Transportation Tales-Traveling With A Disability

I have been taking the bus, or some form of public transportation, since I was around 8 or 9. I would take the bus down to the local Boys and Girls Club, spend the day playing there, and then take the bus home. I showed the bus driver an ID card I had been issued by the Braille Institute, which had my name and the words ‘LEGALLY BLIND’ printed on it. Showing this card also sent a subtle message to the bus driver: this kid may need your help getting to his destination.
As I grew older, I began taking the bus more frequently and to different locations. I took the bus to work. to run errands and to meet up with friends. Once I got out of high school and went to college, I started taking the train regularly as well. Basically, if i needed to go somewhere, most of the time I had to rely on public transportation. I have lived my whole life in Southern California, an area notorious for its lackluster public transportation.

In my travels, I have encountered moments that were funny, awkward, scary, disappointing, and everything in between. I will say this—in some way, public transportation is always entertaining. Here are a few interesting stories from my travels with a disability.

HOLLYWOOD HOLY WATER
The summer after my sophomore year in college, I was able to obtain a good internship and a part time job in Los Angeles. I would commute 4 days a week to my internship, which was located in the LA suburb of Sherman Oaks. My commute took me 4 hours round trip, with several bus and subway transfers. One of my transfers was in downtown Hollywood. I would get off the subway, walk up the stairs to the street level, and then wait for the bus. The bus stop was on the corner of Hollywood/ Highland, the epicenter of downtown Hollywood. For those of you who have never been there, that stretch of Hollywood has a large shopping district (mostly high-end designers), the Hollywood Walk of Fame makes up the sidewalks, and is one of the main tourist attractions in LA. Oh, and it attracts some ‘interesting’ characters. There are always a few street performers playing instruments or dancing, and the crowds are extremely diverse. On one corner, you can spot a beautiful blonde women wearing the finest clothes that the fashion world has to offer. Then across the street, you can see a punk rocker dressed in ripped jeans, spiked pink hair, and tattoos that cover their entire body. All this diversity attracted some very religious people as well, who would walk up and down Hollywood Boulevard yelling about the second coming of Christ and how we are all sinners (paraphrasing). One of these religious people came up to me as I was waiting for the bus.

Noticing my white cane, the man approached me and said “Are you blind?’’

I had heard this man yelling at random passerby’s just seconds before. He did not appear totally stable to me, so I was a little bit weary of starting a conversation with him.

“Yes, I am blind,” I answered back.

“Well, did you know that Jesus cured a lot of blind people? It was one of his most common miracles. I bless you, my son,” responded the man.

He proceeded to take out a bottle of water, or ‘holy water’ as he called it. Then, he threw some of that water on me while saying “may the Lord, our Savior, bless you.” I was not too happy with this blessing, as I was on my way to work and now my clothes had water on them. He then asked me if I could bless him. I did so, mainly because I wanted him to go away. The bus arrived, and I left, but I will never forget the day I was forcibly blessed on Hollywood Boulevard.

THE BEERS ON THE BUS GO ROUND-AND-ROUND

For some strange reason, people on the bus don’t think the laws of the outside world apply to public transportation. I have witnessed several passengers consuming alcohol, smoking weed, or taking illegal substances in plain view of the rest of the passengers. I am sorry, but unless you are in Las Vegas or New Orleans, you can’t go around in public gulping a large can of Coors Light.
I was on the subway in LA, heading to work at about 8 am, and there was a man sitting across from me. He was moaning a lot and you could tell he was out of it. He was holding a Bud Light can. While most people’s drink of choice in the morning is coffee, this man decided that the best way to wake up was a cold-filtered beer. In his defense, it was a hot summer day.
What surprised me about this situation was not that the man was drinking, but that the conductor didn’t care. The conductor walked by him several times, with the beer clearly visible (I am legally blind and I could see it), yet the conductor let it slide.

Another time, I was taking the bus home from work at around 10 pm. I got on the bus, and again I see a man drinking a beer. He was holding a 30 pack of Coors Light and then began his sales pitch to me.
“Hey, you want a beer? I will sell you a can for a dollar.”

I declined, but he was persistent. He kept making me the same offer. I have to say, if Coors Light is looking for any sales reps, this guy would be a great fit. We were both located at the front of the bus, well in earshot of the driver, who proceeded to do nothing.

SCARY RIDE HOME

My absolute worst experience on public transportation occurred this past summer on Memorial Day. I was taking the last bus of the night home after work. There was only one other passenger on the bus besides me, an unkept homeless man. As soon as I got on the bus, he started yelling at me. He was saying something about how big I am (I am 6’5’’) and how he could kick my butt if he wanted to. Seeing that this man was clearly intoxicated, crazy or both, I decided to ignore his comments and popped my headphones in. But he continued berating me.

