for most people who have a disability who are seeking employment. Whether it be a job online, or in a physical location, people with disabilities are often looked over for positions of employment that they are completely capable of doing simply because they have a disability. 

Now I don't mean that every place of employment does this, but there are a lot of people with disabilities that will face this problem at least once in their quest to find employment, and it is a sad and humiliating thing to have to experience. We are not only made to feel inferior but we are made to feel looked down on, less than, because of the disabilities that we have. Now I am sure that you just as I have seen the people in the wheelchairs that are greeters at a place like Walmart, and I think that is just wonderful, and even though some of those people do nothing more than meet and greet, I am sure if they were given the opportunity most would be able to find something that they could do other than sitting there and say hi. 

Now I will say that our local Walmart does have two ladies with Down Syndrome that work there stocking shelves, and even though that may not be their dream jobs, they are feeling like they are contributing, that they are making a difference, and I personally think that is a beautiful thing. Most people with disabilities are not out to get rich, they just want to be able to contribute to society, they don't want to just sit at home and wait till the first of the month for a small amount of money to come via SSI, an amount that is far far below poverty standards. 

Now let's get back to the interview that I had this morning, I do have to laugh because this particular position that I was applying for was for customer service, a job that would be done at home with my laptop and landline phone, so sitting would be the very thing that I would be doing while working. So working from my wheelchair would not be a problem, right? You would think so, but in this instance, you would be wrong.

I answered all the questions that I was asked right on point, I had plenty of experience working in this particular field, so I did not see there being any problem with getting the job. It all got down to the last question that I was asked, that is where the ball dropped. The man asks me if I thought I would have any problems sitting for long periods of time, and I instantly answered that no I was sure that there would be no problem. He then asks why I was sure there would be no problem and it was then that I told him that I suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis and was in a wheelchair, so I saw no problem because I was already constantly sitting in a wheelchair at all times that I was awake. There was a moment of silence on his end, and then I was told that he did not think that I was capable of doing that particular job that I was applying for. When I ask why he felt that way, he proceeded to disconnect from the video conference.

I tried and tried to connect with him again with no luck, so here I sit, in my wheelchair trying to find a job that will allow me to work from my wheelchair. Oh well, all I can say is that the man lost out on someone who could have been a great asset to his company.