Latest / Unbalanced with Cerys Davage / 78. Navigating work with a disability

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78. Navigating work with a disability · Unbalanced with Cerys Davage

0:10
Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Unbalanced
0:13
with Me, Kerry Savage. I hope you're doing well.
0:17
I'm just coming up the other end of a flu or something.
0:20
I've had quite a bad week with a really, really bad cold, a
0:24
really bad sore throat, and I was worried I was not going to
0:28
be able to do this episode and maybe my voice hasn't fully
0:31
recovered. It probably didn't help that I
0:34
was out last night. I went clubbing, which is not
0:38
something I do very often anymore and something I thought
0:41
I was slowly going to be retiring from.
0:44
But after a very quiet January, February is actually a month
0:49
with a lot of birthdays. I have a couple of friends and
0:53
family birthdays in February, so I have to show up for them.
0:57
I have to just, you know, get dolled up, force myself to go
1:01
out. And it is always a good time.
1:03
And especially if it's with people that you're really
1:05
comfortable with, I don't mind them.
1:08
And I actually had a very nice time and stayed a lot later than
1:10
I thought I would. I think I came back at like 2:30
1:14
this morning. So yeah, we're actually a lot
1:17
later filming this today later in the day.
1:19
So I've had my coffee this morning.
1:21
Actually, it's probably this afternoon.
1:23
But what's lovely is now we're at a point in the year where the
1:27
evenings are getting a little bit lighter.
1:28
So I'm hoping that it'll stay light enough for me to record
1:33
this episode today. So I hope you're all doing well.
1:36
Hope you're all having a lovely couple weeks.
1:39
You know, just getting back into the swing of things.
1:41
I've been super, super busy. I went to Lisbon a couple weeks
1:45
ago and the vlog for Lisbon is actually up on my YouTube if you
1:49
haven't checked that out. It went out last week and I
1:53
really, really enjoyed going to the Treat LMD conference.
1:57
I went with Kelly Brazo of Cure LG and D2 I, who sponsored this
2:01
podcast, and it was just an incredible opportunity to meet a
2:06
lot of medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies,
2:09
researchers, patient advocates, who were all researching and
2:13
being parts of different trials for therapies for different
2:18
neuromuscular conditions. So it was really interesting.
2:21
It wasn't just an LGMD conference, which are the only
2:24
other ones I've been to. This was like for all
2:26
neuromuscular diseases. So yeah, for me, it was just
2:30
really eye opening to see the inner workings of how these
2:34
companies and researchers actually go about, you know,
2:37
recruiting people for trials, recruiting patients, how they
2:40
take care of the patients throughout and all the
2:43
procedures that that come with that.
2:46
And as someone with LG and D2I or otherwise known as R9, it's a
2:52
very exciting time for us right now because treatment has been
2:56
found. So there is something called BBP
2:59
418 which is ribitol and ribitol is a kind of like a sugar that
3:05
has proven to help people with LGMD 2 IR 9.
3:11
Over the past three years, there's been a trial going on
3:14
for ribotol in different patients with LGMD 2, IR 9, and
3:20
it's proven to be very, very successful, not just to slow
3:23
down the progression of LGMD, but actually reverse some of it
3:28
and bring back some strength, which is just absolutely
3:30
incredible. Obviously, every case is
3:33
different. Every person's experience with
3:35
it has been varied so far, but only good things, only good
3:39
results, and it's hopefully going to get approved in the US
3:43
very, very soon. It's kind of on accelerated
3:46
approval and once it's FDA approved, hopefully it can be
3:51
available to patients all over the world eventually.
3:54
So obviously I'll bring you guys some updates on that.
3:57
But because it's an exciting time for people with my specific
4:01
subtype, it's been really cool to meet those people that have
4:04
been a part of that research and the pharmaceutical companies
4:07
that are funding this research. So it's been so, so interesting,
4:11
really good conference, met some incredible people.
4:14
And yeah, you can see it all on my YouTube, on the vlog.
4:18
I do want to announce another piece of exciting news that's
4:21
been kind of going on in the background for a while.
4:23
So as we know, Cure LGMD 2, I sponsor this podcast.
4:27
They've just renewed their sponsorship for another year and
4:31
Bridge Bio is also sponsoring this podcast now.
4:34
I love their team so much. Their team are absolutely
4:37
incredible. They do so much, you know,
4:40
fiercely passionate work for patients of LGMD and they've
4:44
done a lot of research into a cure treatment for two eyes.
4:48
So they're both very special companies that mean a lot to me
4:52
and are very, very close to mine and my family's hearts.
4:55
For those of you who checked out my appearance on the Onrea
4:59
podcast that's hosted by Bridge Bio, they flew all the way to
5:02
Wales to meet me and to film with me and I had an incredible
5:06
couple of days filming with them.