“Hey big guy, you think your so tough? Well guess what? I got a bullet with your name on it in here,” he said as he pointed to a bag he had. He repeatedly threatened me with the alleged gun he had in the bag.

I told the bus driver what was happening, but the driver said we were in a ‘radio dead-zone’ so she couldn’t get a hold of her boss. The only option was to throw him off at the next bus stop about 10 minutes away.

In those ten minutes, the threats continued, and I kept ignoring him. I didn’t want to say anything to him that may have sent him over the edge. We arrived at the bus stop, both the bus driver and myself stood up, and we had to remove him from the bus.

Looking back, I am not sure if he actually had a gun or if that was merely an insane man babbling on about nothing. Either way, it was a scary bus ride home.

FLYING BLIND
I have had the chance to travel quite a bit to compete for the blind in track and field events. On one of these trips, I had a departing flight from Orange County with a final destination of Colorado. Everyone is waiting in the terminal to board the plane, and the stewardess goes through her usual pre-boarding spiel.

“At this time, we will now be boarding any passengers who are elderly, disabled or have small children.”

I personally don’t need help getting on the plane or finding my seat, so I normally board with the rest of the passengers. But I was feeling very tired that day, and I decided to board with the elderly/disabled group. Bad idea. I showed my ‘LEGALLY BLIND’ card to the stewardess, who guided me to my seat on the plane.

She asked me very slowly and loudly and loudly “OK, WE ARE HERE AT YOUR SEAT. DO YOU NEED ANYTHING?”

I had no idea why she was talking to me like that. It was the same type of tone and volume you hear from caregivers who are helping extremely old people. I found it very demeaning. In my head, I was thinking ‘Lady, I am blind, not deaf. You don’t need to yell at me.’

It was ten minutes before the general boarding starting. In those ten minutes, the stewardess came back to me a dozen times asking me if I was OK. She was using the same tone of voice as before.

‘ARE YOU THIRSTY? DO YOU WANT SOME WATER?”

“No thank you, I am fine. I appreciate the help but I will let you know if I need anything.”

“OK. I WILL BE RIGHT BACK TO CHECK ON YOU.”

She returns, maybe 30 seconds later.

“ARE YOU HUNGRY? DO YOU NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM?’

“Honestly, I am good. Thank you though.”

“ARE YOU SURE YOU’Re NOT HUNGRY? YOU DONT WANT TO USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE WE TAKE OFF?’

“I am good, thank you.”

“OK, I WILL BE BACK IN A MUNITE TO CHECK ON YOU.”

I was 20 years old at the time, going to college, very independent, yet she treated me like I was 5 because I have a disability. Last time I ever board the plane early.

I would love to here about some of your most interesting stories/experiences of traveling on public transportation. Feel free to comment below with your most memorable story.

The Disabled Job Market (Part 2)- Focusing On Your Abilities

 (This is Part 2 of a two-part blog about going into the workforce with a disability)

For decades now, there has been somewhat of a formulaic process for a sustained career path.  First, you would attend high school and discover what careers interest you.  Then, you would find a college with a good program in your area of interest.  You graduate from that program, and you begin searching for an entry level position in your desired field.  Once you get hired for that job, you pay your dues and eventually work your way up the company ladder.  This path may be long or windy for some.  Careers objectives alter, priorities change and life just happens. But generally, these are the steps that society says you must follow to make it in the business world.

Traversing a career path with a disability carries with it challenges and obstacles that non-disabled simply don’t face.  I am not oblivious to the fact that the economy is tough for everyone right now, disabled or not.  But there are harsh realities for disabled people when they enter the work force.  However, once you accept these realities and learn how to adapt to them, the outlook for your career path will be much brighter.

Some people have known their whole lives what career they want to have in the future.  Most of the population does not have a stinking clue by the time they get out of high school or even college.  Others figure they will find something along the way.  Personal priorities play a major role in choosing a career.  They say to “do what you love”, but doing what you love doesn’t always pay the bills.  So if your single with no kids, pursuing a career you truly enjoy and take pride in may be the way you want to go.  On the other hand, if you are in a serious relationship, hope to have kids soon, and you’re not really passionate about a career, finding anything with financial stability so you can start a family would likely be the more appealing direction. Both pathways are valid, and priorities will change as quickly as life does.

I’m not going to sit here and go through all the possible career options available out there.  We all know there is a million things you can do for a living, but how many jobs can you perform with your disability? For example, I have a visual impairment that prevents me from driving.  That alone limits what jobs I can perform.  Any type of sales position is not a possibility, since constant driving to and from client’s offices is a necessity.  I thought about going into real estate briefly, then I thought about how I would get around to all the properties I would be trying to sell.  Am I supposed to take the bus to 5 different properties a day? That sounds exhausting just thinking about it.  If you have the passion for a career and you are willing to deal with major conflicts with your disability, then I fully support your decision.  But with the real estate example, are you so dedicated to being a realtor that you are willing to spend 4 or 5 hours daily on the bus?

