Employment opportunities are a ‘key to freedom’ for wheelchair users

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month which commemorates the contributions of people with disabilities to America's workplaces and economy. United Spinal members who work in various industries reflect on their employment journeys and share advice for other wheelchair users navigating the job hunt.

Nicole Llorens: Normalizing disability in the classroom

Nicole was an elementary teacher before she acquired a spinal cord injury in 2019. After taking a few years off to recover and readjust to life, she recently started working again as a Pre-K assistant.

"Being a part of the school and working with early childhood education has normalized disability for the young students and the staff that get to interact with me. They see that I am a human who happens to have a disability and see that disabled people can be so much more in society than this box we tend to be put in," says Nicole.

"As a preschool teacher, a barrier I faced has been organizing the classroom so that I am able to navigate easily and effectively for myself and the students. My advice for wheelchair users getting into the education field is don't be afraid to take up space and speak up for your needs!"

Teal Sherer: Navigating the inaccessible entertainment industry

Teal is an actress and writer for New Mobility Magazine where she writes a column reflecting on disability inclusion in the media.

"I started acting in the early 2000's and have seen the industry slowly evolve and become more inclusive of disabled actors. The biggest barrier I've faced is a lack of opportunities - there have been acting classes I've wanted to take but were up a flight of stairs, roles I've wanted to audition for but was told no because of my disability, and theaters I've wanted to perform at, but I couldn't access the stage," says Teal.

"My biggest advice to others is to create your own opportunities, whether you collaborate with your peers and make a short film, write a one-person show, or do improv. Put yourself out there and do what inspires you."

Andy Arias: Recognizing the value of intersectionality

As as a first-generation Latin X, person with a disability and member of the LGBTQI+ community, Andy says that understanding intersectionality is critical to efforts around disability inclusion. He had a direct impact in crafting disability employment policy through the US Department of Labor and is also an actor and motivational speaker.

"In my former career, I contributed to legislation for disability and LGBTQIA history to be taught in schools. We must know and see ourselves reflected in history to grow! I believe that everybody deserves access to employment opportunities it can be a key to freedom for so many. I know it was mine!" Andy says.

"Growing up I never saw anybody with a disability employed, let alone anyone with my skin color. It wasn't until my early 20s that I realized I was unique - and that I could use my identities as strengths - to improve opportunities for myself and open doors for others"

Michele Lee: The power of networking

Michele leads accessibility on the Public Affairs team at Cruise, the self-driving car subsidiary of General Motors and was previously the Director of Employment Programs at United Spinal Association.

"At Cruise, we are working on a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. It's a dream job to shape the future of transportation with a team that is committed to accessibility. My career has not been linear, I previously worked in finance and nonprofits. I understand the challenges and barriers to employment, but together we can combat ableism and shift towards more inclusive workplaces," she says.

"Some advice I would give to jobseekers out there is to not be afraid to network and connect with people in industries and jobs that you're interested in and remain persistent and optimistic. Your dream job is out there too!"

Karen Roy: Never be afraid to ask

Karen is a United Spinal advocate from Tennessee and recently started a new position as Regional Sales Director at Matia Mobility, a leading manufacturer and provider of innovative mobility solutions. "When I came to work for Matia Mobility I let them know that I can travel, but would need assistance in transporting the device we sell to locations around the country when we do demonstrations. Matia was happy to make those arrangements available to me." Karen told Spinalpedia.

"Never be afraid to ask for more responsibility, a promotion or a raise. The answer may be no, then you know it's time to move on. Don't live within the preconceived limits placed on you by your managers. Never stop learning and searching for ways to improve your marketable skills. While stretching is lots of work and often painful, you increase your worth every time you learn a new skill."

United Spinal's Pathways to Employment program helps wheelchair users return to work and supports employers in making their business more inclusive. Join us by signing up for a free membership. To support our mission, donate here.