5:08
And their content is available on their website and socials and
5:12
so is my episode with them on the Honore podcast.
5:16
So I've had a really, really good relationship with Bridge
5:19
Bio for a couple years now. Their team is absolutely
5:22
incredible and their patient advocates are just so, so
5:26
passionate about what they do. So I couldn't be prouder to
5:29
announce that they are also sponsoring this podcast.
5:33
I will be linking their websites down in the description of this
5:37
episode and every episode to come because they are sponsoring
5:40
the entire podcast. So if you ever want to check out
5:43
bridge BIOS website and find out a bit more about what they do,
5:47
please please check it out because they are an incredible
5:49
company that have done so much so much that I can't list them
5:53
all right now. So go check them out and also
5:55
check out cure LGMD 2 eyes website.
5:58
They are a charity that's doing some incredible work and they
6:01
would really, really appreciate some donations if you can.
6:05
Following on from the last solo episode that I did, I talked a
6:09
lot about trying to navigate a work life balance.
6:12
And you guys know I'm a super busy person.
6:16
I'm still on the learning curve of trying to figure out what a
6:21
good work life balance looks like and trying not to burn out
6:25
in the process. I'm at the point where I'm just
6:27
trying to do as much as I can because I'm worried that, you
6:30
know, maybe my disability will limit me in the future or, you
6:34
know, I feel like, you know, while I'm still able, I should
6:37
just get out there and do as much as I can.
6:39
But it is a case of reminding myself that I do have time and
6:44
I'm still young and I need to learn to pace myself.
6:47
Otherwise I'm just going to burn out and it's not going to end
6:49
well. So I decided that today's
6:52
episode could be dedicated to navigating work life and this is
6:57
a really, really big topic. It's not one that I think I can
7:01
cover completely in one episode. So after this episode, if you
7:05
feel like you've not gotten enough about this topic, then
7:09
please let me know. I do want to continue exploring
7:13
this topic but we've got to start somewhere.
7:16
So I obviously want to talk about my own experiences and
7:20
what I've learnt from being in the working world with a
7:23
progressive disability. And I also want to share some
7:28
things that a lot of my followers have very kindly
7:31
shared with me. I asked a couple of questions on
7:35
my Instagram story about what occupations and different people
7:39
had and also what they wish they knew before starting work and
7:44
any piece of advice that they might have to share.
7:47
So I've got a lot going on here from other people, so I'm hoping
7:51
that this episode won't all just be all about me because this is
7:55
a topic that looks different to everyone.
7:57
And I'm aware that there are people that are more progressed
8:00
than me and less progressed than me or older, you know, have more
8:04
life experience and maybe, you know, in different healthcare
8:09
systems, different countries. So I think it's important to try
8:13
and, you know, get as much information and educate
8:16
ourselves on these different versions of a work life balance
8:21
as possible. I think I should start with
8:23
probably the biggest question that I get asked when it comes
8:28
to working with a disability and it's job interviews.
8:33
And should I disclose my disability when I go for a job
8:36
interview or should I disclose it after I get a job offer?
8:42
Which is a huge question because I know that, you know, obviously
8:45
ableism still exists and internalised ableism.
8:49
And I know that a lot of people that are wheelchair users have
8:54
rocked up to interviews where the interviewee didn't know that
8:56
they were in a wheelchair. And they haven't had much luck
9:00
to get a job since going to interviews using their mobility
9:04
aids. And you see a lot online about
9:06
people that are trying to test out whether it is to do with a
9:10
disability, that they're not getting jobs, you know, so they
9:14
would go to job interviews, some in wheelchairs and some without
9:17
or whatever. And the, the results are always
9:21
very interesting. But I feel like we have to
9:23
recognise that we are in a situation, especially here in
9:26
the UK, where it's really, really difficult to find jobs
9:29
right now. And you know, a lot of us have
9:33
dreams, we have aspirations and it can be difficult to chase
9:37
that if there's no opportunities out there.
9:40
And I feel like they're even more limited for people with
9:43
disabilities because, you know, we are living in such a
9:47
fast-paced world now. Hustle culture is a massive
9:50
thing where companies want people on top of their physical
9:54
a game and maybe are able to get as much out of that person that
9:58
they employ as possible. And I think that's where maybe
10:02
we go a bit wrong in society because that's just assuming
10:05
that disabled people can't do as much as a non disabled person.
10:09
But that's absolutely not the case.
10:12
And maybe that's a whole other topic.
10:14
But I do think that your feelings are totally valid if
10:18
you do go to a job interview and you're not sure whether or not
10:21
to disclose your disability, because it is a huge thing.
10:24
And especially if you're not comfortable talking about it,
10:27
why should you feel like you have to push yourself out of
10:30
your comfort zone even more than you already are doing a job
10:33
interview to talk about your disability?