Speaking of transportation, another factor to examine is how easy it will be to commute to your job location.  Public transportation varies in accessibility in different areas of the country.  Generally, East Coast cities have better and more efficient public transportation than the West Coast does.  I live in Southern California, where everyone owns 8 cars (only a slight exaggeration) and therefore, public transportation is extremely limited.  When I was looking for jobs out of college, I had to exclude several businesses from my job search because I would have no reliable way of getting to and from the workplace.  I was fortunate enough to find a job that was adjacent to the only major bus route where I live.  So be realistic about your transportation when considering a job.  Bosses will surely frown upon any employees who are constantly late to work or are unable to come in on short notice.  

When you do decide what career to pursue, do whatever is in your power to learn and practice for that career.  A good amount of careers require degrees, certifications, licenses, etc.  There are hundreds of grants and scholarships at your disposal that are specifically earmarked for disabled students.  Whatever category your path falls into determines what you need to do to achieve your goals.  The important thing is that you soak up as much knowledge, master the necessary skills and become a well-educated entrepreneur in your field.  

My previous blog discussed the stigma of going into a job interview with a disability.  One way to combat that stigma is having incredible amounts of knowledge in the field, more so than the average applicant.  Essentially, you want to be able to impress the hiring manager so much that they may ‘overlook’ your disability and consider you as a serious candidate.  And then when you get hired, you impress them even more with your skills that you have spent countless hours practicing and mastering.  Over time, working hard will become second nature to you, and your productivity will have no where to go but up.  In short, going above and beyond what a normal employee does is one of the best ways to get noticed in the job market when you have a disability.  

Often times, disabled people focus on what they can’t do instead of what they can do.  You need to focus on your abilities, not your disabilities.  Everyone has their own ‘disabilities’ when it comes to business.  Think about it—does every salesman know to do payroll and crutch numbers like the accounting department does? Or does every accountant know how to make a sale? Of course not.  That’s not their job, but you can’t have one without the other.  Just because you can’t drive or have limited mobility doesn’t mean you can’t perform other duties in a work environment.  That’s why developing an area of expertise is crucial.  

This is no full-proof plan, however.  There’s a chance you might fail.  In 10 years, you may find yourself doing something totally different from what you had planned.  But you know what?  At least you tried.  You gave it your all.  You didn’t just sit at home all day living off your monthly check from the government as your life passed you by.  You learned news skills and you challenged yourself.  Now it’s time to try something new and see if that’s a fit.  Life’s not going to throw you a pity party because you didn’t get your dream job.  

I am currently experiencing this very process of finding my career path.  I have a good idea of where I want to go with my career, but I am having trouble figuring out the best way I can realistically achieve my plan.   I carry plenty of anxiety as I embark into the murky waters of starting a career with a disability. but I am confident that I will find my way there.

The Disabled Job Market (Part 1)-The Uphill Battle

(This is Part 1 of a two-part blog. Part 2 will cover solutions on how to solve the issues of going into the job market with a disability)

Disclaimer- I am not a lawyer nor am I giving you legal advice. The following is only my opinion, nothing more.

Not to be Captain Obvious, but the current job market is pretty thin. Although the unemployment rates have been dropping slightly of late, finding an attractive job opening that doesn’t lure hundreds of other applicants is rare these days. And if you’re a young adult with little to no experience in your field, it’s hard to stack up to the older, more qualified applicants. Imagine your a manager looking over applications to fill your vacant position. You come across a 35 year old applicant with 10 years of experience in the field. Then you find an application from a 23 year old recent college graduate with a degree in that field. More times than not, the manager is going to go with the applicant who has real world experience.

