February newsletter

TIE THAT BINDS
February 2009
Volume 13, issue 4
Number 148
Circulation 696
Attitude is the Real Disability
Transportation Costs
In recent phone calls with colleagues in Indiana and from articles, we have heard how some community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) are subsidizing their transportation costs. This is most prominent in the rural areas. But, the CRPs are selling advertizing space on the sides of their vehicles.
How many miles do you put on your agency’s vehicle each week? One agency in a rural area said that they were putting 600 miles on one of their vans.
If you think about it, the CRP is a major transporter in rural areas. What do major transporters do in the urban areas? They have signage all over the vehicle. Is it possible to invest in colorful magnetic signs that display prominent businesses in the county? These could be rotated daily and the CRP could be reimbursed for the cost of the gas, or the cost of the gas and driver. Keep me informed if your agency moves in this direction.
Empowerment
Empowerment is such a powerful word. At times we throw it around, as if it is easy to achieve, like waving a magic wand. “We can empower this group or that group and their lives will be improved.”
Is there a process or steps involved so that one becomes empowered? We don’t wake up the next day and declare that I am empowered, do we?
What needs to be in place to move toward empowerment?
1. Having a range of options from which to make decisions. This means not yes/no or either/or.
2. The feeling that an individual can make a difference.
3. Have decision making power.
4. Having access to resources and information.
5. Feeling part of a group, not feeling alone.
6. Assertiveness.
7. Knowing that people have rights.
8. Learning skills that each person feels is important.
9. Overcoming stigma and increasing one’s self esteem.
10. Unlearning the conditioning, redefining ourselves and redefining our relationships to institutionalized power.

These are some tenets from the mental health field, but apply to all people. Strength is implied in the word “empowerment”. We are strengthening our community rehabilitation programs, strengthening the efforts to become included in the community and strengthening the quality and opportunity of employment for people with disabilities.
Interviewing
Sharon Smith from the Career Center in Knoxville at University Avenue sent me an article from Career Builder.com about negative interview impressions.
I hated my last boss. The implication is that you are difficult to work with, you may not be a team player and you may say the same thing when you leave this company.
I don’t know anything about this company. Just how serious are you about working for this company. With all the information available on the internet, there is no way you should be saying this.
No, I don’t have any questions for you. Again, you should research the company. By knowing the strategies, goals and people of this business, you will have questions available if the interview is not moving smoothly.
I need these days off. Not something to bring up, until the job is offered.
How long before I get a promotion? You want to be goal oriented, but not seen as entitled. Here you are talking to one supervisor and asking how long before I can leave you for something better.
You know what Mark Twain said about… Scripted or quoted answers are often accurate, but you look like you memorized, often sound rehearsed and unnatural. They are often dialogue stoppers.
Limited by the 6 F’s
Are certain jobs “stereotypical” for people with disabilities? Let’s see food, flowers, folding, filth, filing and fetching come to mind. But just like in life, the pendulum swings back.
The question has become, what is wrong with these jobs? What jobs are available to people who have never worked before? What jobs are available as the USA economy moves more to a service economy?
Job developers and service recipients are questioned about the idea that this is really the job a person wants. Somehow the job developer didn’t try to find other jobs. The service recipient was not exposed to other possible jobs. This was just an easy placement, made for the benefit of the CRP.
Remember your first job. I am willing to bet it fell into the “F” category. And so, why should it be any different for the first time job seeker in today’s market. As professionals in the field we need to be diligent in our efforts to, expose, explore and expand. We need to expose the job seeker to other possibilities, explore all the options that the service recipient is interested in doing and expanding the employment horizon to include the dreams of the job seeker.
Then, the 6 “Fs” would be replaced by the 3 “Xs”. That is exposing, exploring and expanding.


You cannot help men
permanently
by doing for them
what they could
and should
do for themselves.
- Abraham Lincoln

Contact
Mike Sass
531 Henley Street
Suite 520
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-594-6720 Ext 1150
Fax: 865-594-6535
Email: mikesass@utk.edu
www.cde.tennessee.edu.

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/ Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. This publication is sponsored in part by contract # ED-09-25258-00 from the TN Division of Rehabilitation Services to The University of Tennessee. Conclusions and opinions in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the TN DRS or the University.