10:35
So I personally always disclose it.
10:39
This podcast is actually a great thing for me to show off about
10:43
in job interviews. You know, to say that I that I
10:46
host and produce my own podcast and raise awareness of different
10:50
disabilities, but I only talk about that.
10:53
I don't talk about the fact that I have a disability.
10:56
I don't mention what it is because I don't just don't think
10:59
it's important to me getting a job.
11:02
So in terms of personally, I only really mention the podcast
11:07
and the work I do to raise awareness From there, they can
11:10
check out my podcast and know everything about my disability
11:14
if they want to. But maybe if I didn't have this
11:17
podcast, I'd probably wouldn't talk about my disability.
11:21
I think I do talk about it a bit in my CV as well, my resume.
11:26
And again, that's just because of the podcast.
11:28
So the only time I would disclose my disability is if I
11:32
had to fill out a form and it asks about, you know, your
11:35
ethnic background, what country you live in, all your
11:39
declarations, your sexual preferences, and then whether or
11:43
not you have a disability. If you think about it too much,
11:45
maybe it is a bit intrusive to ask all these questions on
11:50
asking to say on a first date on a first impression basis, you
11:55
know, like just getting a job interview.
11:59
It's kind of like a first date, isn't it?
12:00
Like do I disclose my disability to people I've just met?
12:04
So it yeah, I think it can be quite intrusive or scary.
12:10
But I would say definitely don't feel the pressure to disclose a
12:14
disability before you even get a job or even at the job
12:17
interview. The only thing I would say is if
12:21
you do get offered a job, then maybe it's a good idea just to
12:24
let them know about it so that they can make the right
12:27
adaptations for you. And I think if you don't mention
12:30
it, then and if you turn up to work and the place isn't
12:33
accessible or you know, the chairs too low, the chair
12:36
doesn't actually like suit your needs, the building isn't
12:39
wheelchair accessible, things like that, Then by then kind of
12:43
maybe it's kind of too late or it's just maybe going to be a
12:46
bit more awkward asking for those adaptations because they
12:49
might be like, well, why didn't you tell us earlier?
12:51
But I know that there is that fear of, you know, if you do
12:55
disclose that, then they're going to think of you
12:57
differently. They're going to see you in that
12:58
light. They're only going to see you
13:00
for your disability. And especially if you've just
13:03
met these people, it can be really intimidating anyway.
13:07
And you want to make a good first impression.
13:09
And the last thing you want is to be known as the disabled
13:12
person. And that's definitely a feeling
13:14
that I've had a lot. I don't want to be known as, you
13:18
know, the disabled girl. I know for a fact that I'm the
13:22
only like physically disabled person in my very small team.
13:26
I work in the BBC at the moment. It's a very, very big company,
13:29
obviously very diverse, a lot of different disabilities all
13:33
across the company. And because of that and because
13:37
they're very well established, very big company, I know that
13:40
the building is totally accessible.
13:42
I know I'm really safe there. I'm in safe hands and if anyones
13:46
thinking of applying for a job at the BBC I would really
13:49
encourage you to do it because they really look after you
13:53
there, you know, with any disability that you have or
13:56
mental health condition or anything.
13:58
They're really, really accommodating and they have that
14:00
training in place to know exactly how to help you.
14:03
But I know within my small news team, I think I'm the only
14:08
physically disabled person there.
14:10
So, you know, I'm happy to be there token disabled person to
14:13
ask advice or ask questions or you know, I've obviously had a
14:17
chance to report on a lot of different disability related
14:20
stories, which is really cool. But I was definitely worried
14:23
that I was going to be known for my disability at the beginning.
14:27
I think I've definitely proven now that I'm a lot more than
14:30
that, that the disability doesn't define me.
14:33
It doesn't really mean much day-to-day.
14:36
I think because my building is completely accessible.
14:39
I don't feel disabled from day-to-day because I drive my
14:43
adapted car, I get to work, I use the lift, the elevators, and
14:48
that's pretty much it. You know, I don't have to come
14:50
across any steps or anything. I think the only thing I felt
14:54
maybe a little bit weird, not necessarily weird, but it was
14:58
just a little bit uncomfortable maybe when I first started at
15:02
the BBC. And also, I had this
15:03
conversation in the previous place I worked at, which was a
15:06
media company after I graduated, was about fire evacuations.
15:13
And this is a big thing to establish when you start.
15:16
And even though it's very unlikely that you will have to
15:19
evacuate you to a fire, they'll be fire drills.
15:22
They'll be, you know, things that will catch you off guard.
15:24
And it'll be good to know exactly what the procedures are
15:27
for that. So I was asked the question, you
15:31
know, do you need a chair? You know, there's like chairs
15:34
that people carry down the stairs.
