I am a person with a disability (cerebral palsy) and would like to respond
to your query.
I am an ordained Episcopal priest and a psychologist, with a dual Ph.D. in
Religion and Psychology. I went to college and grad school because of my
aspirations and expectations of needing and wanting a career. (My calling
and vocation were also very much a part of this process.)
It is clear to me that I have many abilities for my career, and that has
been confirmed through my accomplishments and the excellent letters of
recommendation which I have acquired over the years. I write, teach,
preach, lead workshops and retreats, etc. as often as possible. I do not
have a full time job because of blatant discrimination by my bishop. My
efforts to find full time work in academia have not been fruitful. I was
told by someone at a famous Ivy league school where I live that I could not
expect to compete for jobs with other Ph.D's. Other experiences follow
along the lines of the recent discussion by Marian Corker on this list.
My disability has never defined my goals or career. I was realistic about
what I could and could not do-and knew that the minimal adaptations I needed
did not need to be barriers to achieving my goals. I also expected to be a
fully contributing member of society and church.
That has not happened because non-disabled people rarely take seriously that
I am bright, a scholar, competent, and ABLE to have a career. They do not
consider that I have the same needs to be employed and productive for
fulfillment, income, saving, investing, travel, etc. At one time I was a
single, head-of-household mother trying to support 2 children on an income
that was a fraction of what other clergy were being paid--although I had
more experience!!
My point is that employers usually define what they think I can or cannot
do. They fail to understand that I *know* best what I can or cannot do and
know how to adapt in ways they have never had to consider. CP is an
integrated part of who I am--it does not define me as a human being who is
very capable. My expectations have always been to get on with living and do
the things I do well and enjoy. However, those expectations are frequently
shattered--not by CP or my limitations--but by the very limited and
prejudical attitudes of others.
So I would like to know the responses of employers to some question that
elicits how they understand the careers of people with disabilities.
Hope this is of some relevance to your question!
Peace, Nancy +
The Rev. Nancy Lane, Ph.D.
Lansing, NY
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: sonali shah <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, July 12, 1999 5:56 AM
Subject: disabled people & the glass ceiling
>Hi folks,
>
>Is anyone out there familiar with literature on to above subject matter?
i'm
>writing the 3rd chapter to my literature review and am particular
interested
>in if pwd's define career success differently to nondisabled people. The is
>masses of literature on the differentiational definitions of career success
>adopted by women, due to workplace/ societal inequality and the glass
>ceiling etc, and I'm sure it's similar for pwd striving for top jobs. Any
>references welcome
>
>Cheers
>
>Sonali
>Doctoral student
>Loughborough University
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>'Tommorrow is fresh with no mistakes'
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Laurence Bathurst <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: 07 July 1999 08:54
>Subject: Re: poetry, absolution, Mom and Dad
>
>
>Hi everyone again
>
>
>I just can't help myself I'm afraid. Each time I read a posting here
>lately, I am taken into the realm of semiotics. I am now fascinated by
>what and how people read within 'inverted commas'. I know its time
>to do more study when i find such things fascinating but truly, so
>much of what we say on this list lies within this curious discourse
>bounded by inverted commas. I guess the post modernist would say
>'read what you like and we'll discuss it' and the semoitician might say
>that the words signify a particular meaning such as non-commitment.
>'Absolution' may signify resolution in this case? It may be seen by
>others (such as the parents) as absolution.
>
>I always like to bring in the non-disabled analogy at this stage. The
>Aboriginal reconciliation process in Australia comprises a National
>sorry day which allows people to express sorrow for the crimes
>commited against Aboriginals since invasion. This concept has
>made many people bitter because of the reading of the word 'sorry'.
>"What do I have to be sorry for...I cannot take responsibility for what
>my ancestors have done" people will say (amongst other not-nice
>comments). I have heard nobody explain the dilemma in terms of
>differing meanings of sorry (as aplology as opposed to an expression
>of sympathy, regret, or just plain sorrow). The inverted comma is
>such a fascinating thing don't you think?
>
>
>
>> Dona, Carolyn, and everyone--
>>
>> Hey, well thanks for the plug, compliment and free advertising!! A word
>> about absolution and all. People read all kinds of stuff into my work
>(and
>> just about everyone else's too for that matter) Fine, fine. authorial
>> intent v. reader response, the endless debate. My own take on the works
>in
>> question is that I don't think I have the power to "absolve" anyone; (if
I
>> did, would that mean that I'd have to think of myself as a "sin"?) that's
>> something Mom and Dad must do for themselves re: their guilt (which yes,
>> they do admit to having), and I'm never sure whether my work, scholarly
or
>> creative, helps them do that, or should. They don't say much about the
>> poems or anything else for that matter being rather mystified by what it
>is
>> I do and academe in general. What matters to them is quantifiable. How
>> many poems have you published? How much $$ did you make? How far along
>are
>> you on the dissertation? Why aren't you on the market yet? I just try to
>> write honestly and well and hope an audience will connect. In light of
the
>> Singer disscussion though, I do think the BIrth poem says something about
>> choosing life over death. So you all will have to read the issue to
>decide
>> for yourselves. I know, I'm such a teaser.
>>
>> --Johnson
>>
>> >>
>> >> >And third, check out the upcoming Fall issue of DSQ for two eloquent
>> >> >poems by Johnson Cheu, who 'absolves' his 'guilty' parents from 'sin'
>> >> >--and who writes so sensitively that every parent and (adult) child
>> >> >will rethink this whole bloody issue.
>> >>
>> >
>> >Huh? Having read both the poems you're talking about, I'm curious as to
>where
>> >you got the "absolution" from?
>> >
>> >The Father Poem is a poem about the issues Johnson has about/with his
Dad
>and
>> >his Dad's issues about/with Johnson and the issues created by the two of
>them
>> >having issues about/with each other. Trust me, nothing is resolved in
>the poem
>> >and there is nothing to "absolve." There are, however, a whole bunch of
>issues
>> >exposed but that's pretty much it.
>> >
>> >The Birth Poem is about the shit Johnson's mom was fed by the medical
>> >establishment -- that Johnson was "wrong" and the she was to blame for
>his
>> >being
>> >alive (she should have let them kill him). In essence, the poem is the
>social
>> >construction of Johnson Cheu from birth as Disabled. Again, there is
>nothing
>> >there to absolve -- not even in the quote/unquote kind of way. Saying,
>> >"Thanks," Dona, is not the same as saying, "I forgive you," or "don't
>feel
>> >guilty."
>> >
>> >--
>> >Carolyn
>> >check out, "Passing, Invisibility and Other Psychotic Stuff" at
>> >http://www.tell-us-your-story.com/_disc68r/00000003.htm
>> >Add your story
>> >at http://www.tell-us-your-story.com
>> >Finding What We Have In Common One Story At A Time*
>>
>> Johnson Cheu
>> [log in to unmask]
>> http://people.english.ohio-state.edu/cheu.1
>> The Ohio State University*English Dept.*421 Denney Hall*164 W. 17th.
Ave.*
>>
>> Columbus, OH 43210*(614) 292-1730 (O)*(614) 292-6065 (D)*(614) 292-7816
>(Fax)
>>
>>
>
>
>Best regards
>
>Laurence Bathurst
>School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
>Faculty of Health Sciences
>University of Sydney
>P.O. Box 170
>Lidcombe NSW 2141
>Australia
>
>Phone: (62 1) 9351 9509
>Fax: (62 1) 9351 9166
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>Please visit the School's interim web site at
>http://www.ot.cchs.usyd.edu.au
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
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