I was born blind, and not surprisingly, my life has been profoundly impacted by my disability. Yet, it’s only one of the many factors that shape my identity and the person I am today. And an investment in my future has been critical.
Fortunately, my parents were savvy investors. And I’m not talking about financial assets. In fact, as a large family living in a suburban area of southern California, we were more familiar with the local strawberry fields and orange groves than with stocks and bonds. Regardless, my parents understood the concept of multiplying returns. And my sister Peggy and I are living proof.
Peggy and I were the middle of six children. She was also born blind. From day one, our parents invested belief in our capabilities. They fought hard for us—first for me and then for Peggy—to attend our local public school and be woven into the fabric of our community. They instilled in us a love of learning and, perhaps most importantly, an expectation of employment. This all required significant effort on their part, both in terms of energy and ardor.
As we grew older, we came to understand the value of their outlay and began reinvesting the dividends in ourselves, through education and advocacy—and hard work. Henry Ford once said “There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.” Indeed, work is fundamental to my life and self-fulfillment; it’s a huge part of who I am. It’s the same for Peggy, who today works as an IT instructor and is a talented musician.
That’s why National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) means so much to me. This year’s theme focuses on improving opportunities that lead to good, meaningful jobs and a secure economic future for people with disabilities—and for all Americans. It also emphasizes the dividend we all gain by increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and that these profits are achieved only through wise investment.
But the responsibility rests not just with those writing the paychecks. It rests with all of us. People with disabilities must understand the intrinsic value of work and the important part they play in America’s future educational and economic success. Our nation’s young people with disabilities must grow up with the expectation that they can work and assumption that they will. And parents, educators and others must affirm this by cultivating a clear vision of work and community participation. And of course, employers must foster inclusive work environments welcoming of the skills and talents of all qualified employees including those of us with disabilities.
Growing up, I didn’t know about efforts like NDEAM, but I did know about the value of work, and that has made all the difference in my life. In my family, as soon as we were old enough, we were all expected to contribute. There were no exceptions. And our family was stronger for it—just as our nation is stronger when every person is valued for his or her contributions, every day of every month.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I love your blog. I wish your values were instilled in all our young. I am also from California and it is sad how our children regard work ethic. It sounds like you have amazing parents. Thank you for the bit of inspiration.
Thanks for an enlightening story – all must work – and I mean ALL, EVERYONE, WE HAVE TO MANY ‘FREELOADERS’ WHO KNOW HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM,IF you received disability, unemplyment, etc., then you must not test positive for drugs, be
available for any kind of work, cleaning, digging, serving, whatever…..stop the ‘non workers’ and the underpriviledgeed from raping the system….many of those below the poverty line want to stay there!!!
What a great post. I think the reason why so many feel despondent in current times, is because for some there is no expectation of employment. That said, it all starts at home and it’s so important that parents install in their children that they are valued and that they are expected to contribute.
Thank you for what you have done and do everyday to support people with disabilities. Talent comes in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, culture and include those with disabilities. You are an inspiration to everyone not just those who have a disability. Come on World we all need to work together to make this a better place for our children, those with and without disabilities.
Ms. Martinez you rock!
Kathy,
Thank you. Leadership from the top is wonderful. I am disabled too…..but I have not let it define me. Since my accident where I sustained permanent brain damage, I have written a book and become an inventor with an issued patent from the USPTO….yeah, ME! Huh, go figure! When I feel good, I work……I’m never going to give up……my life has changed…..I can’t work “normal” work hours…..but, that doesn’t mean I’m useless! None of us are. Thank you for enforcing that message to all Americans and may God Bless You, Dawn
Disability or being a handicap person is not a reason to quit and don’t mean no chance of working. In fact there are so many physically impaired individuals that has done so many great jobs.
Training, Education, Courage, Self-confidence, Pursuance and being a hardworking are just of the characteristics you should posses.
Yes, I agree. I used to do donations to the organizations which support disabilities. I would suggest all to do that to an extend you can.
Kathy,
Thank you for your wonderful opinion.
I thought your “the value of work, and that has made all the difference in my life”
Sometimes, I thought the state before the value of work. You need the opportunity to get the basic work, then have possible the value of work. For person withe disability, they have more difficult to get an opportunity.
This is a Chinese old story. About a few thousand years ago, Look for 伯乐 (BOLE)’s story…
The story said:
Han Yu said in The Four Complex: BELO exists in the world; therefore a “thousand miles horse” runs fast; “thousand mile horses” often exist, but BELO does not often exist; so even though “thousand miles horses” exist in the world, they have been insulted at the hands of slaves and died adjacent to the stables; and never to be “thousand miles horses.” ( 雜說四韓愈 世有伯樂，然後有千里馬。千里馬常有，而伯樂不常有，故雖有名馬，祇辱於奴隸人之手，駢死於槽櫪之間，不以千里稱也. )
It is an important that BOLE recommends and supports the ‘thousand miles horses”! Good luck to meet 伯乐 (BOLE), then she or he has the life to be further. Who is a BOLE? I am very hard finding him. I need somebody to hire me for basic job. I need a real BOLE to help me.
My life was in America 14 years over. I am a woman with disability. I am an US citizen and I graduated on February 1, 2010 from CUNY and I got MS degree in Television and Radio. My undergraduate studied the electrical engineer in China. I was a journalist in China. Since 1997 I came America, I have an experiences of produce, edit, camera operate and Management etc. I held the TV program air every week for contribute to public. I worked Time Warner Cable of NYC since 2001. I fell down in its office at July 7, 2005. At October 1, 2007, after I was workers’ compensation to back work, the Time Warner Cable of NYC error terminated me on April 11, 2008. I don’t have any income and benefits and I used my credit card for my live since May 2010. I try to apply job almost every day since April 2008. But there was no company to hire me. They ignored me.
Since April, 2010, I did try Federal Schedule A authority for my field job. I followed the rule to step by step to put application, after more 60 days somebody said that the job position “no selection was made from this announcement and it was cancelled” even the announcement was on http://www.usajobs.gov. Same this condition had a few times. Especially, when I applied to work, somebody said: you are a disability, there is no job for you; they ignored me.
Anyway, I should show my sample of TV to you for prove my able to work. It was put on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/smartpowerify?feature=mhum
I hope that I can meet “BOLE” to become a “thousand miles horse” to change my life better.
Thank you.
Juan Sheng
I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
My minor disability pales in comparison with blindness. I don’t think anyone could envision (no pun intended) life without sight. This year’s theme about improving opportunities that lead to jobs is solidly on target with total employment being down so far. That all being said, I am wondering how to fold a section for the blind in my http://whatowhere.com blog. I didn’t even think about that side of the fence until I read this article.
Thanks and please keep up the great work!
Growing up as a farm boy five decades ago allowed me to learn the value of hard work. I would not have learned this on my own. It was taught by my parents. As poor as we were and as hard as we worked, we are all now living comfortably based on that hard work.
Hats off to all parents who don’t let their kids slide along without working when young.
Not only does it foster a work ethic, but it brings the family together. Work together, eat together, relax together. A true family unit.
Thanks for the great article. Looking for more along this line.