15:36
I didn't think I necessarily needed that because I can still
15:40
do the stairs. But I guess the risk of,
15:42
especially if everyone's going to like rush out, there is a
15:45
very high risk of me falling. So I think in my first
15:48
workplace, I had just assigned some people to help me walk down
15:52
the stairs very slowly. And I think that's still the
15:55
case now, like in my current job, I've assigned people to or
16:01
people have been assigned to help me down the stairs, but I
16:04
don't know what that looks like. I think that might be to carry
16:07
me or to just give me an arm, because if I do hold on to
16:11
someone's arm and then I have another hand on the rail, then
16:14
I'm OK. We did have one fire drill or I
16:19
don't even think it was a drill. I, I thought, I think it was
16:21
like a genuine thing and like it's, I don't know, actually
16:24
know what it was. It wasn't the fire, but we all
16:26
had to rush down the stairs. And luckily I had a friend with
16:29
me who really understands my condition and she just grabbed
16:32
onto me and like, helped me down these few flights of stairs.
16:36
So that was really good. But, you know, especially if my
16:40
disease is going to keep progressing, I need to know my
16:43
options and I need to know that I'm going to be safe in that
16:45
sense. So that's another thing.
16:48
And that's another good reason why you should let your company
16:51
know about your disability when you do start and even if you
16:56
don't need any adaptations done, just so that they have it on
17:00
file, because I think that's really important.
17:02
You know, if you have a lot more appointments than usual, they
17:05
will be really understanding of that.
17:07
I think you get more sick days. Someone told me this recently.
17:11
It might have been in one of the DMS that I got that I'll be
17:14
reading out later. But I think you get more sick
17:16
days if you have a disability and also the team will just be
17:20
more understanding. My job is mostly a sit down
17:23
office job, but there are times where I go out filming and I'm
17:27
camera trained. I'm camera operated.
17:28
Like I can go out and film people.
17:31
And obviously I'm very experienced with this podcast as
17:34
well, but I can't carry all the kit.
17:36
Like the work tripods are really, really heavy.
17:39
The cameras and all the equipment are really heavy.
17:43
And so I need someone else to carry them for me because I can
17:45
barely walk as it is, let alone with all this extra weight on.
17:49
So I think that's been really good because, you know, everyone
17:53
knows about my disability, but they don't make a big deal of
17:55
it. And that's when you know you're
17:57
in a good workplace because they're just willing to help
17:59
you. And I think there's nothing like
18:01
that. This is just so, so nice to know
18:03
that there will be people there to help you and to understand
18:07
you and who wants to look out for you without making it weird,
18:11
without asking questions or being intrusive or making your
18:15
whole personality about that. Someone did message me with a
18:19
lot of really good bullet points to do with this topic about
18:22
disclosing, and they said when you're not believed because you
18:27
look fine, what do you do? And that's very luckily, I guess
18:31
I'm very fortunate to not have had a situation like that.
18:34
But I've been in a lot of situations outside of work where
18:37
I'm not believed that I have a disability.
18:40
And to that I say they are not a great place to work.
18:44
I'd say, you know, then you want to work with people who
18:47
understand you and who don't doubt your disability, who trust
18:52
you. You know, I think it would be
18:53
very strange if you end up working somewhere that don't
18:56
want to accommodate your needs because that will just make them
18:59
look like a terrible company or a terrible employer.
19:01
When it comes to making reasonable adjustments.
19:04
I can only really speak from my own experiences, but I'd say the
19:08
adjustments that have really helped me have been having a
19:12
certain chair that fits me like an ergonomic chair.
19:15
I know I can order some things through the company, like an
19:18
ergonomic mouse, an ergonomic keyboard, and they will be like
19:24
fully supportive of that. Also, like everything we do is
19:27
on the same floor, but if we happen to have a meeting
19:30
upstairs, someone will walk with me to the left to make sure that
19:33
I'm not alone and to not make it weird like that everyone's
19:36
ditching me or that I'm ditching them.
19:38
And so that's been really nice as well.
19:40
It's just those little gestures. And I think if you're someone
19:42
who doesn't have a disability, who works with someone who does
19:46
have a disability, those little gestures to just like be there
19:49
for them and not ignore the disability really, really means
19:53
the world because it shows that you're willing to help, you're
19:56
willing to learn and you're not like weirded out by it because
20:00
it's not a weird thing. You know, even though I'm the
20:02
only disabled person in my small team, like I said, the rest,
20:06
like the whole company, there's a lot of us like young disabled
20:09
people, but. I'm happy to be that
20:11
representation for them. They know I'm an open book.
20:13
Like I will talk about anything to do with my disability.
20:16
I think it is important for my colleagues or for any coworkers
20:20
to have their horizons widened and their perspectives
20:23
challenged through getting to know someone with a disability,
20:27
especially if it's an invisible disability.
