Working with a disability

Working With A Disability:

One of the hardest things for me to do after being injured in Iraq was going back to work with a disability. My time in the military was over, and I was permanently disabled at the age of 23 years old. I knew nothing about working in the civilian world, and knew even less about my right as an individual with a disability. There was a lot of trepidation on my part when looking for a job as a disabled veteran. Here are some of the issues I dealt with early in my job search:

• I hesitated when asked on the interview "why did you leave the military". I didn't want to tell my interviewer that I was severely injured in Iraq. I thought that this would be a sure fire way to be considered as someone who couldn't perform the job duties required for the position. I am very proud of my military service, however I wasn't too proud to tell my interviewer that I was injured in Iraq. 
• When filling out job applications I wasn't sure how to answer "do you have a disability". I was afraid to enter yes on the application because once again I thought I would be disqualified from the position. The first thought that entered my mind was "why do they need to know if I have a disability"? This was a touchy subject for me because I was still very young and was more embarrassed to be so young with a disability. 
• Lastly, when I started working I was hesitant to disclose my disability to my supervisors. In Iraq I was shot in both of my legs so I cannot walk for extended periods of time. With my nerve damage in my legs it is also very painful to wear shoes. When I supervised in a major call center, my manager wanted to know why I didn't walk the floor as much as the other supervisors and why I always had my shoes off under my desk. I was embarrassed to disclose the extent of my disability but he understood and it made things a little easier for me at work. 

So what I learned during this process is to arm yourself with knowledge. Some people believe that in order to have a disability you have to look a certain way, or talk a certain way. There are many of us in the workforce that have disabilities that are not visible. I proudly served my country, and I was injured protecting American freedom and the American way of life. While in the military I suffered injuries that left me permanently disabled. Today I speak on behalf of individuals with disabilities in the workplace everywhere and I couldn't be any more proud of the excellent work we are doing across the world.