Episode 67: Take This Job And Shove It

TRANSCRIPT OF “TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT”

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MALE VO [00:03]
This is Bad Attitudes.

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LAURA [00:20]

Hello friends and strangers! Welcome to another episode of Bad Attitudes: An Uninspiring Podcast about Disability. I’m your host, Laura.

This episode is proof you don’t even have to leave the house to run face-first into ableism.

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As always, I want to remind you that disability is not a monolith. My experience as a disabled person is going to be different from the experiences of other disabled people. I am one voice for the disabled community but I am not the only voice.

[01:44]
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I went back and forth between making this a whole episode, or just making a social media post about it. Ultimately, I had too much to say for the confines of social media.

I know you’re all familiar with local Facebook groups, where people can post ISOs, recommendations, or just general information pertaining to the area. I was recently scrolling through mine and, welp, let me just read you the post.

“Hi everyone! I have a 14-year-old (soon to be 15) looking for a job. The only issue is that she is wheelchair bound. Does anyone have any leads to where we may be able to look so that she could find somewhere to work?”

Alarm bells ring for anyone else?

Now, the most obvious, glaring, neon-sign-of-a-problem is this person’s use of the term “wheelchair bound.” (The person posted anonymously so we don’t know if they are male or female, but for me this post reads like it’s coming from a mom. That’s just the vibe I get.) But, seriously, tell me you’re out of touch with your child’s disabled experience without telling me you’re out of touch with your child’s disabled experience. It’s 2023 and the majority of people — even the willfully ignorant ones — know that “wheelchair bound” is a no-go. As you know, I’ve used a wheelchair essentially my whole life, beginning in the ‘80s. Not once do I ever recall my parents using “wheelchair bound” to describe me. Yes, I’m still training them to stop using “in a wheelchair,” but that carries far less negative connotation than “wheelchair bound.”

We have no way of knowing if the teen in question acquired her disability, or if she was born with a condition that required the use of a wheelchair. Either way, presumably she has been part of the disability community long enough for her own parent to not be SO out of touch. We are not bound by our wheelchairs; wheelchairs offer their users freedom. If you see it any differently, you’re likely focused more on the barriers imposed by society than on the reality of being a wheelchair user.

It’s also worrying that this poster apparently has no notion of the laws that are in place to protect disabled workers. It is illegal in the US for employers to refuse to hire someone because of their disability, provided the person can perform the job with reasonable accommodations. If you’re disabled and are joining the workforce for the first time, it is super important that you are aware of the fact that you cannot be denied employment because of your disability.

However, it is also important to recognize that some employers will find ways to work around this fact and deny workers a position due to their disability without SAYING it's due to their disability. You may not always be able to prove that you were denied employment because of your disability, but if you can — if, for example, you can prove you were the most qualified candidate — you may have legal recourse.

I don’t know how much this happens now, but it has been common for employers to include arbitrary physical requirements in job listings, such as being able to lift x number of pounds, in order to weed out potential disabled applicants. If you come across a job listing and it seems sus that the job would require you to do something physical, it’s probably in your best interest to do a little more investigating. And also consider whether you want to work for a company that would try to prevent you from even applying.

Another concern is that the poster doesn’t mention any of their child’s interests or skills that might benefit them in trying to find a job. Their only focus is her disability, and how it’s going to KEEP her from getting job. I know that when a teenager (or anyone) is looking for their first job, it’s generally an act of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. They’ll take any job they can get. But it should at least be taken into consideration what their kid likes to do or what they’re good at. That could open doors the parent hadn’t considered. And it seems this parent hasn’t considered much.

I worry that this parent is TOO involved in their child’s job search. When I was a teenager, I applied for a job at a clothing store I frequented. Now, I realized this wasn’t a job for me when it became clear that I would basically be funneling my entire paycheck back into the store continuously because they expected all their employees to buy and wear the newest items in the store. After my interview, my mom was telling the woman I talked with how she (my mom) would provide this or that to accommodate me. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now I realize that’s a big no-no. It’s up to the EMPLOYER to provide accommodations their employees might need. It is not the employee’s responsibility, nor should it come out of the employee’s compensation. So if any employer tries to tell you that an accommodation you need is your responsibility or you will have to pay for it, register a complaint with all appropriate parties.