20:30
This is the chance to ask questions and to really
20:33
understand the life of someone with a disability.
20:36
And that will just make them a more empathetic person all
20:39
round. So it's a bonus really.
20:41
I don't mind being that person that can educate other people on
20:44
disabilities because I feel like I'm, I'm doing my bit, you know,
20:50
my throat is getting so dry. So please bear with me.
20:52
But I do want to talk about working from home.
20:55
I think it's interesting because a lot of people love working
20:59
from home because, you know, they're in the comfort of their
21:03
own home. Maybe they live with someone who
21:05
can support them whenever they need any help and they're in
21:09
that kind of safety bubble, Especially someone with a
21:12
disability. You know, it's scary to be in
21:14
the outside world if you haven't got someone with you that knows
21:17
exactly what you need or how to help you.
21:20
But I think my worry as maybe an extrovert, like I love meeting
21:26
new people, I love being with people.
21:28
My worry is, you know, if I did end up doing a full time job
21:32
from home, like completely from home, would I feel kind of
21:37
excluded from society? What I feel really lonely.
21:40
Like I can't go a whole day just like chilling at home by myself.
21:44
Like I need to talk to someone. I will FaceTime a friend or a
21:47
family member. I will go out and see someone
21:50
like for a coffee, I'll go shopping just to have an
21:53
interaction with some random strangers.
21:55
Like I, I have to be with people and it's frustrating because I
22:01
know that I might end up in a situation where I'm working in
22:05
an office or I'm working a very physical job and I'll have to
22:09
give that up because my disability is getting to the
22:12
point where it's too difficult for me to keep up with that
22:15
lifestyle. But I don't want to miss out on
22:19
those connections with people. I don't want to miss out on, you
22:22
know, just a normal working life just because of my disability.
22:27
And I don't want the default to that.
22:28
And I don't want the the only answer to that to just be
22:32
working from home because then that's it.
22:35
You know, I feel like once you go to work from home, that's
22:38
you're not really going to go back.
22:39
In my case, in my first job, it was a mix of working from home,
22:43
but mostly going into the office.
22:46
And I didn't mind like that extra little day in the week to
22:49
just work from home and have a chill day where I didn't need to
22:52
put on makeup and I could Chuck some laundry on in the
22:54
background and things like that is really useful.
22:58
But I really, really valued going into the office.
23:00
I really loved just being with people, having that small talk.
23:04
And I know a lot of people anti kind of corporate jobs right
23:08
now, anti 9 to 5 jobs. I think I'm seeing a lot of
23:11
people value their time and want to put more time into themselves
23:15
a lot more. So I don't know if it's like a
23:17
selfish thing, but you know, a lot more people are travelling,
23:21
a lot more people are moving to different countries to work
23:24
because maybe the quality of life or the pay is better.
23:27
And I totally get that. Like we're in a very weird time
23:30
where there's not a lot of jobs going or the pay is rubbish.
23:34
So maybe the answer for that is to move away.
23:36
Like I know a lot of people from my country, from Wales are
23:39
moving to Australia right now to get some work because the
23:42
quality of life just seems better out there and the pay is
23:45
better apparently. So if you see me in Australia in
23:48
a couple weeks, don't, don't judge.
23:50
I'm joking. But I, I actually don't mind
23:53
that corporate life. I don't mind being in an office
23:56
with a bunch of people that, you know, we spend a lot of time
24:00
with and we get to know really well.
24:02
I don't mind that small talk. Like I love asking people what
24:05
they've been up to on the weekends.
24:07
I think if I were to ever do a job that was like mostly from
24:11
home, that is something I would really, really miss.
24:15
Because even though working from home might be better for me with
24:18
stabilising my energy levels, I would definitely miss that
24:22
social aspect. And I would probably go crazy if
24:25
I didn't have at least one meeting from home where I could
24:28
just talk to another human being.
24:30
Maybe I'll do a lot more episodes from home because at
24:33
least I'll have someone to talk to.
24:35
But yeah, I guess my main point is, you know, disabled people
24:38
want to be a part of society. We want to be like everyone
24:42
else. We want the jobs that we have
24:45
worked really hard for, have studied hard for, that we've
24:47
strived for since we've been young or whatever it is.
24:51
Like we want. We want those jobs.
24:52
We don't want to just resort to an admin work from home job just
24:57
because that's the only option and that's the only thing that
25:00
our disability will allow us to do.
25:02
I think there are so many options out there and working
25:06
from home shouldn't just be a default.
25:08
However, if you do have a disability or don't and you
25:11
enjoy working from home, I'm so happy for you.
25:14
Like I'm it is such a privilege to be able to work from our
25:17
homes. Now, maybe I haven't done it
25:20
enough, but I love the idea of closing my laptop at 5:00 PM and
25:23
being like, that's it. Like that's my work done.
