Timeout

For those of you who became regular readers of my blog, I apologize for my time away. I work full-time and am trying to finish a doctoral dissertation. To do this for anyone is a challenge but figuring in my disability means my life is pretty much all work and no play. A friend of mine was lamenting the other day that he hadn’t had a vacation in over a year. I was outwardly sympathetic, but inside I didn’t know whether to scream or laugh. My rent just went up 9%, I couldn’t find a more affordable place to live that was accessible to public transportation, and my last vacation was during the previous presidential administration. I did understand my friend’s desire for time away; I often dream of stopping the clock so I can get caught up or escape to a vacation spot. Still, I have it better than many others. During these economically difficult times, we all have had our struggles, but no group of people have struggled more than those living with a disability. We are the largest minority group, the most discriminated against, and the group with the highest unemployment. For those with post-secondary education, it is extremely difficult to find a good-quality job outside the disability field. Don’t misunderstand, the disability field is filled with fulfilling work for many people with and without a disability, but it isn’t a field for every person living with a disability. This “Glass Box effect” for people with disabilities limits their job prospects, often puts their educational background at odds with the jobs they can get hired to do, and perpetuates societal stereotypes about people with disabilities. It also insures that many people with a disability never get a mental break from dealing with disability-related issues like affordable housing, accessible transportation, and managing life with a disability.