2006 Journalism Contest

2006 South Carolina Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Journalism Contest winning essay.

“Workers with Disabilities:
Ready for Tomorrow’s Jobs Today”

by Maegan Elizabeth Adams
Andrew Jackson High School, Kershaw, SC

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Gary Conrad knows that disabled people who are ready for tomorrow’s jobs today will be leaders at work, happy at home, and more independent in their everyday lives.

He knows because he helped a woman who was disabled by a gunshot and could no longer install satellite dishes to learn the skills she needed to get a job in Help Desk and Computer Repair. He knows because he helped a man with a crippling back injury retrain from working with a tire company to working with office systems.

He knows because he helped a former land surveyor hindered by a back injury learn the CADD system so that he could get a degree in architectural design.

But most of all, Conrad knows because he is a victim of cerebral palsy who has spent his life learning and training to be ready for tomorrow’s jobs.

“When I was branded as mentally retarded, I realized that education was going to be very important for me to get anywhere in life,” Conrad said. “I especially realized it when the school psychologist diagnosed me and I was pulled out of a private school to be put in a regular public classroom.”

Conrad was born with cerebral palsy and up until the third grade, no one even tried to teach him anything. That is when a psychologist came and determined his disability.

It was also during this grade that his physical education teacher made a difference in his life. She made Conrad a designated hitter when the class played baseball. A girl in his class who had no arms was Conrad’s designated runner.

“She made me realize that it was possible to compensate for physical deficits,” Conrad said about his teacher. “She encouraged me to think outside of the box for different ways to approach my problem as well as the problems of others in my counseling.”

Conrad says that it is important for people who have disabilities to have someone who believes in them, but the same is true for absolutely everyone on earth.

Conrad’s education has been the key to his success. He graduated from college with a degree in Metro Newspaper Journalism and went on to get his masters in Physical Medicine in Rehabilitation Administration and Services.

Conrad and the other counselors at the Vocational Rehabilitation Center realize that education is the answer for their clients being prepared for the workplace. The counselors are now encouraging their clients to get the training and education they need to be ready for tomorrow’s jobs.

The number of students with disabilities who graduate high school has risen 17 percent, and participation in post-secondary education has more than doubled to 32 percent in the past 20 years, according to the disability statistics on the CODI web site.

This web site also reports that those people with disabilities that enter jobs right out of high school has gone from 55 percent to 70 percent since 1987.

Many of the people Conrad has counseled have been through the Information Technology Training Center because Conrad knows that technology is changing so rapidly, and this center will prepare these people for the jobs of tomorrow.

Although the counselors are working hard to educate people with disabilities, only 5 million of the 36 million people with disabilities have jobs.

“The key to these people getting jobs is through their commitment to education and training,” Conrad said. “By working to get these jobs, they become taxpayers instead of tax users.”

Gary Conrad is an excellent example of people with disabilities overcoming so many obstacles despite having a disability.

Conrad has had jobs with the Chicago Daily News, has been the assistant administrator at a teaching hospital, and has written grants at DDSN. He also has a pilot’s license for pleasure flying.

Conrad works hard to put his clients in a place of work where they will have the most success.

He has helped one man with cerebral palsy get his aviation certificate after many barriers were put in his way. Through it all, the man was a very determined and loyal client, Conrad says. The client now works in Charlotte with Franklin Graham Ministries and flies supplies to missionaries around South Africa.

Another client of Conrad’s now works as a computer-aided drafter for an air compressor company in Rock Hill. This client, along with many others, has gone into the field of computers, allowing him to be ready for tomorrow’s jobs.

“Computers are the link to the world and the world of work for those in need of sedentary jobs. Sedentary jobs are especially suited for people with physical disabilities,” Conrad said. “Computers are also allowing more and more jobs to become adaptable to those with disabilities.”

Conrad has seen jobs in factories disappear because of technology in the workplace. He says that the next step for workers will be working at home.

“Computers are allowing people to complete work from their own home without even stepping into the office,” Conrad said. “This will especially be good for some people with disabilities because they will have fewer barriers to cross in dealing with their disability.”

People with disabilities are also an asset in the workplace.

“Having people with disabilities in the workplace gives businesses an advantage in solving problems,” Conrad said. “People with disabilities look at situations from all different sides and can offer different perspectives on approaching ideas.”

Conrad’s co-workers know firsthand how people with disabilities can help a business or agency.

“Gary is a hard worker who really cares about his clients,” coworker Pat Faulkenberry said. “He does his research and tries to find the best job for each person. He is also a great role model for his clients because they can see his accomplishments and realize that they are capable of the same success.”

Conrad has been preparing all his life for the jobs of tomorrow through his continued education and training. He is now counseling others with disabilities and encouraging them to get the skills they need to be ready for tomorrow’s jobs today.

Bibliography

Conrad, Gary. Personal Interview. December 12, 2005.

“Disability Statistics.” January 9, 2006.
http://codi.buffalo.edu/ grap_based/ ,demographics/ .statistics.htm.

“NEW Facts About Disability.” January 11,2006.
http://codi.buffalo.edu/ graph_based/ .demographics/ .newfacts.htm.

Faulkenberry, Pat. Personal Interview. January 11, 2006.

“Students With Disabilities Making Great Strides, New Study Finds.” January 11,2006.
http://www.ed.gov/news/ pressreleases/ 2005/ 07/ 07282005.html.