25:26
But I also found it weird that you worked in the same place
25:30
that you lived and had like the rest of your life.
25:32
I do like the office for work and then I can come home and you
25:37
know, you leave your work at the door or whatever it is.
25:39
So I do, I do like that aspect as well.
25:42
I feel like there's, there's pros and cons for both, but it's
25:44
important for, for people to not have to give up work that
25:48
they're really passionate about just because of a disability
25:50
that they can't help to just end up working from home.
25:53
Like there should be adaptations to help keep that, keep those
25:57
people, keep us out there, keep us in society.
26:00
Don't ostracise us just because we have a disability And the
26:04
only answer is a work from home job, you know, that's going to
26:08
marginalised us even more. You know, keep including us,
26:11
keep us in conversations, keep making adaptations for jobs that
26:16
maybe are a bit physical, but you know, tailor those jobs to
26:20
us. You know, we shouldn't have to
26:23
give up on our dreams just because of our disabilities.
26:27
Speaking of chasing our dreams, I saw a really good reel by
26:30
Reese Witherspoon the other day and she was saying like it was a
26:34
really short reel, but it really stuck with me.
26:36
She said everyone has dreams, so don't chase your dreams because
26:41
you might not actually be good at your dreams.
26:43
Chase your talents, find out what you're good at and chase
26:46
that. Chase your talents, not your
26:48
dreams. And I really, really like that
26:50
because yeah, we can all have unrealistic dreams.
26:53
And I think, you know, growing up we'd all have in school, you
26:56
know, like, like astronauts or footballers or whatever.
26:59
But obviously like, we're probably not going to end up in
27:02
those roles. So I think that is a really good
27:04
thing to learn and to to keep with us to chase our talents,
27:09
not our dreams. Speaking of jobs and different
27:12
roles within society that disabled people can do, I asked
27:17
a question on my Instagram asking people, what do you do?
27:20
And I had some amazing replies. I mean, the replies themselves
27:25
weren't amazing. They're just jobs.
27:27
But it was so, so nice to see the options that are out there
27:31
and all the different random jobs that people have.
27:34
I really, really enjoyed going through these, so I'm going to
27:39
start. I'm just going to list them all
27:41
out. They're all going to be
27:43
anonymous, but they're fun to share.
27:46
We've got editor, legal assistant, admin.
27:50
Sat at desk all day. Means I'll never be out of work,
27:53
but not ideal. Sat all day.
27:55
Oh, I need to get back to that. Someone said physiotherapist,
28:00
paralegal, civil servant, accountant, an artist, a
28:05
podcaster working in data entry, merchandising, A carer, an
28:12
architect. We've got a graphic designer.
28:15
Someone, my colleague said I sit next to you, thank you, love
28:18
you. A scientist or consultant.
28:22
Someone works at a daycare. Someone works in higher
28:25
education. Civil servant.
28:27
We've got a couple of civil servants.
28:29
Construction underwriter. Never heard of that before.
28:32
That's cool. Adult social care commissioner,
28:35
employability advisor, health advisor, occupational therapist.
28:42
Love to all the occupational therapists out there.
28:44
They they're incredible. Working in finance for civil
28:47
service, a full time customer service support, Working from
28:51
home, creative freelancer communicator guide.
28:56
Working for an energy company, working from home as an
28:59
administrator for a charity. Love that.
29:03
Communications work. Discrimination investigator,
29:08
Local council in a housing department, chasing rent.
29:11
Front of house at theatre. Working in politics and public
29:15
affairs. Administrative work at a
29:18
starting electric car factory. Founder of a drinks business.
29:22
Shout out to JAD. Disability claim processor.
29:26
Neurodov Neuro Hang on neurodevelopmental
29:30
neurodevelopmental practitioner diagnosing autism in children.
29:35
Wow. And then my editor commented.
29:38
I edit your podcasts. Thank you, Alex.
29:41
I appreciate that. Amazing.
29:44
Thank you so so much to everyone who just sent him what they do.
29:48
And I think like a lot of these jobs aren't ones that maybe
29:52
we've heard of growing up. They're not ones that I probably
29:56
still don't know much about now, to be honest, but it's so cool
29:58
to see that there are so many different jobs out there and not
30:01
just like the classic ones that were taught about in school.
30:04
I think we all end up in jobs that maybe either didn't exist
30:08
when we were in school, like my job didn't exist working in
30:11
social media, like that wasn't the thing when I was in school.
30:14
Or maybe just jobs that we haven't heard of that are very
30:17
much needed in society. So there's there's always going
30:20
to be options that you just haven't explored yet.
30:23
So that is kind of a comfort to know.
30:25
And then I also asked the question, what is something you
30:29
wish you knew before starting work?
