Working after stroke

[HostBruce]

Hi Michael,

 

I have tried to work after my stroke but it didn't work out. I wish with all my heart I could work. I'll keep trying to get a job but I don't think I'll have much luck with it.

 

 

Bruce Schwentker

[PennGwyn]

Hi Michael,

 

I have tried to work after my stroke but it didn't work out. I wish with all my heart I could work. I'll keep trying to get a job but I don't think I'll have much luck with it.

 

 

I was once out of work for 11 months, and that was very difficult -- it was long before my stroke, so no form of disability was an option.

 

I am very glad that I was able to return to work just a little less than two months after my stroke. I'm fortunate to be in a job which relies primarily on my knowledge and skill, and aside from keyboarding, physical parts of the job can be delegated to other members of our team. I do miss being able to just hop into the car and run to another campus to deal with an issue that can't be handled remotely, but fortunately those are not too common. Most of my work can be done right from my computer, and the adjustments to cope with changes in my vision have been fairly minor.

 

I work at a Community College, which is very serious about diversity and accessibility. (I recently had to visit our Disabled Students Support Services office -- to complain that they were parking their "golfcart" where it blocked too much of the sidewalk for me to get my rollator past, getting from my office to the washrooms and other campus facilities. (There's an alternate route, but it's currently torn up by construction...) Could there be a more ironic obstacle?)

 

The ADA prohibits discrimination in hiring, but of course proving that that's why you didn't get the job is almost impossible. My *impression*, at least here in California, is that the public sector is a bit more conscientious, on the whole, than some of the private sector about only considering disabilities and health issues if they genuinely affect a candidate's ability to do the job -- and our union holds them to that.

There's a bus stop about 20' from my office door. (Okay, 30' if you can't walk through brick walls ) So my wife is trying to find us a new home that's all on the ground floor and close to that bus line. But I'm not looking to retire for at least another 10 years unless something happens to slow me down a lot more than my stroke has.

 

David

[lharrison]

hi michael, i wish that i could work as well i am very happy for you that you are able to overcome the stroke and still maintain working , i take my hats off to youbut in yerms of teniosity i do have plenty of that but it"d not over good job michael keep up the great job

[PennGwyn]

I work at a Community College, which is very serious about diversity and accessibility. (I recently had to visit our Disabled Students Support Services office -- to complain that they were parking their "golfcart" where it blocked too much of the sidewalk for me to get my rollator past, getting from my office to the washrooms and other campus facilities. (There's an alternate route, but it's currently torn up by construction...) Could there be a more ironic obstacle?)

 

 

More irony: This college has a strong program to teach instructors for "adaptive PE", including specificall Stroke Recovery. But the Stroke Recovery sessions aren't offered here on campus, but instead are at a couple of local seniors' centers -- because everyone knows that's where the stroke survivors are .