Of course, it’s not just the parent that was problematic; the comments weren’t exactly platinum-grade either. For example, someone actually suggested that, if the kid could find someone to drive her, she could work for DoorDash delivering food. This finally made me understand why the youths use the skull emoji in place of the laughing emoji. I DIED.

Now tell me you know nothing about being a wheelchair user without telling me you know nothing about being a wheelchair user. I’m not saying it’s impossible for a wheelchair user to work for a food delivery service, I’m saying it’s impractical. Especially if the employee isn’t even old enough to drive themselves.

Even for the most independent wheelchair user, driving for a food delivery service is going require a LOT of effort. That doesn’t even take into consideration accessibility issues. Let’s look at it from the perspective of an actual wheelchair user. Me.

Let’s say I was working for a food delivery company. I get the notification for an order. So, I get in my car, take my chair apart and put it in my car. I drive to the restaurant. For some restaurants, I wouldn’t have to get out of my car to pick up the order, but for most of them, I would. So now I’ve got to put my chair back together, get out of my car, and go into the restaurant. I don’t know if there are separate entrances for food delivery drivers, but if there are, they are probably inaccessible. Let’s assume everything goes smoothly and I get the food with minimal effort. Now, I go back to my car, take my chair apart, and drive to the customers’ location. If it’s a place of business, the location being accessible is a little more likely, thanks to the ADA, but how many homes in a given delivery area do you think are actually wheelchair accessible? Consider apartment buildings with no elevators or houses with steps up to the front door. The likelihood of the location being accessible enough that I can deliver the food is SLIM. Sure, I could call or text the customer and say, “Hey, I use a wheelchair, but I’m here with your food, do you wanna come out and get it?” How well do you think THAT will go over? One of the main draws of food delivery is that I DON’T have to step foot outside of my front door. So I guess I’ll just yeet your tacos at the house and hope for the best.

In the very best circumstances, I’d be getting my chair in and out of my car SIX TIMES for ONE delivery, assuming I’m coming from home and returning home afterward. Even at my best, even as easy as I could make it look, this would take a LOT of energy. It certainly isn’t equivalent to a non-disabled driver popping out of their car and into a restaurant for maybe 5 minutes, or taking 60 seconds to deliver the food to the customer’s front door. If you’re a wheelchair user and food delivery is something you want to do, go for it, but it just doesn’t make sense to me.

And if this kid has to be driven around? What’s the point? The parent might as well get the job, not the kid.

The worst part of this post is how much it feels like this parent has no idea of what it means to be disabled. They seem incredibly out of touch with the disabled experience, and like they’re holding on to antiquated ideas of disability. It feels like they don’t have much faith in their child. This whole situation fills me with unease.

I think it’s great if teenagers want to get jobs, but I don’t think they should be forced into them. There’s no real indication that this kid even wants a job; we just have to take the poster’s word for it. If they were a little more specific in the type of job or just given some more specific information, I’d feel like I’d know more about what the kid actually wants.

Given what this person is asking, I’m worried that the kid may be forced into a job that’s willing to hire her “despite” her disability, regardless of whether the job is a good fit for her. If you’re acting like her disability is the real barrier to her getting hired, you’re making her disability the MOST important thing about her. And that’s just not true.

No matter your age, if you’re looking for a job and you’re disabled, don’t settle for the job that hires you “despite” your disability. Your disability is NOT the most important thing about you. You have skills and interests that would be an asset to any workplace. Look for the job that values that.

I know that’s not how the world always works, and sometimes we have to take whatever job we can get in order to keep surviving. That’s another set of problems. But, even when that is the case, being disabled is not an excuse for allowing an employer to abuse or misuse you. Do not let your employer convince you that you are lucky because they hired you, or that you just have to put up with inaccessibility or discrimination because you wouldn’t be able to find another job.

I hope this kid finds a good workplace that isn’t as focused on her disability as her parent seems to be.

Thanks for listening and I’ll talk to you in the next one.

[12:57]
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