30:33
And these are great pieces of advice for anyone that's maybe
30:36
struggling in the workplace or struggling to find jobs or to
30:40
advocate for themselves in work because self advocacy is a huge
30:44
thing as well. It's so, so important to
30:47
advocate for yourself in in work.
30:50
Hopefully these will give you guys a bit of a boost.
30:52
The first one says asking for adaptations is OK.
30:56
We've got to find a carer that has remote work or the ability
31:00
to work for yourself one day. I mean self-employment is always
31:03
a great option. You know you're in control but
31:06
that's a lot of pressure riding on your own shoulders.
31:09
And it's something I've been thinking about as well.
31:12
Someone said I didn't realise how much my disability would
31:16
affect me in work. I thought I had grips on it.
31:19
It's OK to be vulnerable and open about your disability and
31:22
not ashamed. If it's the right company, your
31:25
disability won't make a difference to how they view you.
31:29
Absolutely. We've got a lot of things about
31:31
asking for help. We've got help is available.
31:34
We've got it's OK to ask for help if you need it.
31:37
Someone said reasonable adjustments are there for a
31:39
reason. Someone said most big firms have
31:43
far more support networks in place for disabilities than they
31:47
let on. Someone said that I can ask for
31:50
what I need and some folks actually genuinely care and want
31:53
to provide support. I'm so happy that you know you
31:57
have that in work. That's so important.
31:59
Make sure you have a personal emergency evacuation plan.
32:03
I found out the hard way being stranded 10 storeys up at work
32:06
when the fire alarm went off and everyone was rushing off leaving
32:10
me. It was at a time most people
32:12
didn't know about my disability. Now I have an evacuation chair,
32:17
thankfully. Wow, that sounds so scary.
32:20
And that's again, why it's important to just disclose your
32:22
disability. And I'm not saying you have to
32:24
do it to everyone. You know, like the whole team,
32:27
just your boss, just your line manager or one trusted person
32:31
that has the control to to help you in those kind of situations
32:35
and to make sure that those adaptations are in place.
32:39
Someone said it's always best to join a union if possible and
32:42
engage with occupational health early on, especially if the
32:46
waiting times are really long. You may as well just get on the
32:49
list now and just get that help that you really need.
32:52
Someone said just because someone says it's disability
32:55
friendly does not mean it actually is.
32:58
So that's interesting. I think it is a two way St.
33:01
You know, you need to ask them what adaptations they can put in
33:05
place for you. You need to ask them what their
33:07
building is like, how accessible are they really?
33:10
And that's really important to know.
33:12
And it's it'll just be a good Peace of Mind for you as well so
33:15
that when you do start work or when you do turn up, you're OK.
33:19
You're not, You're not going to be stranded and you're not going
33:21
to be caught out in that way. Someone said staff disabled
33:25
networks can offer peer support. Someone said you don't need an
33:30
official diagnosis to have reasonable adjustments.
33:33
That's very true, especially considering how long it takes to
33:37
get diagnosis for some conditions these days.
33:40
It's unreasonable to have to only have an official diagnosis
33:45
letter or something to back that up like you should.
33:48
Just your experiences is enough. Someone said be open and honest
33:52
from the outset, make the most of your story.
33:55
It's a lot harder to balance everything, ambition, travel,
33:59
expectations than I thought. That's true.
34:03
It has been a proper learning curve.
34:05
And like I said, something I'm still trying to learn and get to
34:08
grips with is finding that balance and still wanted to be a
34:12
big part of work, big part of society in that way.
34:16
But also realising that maybe your energy levels are limited
34:20
and your physical capacity is limited as well.
34:23
So and said the exhaustion in so many forms I never would have
34:27
thought before starting work. Someone said how important ADA
34:32
accommodations are and I am going to quickly look up for ADA
34:37
accommodations is because I think it's an American thing.
34:41
ADA accommodations are adjustments to job tasks, work
34:44
environments, or policies that enable qualified individuals
34:48
with disabilities to apply for positions, perform essential job
34:52
functions, and enjoy Equal Employment benefits.
34:56
That's interesting. So it's the Americans with
35:00
Disabilities Act, That's what the ADA is.
35:02
There we go for you American people watching me quickly
35:06
research that. I'm sorry, but now I'm educated.
35:10
I have a lot more responses. The impact that the environment
35:14
can have on your mental health, good or bad.
35:17
That's very true. Like your work is going to be
35:20
most of your life, you know, especially if you work a full
35:22
time job. So I think I think it is really
35:25
important to make sure that that work environment is where you
35:28
want to be and where you want to spend a lot of your time because
35:31
it is most of your life. You know, someone said offices
35:35
can be hard. Some doors are heavy fire doors
35:38
and you're only accessible. Loom a break too.
