"Fleas"

 It took me a very long time to come to terms with my disabilities.  No one wants what I have; no one wants brain damage, either.  

Oddly enough the only accomodation I've ever required is for my peanut allergy.  They provide disposable rubber gloves when I work grocery and keep me out of the peanut aisle.  

When I met Ron he and I were in a "special" program for people with disabilities.  He got fired for dating me.  They dressed it up a little but Dad was clear he would sue everyone if Ron stayed.  

When we moved in he was in a job training program - to become an office worker.  How to use a computer, answer phones, etc.  An adaptive technology manufacturer built him a "light probe" a little stick he could hold over the hold lights on a telephone to see if a line was clear or holding.  

I helped him get some motion detector statues.  One was a duck.  The other was a frog.  If he heard quack, ribbit, he knew someone was entering the office he would stop them.  If he heard ribbit, quack, they were leaving.  It worked very well.  Adaptive technology does not have to cost the earth.  

In my case Ron strongly advised me not to identify as disabled, to do the work and not ask for accommodations.  He felt I would end up in the vocational rehab "system" if I did and would get stuck in some menial position.  

He had a thing about "fleas" people who worked for government or non profits.  Interestingly enough his most lucrative and satisfying jobs were "flea" positions.  But he really wanted to make it in the private sector.  I went with him on countless job interviews.  

I disclosed I had a disability during my onboarding process at Walmart, that I did not receive government assistance, and that I did not require any accommodations (I didn't know about the peanut thing yet).  

I have mentioned I have "brain damage" but not what kind really.  It doesn't really matter; I don't have seizures and don't require anything.  I consume a lot of caffeine (no energy drinks though) that is about the only thing of note.  

It seems like almost every person with a disability is in some sort of assisted job program.  It's good, and it's bad.  Sad but true: someone with a disability is going to be taking a lot of time off, get sick a lot.  Employers aren't looking for that.  

I know at my store they have cut payroll down to the bone.  Positions that had 4-5 people have one person doing that and something else now.  If someone's missing it leaves a big hole. 

And, as I've said in my online work group, if you call in someone else has to do twice the work.  Now and then is one thing, ongoing, that's an issue.  We had an employee with seizures she was taking a lot of time off, also not doing the work when she was here, etc.  She left but I think she didn't have a choice.  

That's it for now!