Now imagine a similar scenario, but this time both applicants are recent college graduates in the field. The manager looks at their resumes, and decides to call them both in for an interview. The first applicant (we will call him John), drives to the office, greets the manager, and sits down for the interview. The manager isn’t too impressed with John’s attitude and lack of passion for the job he is applying for. The other applicant (we will call him Bill) took the bus to the interview, because he is wheelchair-bound. The manager walks into the lobby to greet Bill, and sees that he is in a wheelchair. The manager doesn’t know anyone in a wheelchair, and is therefore uncomfortable around Bill and doesn’t know how to act around Bill. They sit down for the interview, and the manager asks Bill a series of questions about the job opening. Bill elaborates on his passion and work ethic he is willing to put forth into the job, but the manager isn’t listening intently to Bill’s answers. The manager is still transfixed by the fact that Bill is in a wheelchair. Bill continues to articulate his desire for the position, but the manager is still distracted. The interview concludes and Bill wheels himself out of the office to the nearest bus stop.
Later that day, the manager calls John to offer him the job. John accepts the job as Bill continues his search for employment. Despite an identical resume and educational level, the applicant with the lousy attitude got the job instead of the disabled applicant with a great attitude. Ultimately, it came down to the manager being more comfortable around John, even though Bill would have been more productive and a better hire.
You might think I am over-exaggerating with this scenario, but it’s no over-exaggeration. In today’s job market, where managers have piles of applications, they will go with what they know—the able-bodied or ‘normal’ person. There are other factors that can influence a company not considering a disabled person for the job. Some companies feel that having a disabled person in the workplace could potentially expose the company to harassment/discrimination lawsuits. Whether it’s a case of workplace bullying gone wrong, or not promoting a disabled worker even if they are qualified, some companies consider these risk factors too big. No company will ever admit that these factors contribute to their hiring procedures.
By law, companies are not allowed to discriminate against an applicant or employee because of a disability. However, these discrimination cases are extremely hard to prove, and good luck taking on a company’s legal defense team. Lawyers will bury you with subpoenas until they bleed your bank account dry and you are forced to drop the case. This is one of the problems with discrimination against disabled employees. Even if it’s illegal, how is a private citizen with limited financial means supposed to take on a big company without going into massive debt? Most disabled employees who are discriminated against are advised to ‘just deal with it.’ Because if you cause any trouble, you can say goodbye to your job and get ready for a lengthy legal process. If you ‘just deal with it’, you can still keep your job. At that point, you have to decide whether working in a hostile work environment is better than not working at all.

The uphill battle that disabled people face entering the workforce can greatly impact their quality of living. Qualified disabled applicants who are consistently turned down for jobs will have to settle for jobs with lesser pay, little to no benefits, and limited potential for promotion. The fear of being rejected for better paying jobs can force disabled employees to stay at their lower-end job solely on the sake of job security, no matter how bad that job may be. As they remain in that job limbo, they are wasting away precious years that could be spent improving their skills, earning higher pay, investing for their future, and establishing themselves as a recognized and respected professional in their field.

It’s easy to get sucked into the harsh cycle of unemployment or medicare jobs as a disabled person.

Your probably saying to yourself “thanks for letting me know I will never get a good job, you jerk!” Well, fortunately for you, Captain Not So Obvious will be here in Part 2 of this blog to discuss ways to improve your career path as a disabled person.

So A Blind Man Walks Into A Blog…

The purpose of this blog is…well, I am still figuring that part out.

Basically, I am a visually impaired man in his mid-twenties trying to navigate my way through this thing called life. I have been visually impaired my entire life, as I was born with a rare genetic disease that affects my retina. My eye condition was misdiagnosed until I was 13, when they discovered the true condition I had. This discovery allowed the doctors to try new ways to improve my vision. They were able to prescribe me glasses, which vastly improved my sight. While I thought my new vision was stellar, I was still considered extremely visually impaired. I do have some sight, but I am not exactly the top recruit for the military’s sniper program. The years before I got my prescription lenses taught me how to function and be independent. So when I got my lenses, I had already mastered the tricks of functioning with a visual impairment. I would be described in the disabled world as a ‘high functioning’ blind person. I use a white cane when I travel or when I am in unfamiliar locations. But when I am performing my everyday tasks, like going to work or school, shopping at the grocery store, or just running errands, I do not use my cane. My lack of cane use can confuse some people. I have had numerous friends/colleagues who had no idea that I was blind until they see me read or perform a task where sight is crucial. I guess I should take that as a compliment.

I am fortunate enough to have a disability that is not a life-threatening disease or illness. I do not suffer inscrutable muscle pains and aches, nor do I have to take a handful of expensive pills at a strictly regimented time every day. I have bad eyes, and that’s it. Otherwise, i am in great physical health. I know many disabled people who aren’t as lucky as I am. There is no way I can fully comprehend the agony and pain that people with severe disabilities experience. That being said, this blog will touch upon broad disability topics as well as blindness issues.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to reach out to other disabled young adults that are going through the same issues and prejudices that many disabled people face everyday. I have struggled mightily with problems stemming from my disability, mainly in the social and professional world. I hope to share some stories, anecdotes, and lessons I have come across in my life and maybe help some people along the way. I will also be including some humor to lighten up the mood. These topics can get heavy, but I will do my best to keep the message positive.

I am in no way claiming to be an expert on living with a disability. Hell, I am only in my mid-twenties, so of course I don’t know everything about the world . I will just be giving you one man’s perspective on what it’s like trying to make it in the world as a disabled young adult.