35:41
Meetings can be hard with low chairs and people staring at you
35:45
rising from chairs if you can. I definitely struggled with that
35:48
in meetings. You know, everyone jumps up
35:50
quickly afterwards and I take ages getting up from the seat
35:54
and I have to lean on a table to get up.
35:56
But I think now people just get used to it and they just don't
35:59
bat an eyelid anymore. Like it's just is just normal
36:02
really. So I think because everyone
36:04
knows I've got a disability now, it's not really a weird thing
36:08
and they're not going to be like, are you OK?
36:09
Because they know that's just how I get up from a chair.
36:12
It's fine, they just need to let me do my thing.
36:14
Someone said I'm in Cardiff and I feel like there's a really
36:17
good culture here for accessibility as a city but not
36:20
always translating to working in Cardiff.
36:24
Very interesting. As a Cardiff gal I would like to
36:26
know more. Please comment your thoughts and
36:29
let me know what you mean by that.
36:31
Someone said an international environment doesn't necessarily
36:35
mean inclusivity. A company from a whole different
36:38
country, even continent, has different corporate values and
36:42
different habits, which is hard to implement in our European
36:45
social and legal systems. This is true to my specific
36:49
situation, but the learning from it is universal.
36:52
Never be afraid to stand up for yourself and fight for your
36:56
rights. Very true and I love this.
36:58
Thank you for sharing that. Someone said pydagum behaviour
37:02
which is Welsh for don't apologise.
37:04
I mean that that should be a general thing anyhow, but
37:08
especially at work. For years I used to apologise
37:11
when advocating for myself or creating firmer boundaries on
37:15
what access support I should have.
37:17
I used to apologise for the inconvenience to other people.
37:21
But screw that. No one should have to feel the
37:23
need to apologise for ensuring access or accommodations are
37:27
made. And as soon as I learned that
37:29
and deeped it to my core, I'm not only able to better advocate
37:34
for myself as a disabled person, but I'm also able to advocate
37:38
for others too. Situations where I see lack of
37:41
access, not speaking on behalf of someone, of course, I really
37:46
like that. That's so important.
37:48
And I really, really appreciate you for sharing that.
37:50
Someone said, hey, Karis, one thing I would share is that
37:53
people will see more than your disability.
37:56
They see someone who is brilliant and capable.
37:59
And that's what employers look for.
38:01
Preach, focus on your strengths and they will shine through.
38:05
Also, keep advocating for yourself as people do forget.
38:09
Make things work for you and find those hidden things that
38:11
employers can do to support you and fight for them.
38:15
I have flexible working hours, study days and a standing desk
38:19
to help me. I was diagnosed while working
38:21
for a current employer and all my team could not have been more
38:25
supportive of me, especially a manager who came to rescue me
38:29
when I got stuck on the loo in the early days.
38:32
Aww, that's, that's incredible. And just proof again that, you
38:37
know, this is so important to advocate for yourself.
38:40
And that can also mean asking for flexible hours or, you know,
38:44
if you can't travel very easily to be able to work from home.
38:47
It's so, so important. One last comment, super
38:51
important to be open with employers because they have to
38:54
make reasonable adjustments for you.
38:57
My life became a lot easier when I stopped trying to work like
39:00
everyone else and accepted that my brain and body have different
39:03
requirements and definitions of rest.
39:07
Which I think is a great one to end on because I think there is
39:12
an obvious theme here. Advocating for yourself is
39:16
really really important and asking for reasonable
39:19
adjustments. I honestly take a shot for every
39:21
time you hear that word. It's so, so important to to to
39:27
voice your needs because especially if you have an
39:30
invisible disability, people won't know what you want.
39:34
That's the classic thing with advocating for yourself.
39:37
You're doing it so that people know how they can help you and
39:41
what you need. I really, really want to thank
39:43
everyone who sent in their stories, their experiences, and
39:48
their pieces of advice to share with everyone else today.
39:51
I really appreciate you guys taking the time to send those
39:54
messages. I think this is such an
39:56
important topic and I feel like we've only just scratched the
39:59
surface today. So if there's any specific topic
40:04
you'd. Me to delve into within this
40:06
within this massive umbrella of navigating the working world.
40:11
Please let me know in the comments of this episode and I
40:15
would love to do some more content like this in the future
40:18
some some more. I mean this is just relevant to
40:21
everyone, isn't it? You know, so I would love to to
40:24
continue this conversation and I hope you enjoyed this episode
40:28
Anyway, I've got some exciting interviews coming up.
40:32
So make sure you stay tuned for that and make sure you're
40:35
following the podcast and will subscribe wherever you're
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40:40
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40:50
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41:00
every episode to listen to some of these weird and wonderful
41:03
rants that I have and some incredible stories that I share.
41:07
So stay tuned for the next episode coming very soon, but
41:10
until then, have a lovely couple weeks.
41:13
Bye.