A car accident, a fall, a stroke ”“ any of these incidents can occur at any moment and become a life-changing experience.
When a business executive suffers a debilitation, whether mental or physical, often he or she doesn”™t know where to turn for guidance in this “new” professional life.
“Any of us is 15 minutes away from an injury of this nature,” said Gwenn Canfield, district representative for the Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation in White Plains, N.Y.
ACCES-VR is part of the New York Education Department that deals with vocational and educational programs for individuals with disabilities.
Canfield said there are comprehensive plans and support for people with disabilities in all states, but often the services are underutilized.
“Every state in the U.S. is federally mandated to have a vocational rehabilitation program,” she said. “We help all disabilities except for legal blindness, which has its own separate agency.”
The WorkPlace Inc. in Stamford is ACCES-VR”™s sister agency in Fairfield County. Canfield said New York and Connecticut have similar disability programs and often work in conjunction.
Canfield, whose offices focus on getting people with disabilities back into the workforce, said there is a lot of social training involved for both employee and employer.
“Having a disability does not preclude a person from being a skilled professional,” she said. “Think about Christopher Reeve, Stephen Hawking, Itzhak Perlman and Patty Duke.”
Making it work
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 20 percent of the U.S. population currently has a disability, ranging from Attention Deficit Disorder to quadriplegia.
In Connecticut, of working-age adults (18-64) with disabilities, about 40 percent are employed, according to the 2009 American Community Survey by the Department of Labor.
Canfield said people”™s drive to work is often very strong and it can just be a matter of figuring out how to make it work for them.
Mike Bazan is a real estate developer in Fairfield. Ten years ago, when he was a partner in a retail services business here, he suffered a cervical stroke. He became quadriplegic, retaining only the ability to move his eyes and make limited facial expressions in what is called “locked-in syndrome.”
Though Bazan is bedridden and cannot speak or type, he is a business consultant to Service Master of Greater Bridgeport.
“Mike and I go back about six years now,” said Paul Plouffe, president of the area Service Master.
“Although I have played a small role in his life, his contribution to my business as an adviser has been significant. He has a very sharp mind for business.”
Plouffe has learned to communicate with Bazan through a Plexiglas pane with letters fixed to it. Plouffe watches Bazan”™s eyes through the pane as he spells out what he wants to say.
“We have discussed everything from tax planning to marketing to recruiting strategies for employees, and financing,” said Plouffe. “He truly is a wealth of information. As much as I have valued his business acumen, I value his spiritual strength and his ability to keep a positive outlook in spite of his severe disability infinitely more.”
Help is available
Canfield said there are many different elements that need to be discussed with a person who has been recently disabled, ranging from physical-aid options as simple as a watch with an alarm to how to approach your disability with clients or at meetings, and any social stigmas.
“While there are sometimes accommodations that need to be put in place for people with disabilities to do a job, these accommodations are generally free, like flexible work schedules, or usually under $500, which is a minor investment for any key employee,” said Canfield. “Often these accommodations prove to be good and educational for the non-disabled population as well and have proved to raise employee spirits in general.”
Canfield said individuals in need of disability services don”™t typically seek them out, even though they can be a great benefit.
“Often individuals who could qualify for these kinds of programs don”™t because they either don”™t know or won”™t because some amount of pride,” said Canfield. “We are all close with someone who fits into that category. These services are underutilized but definitely critical.”
SIDE: ADA rules revised
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 opened the doors for millions of people with disabilities to participate meaningfully in areas of employment, education, health care, housing and voting.
Beginning in 1999, however, a series of Supreme Court decisions limited the ADA”™s effectiveness by interpreting its protections to have a very narrow reach. In response, Congress amended the act in 2008.
The ADA Amendments Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2009, ensures that the doors are once again open for people with disabilities. In December 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted on final regulations on how to implement the act. Those regulations are under review by the White House”™s Office of Management and Budget.
”“ Ryan Doran
