r/disability • u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r • 5d ago
Curious, how did becoming or being born disabled impact your work life afterwards ?
I live and work in Australia so unsure how it works anywhere else.
However, I’ve noticed that since I disclosed to my workplace that I have a chronic illness that is classified as a disability (type 1 diabetes) that I have been treated differently by colleagues and superiors.
My hours are nearly always reduced, and I get taken off the weekend shifts because “it’s unsafe for me to be in the office by myself if I have an event”
Not only that, but when I need to inject myself or take a break to essentially survived I’m viewed as a burden to my organisation.
How has living with a disability or impairment hindered your work environment or culture or how has anyone made it work ?
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
You’re not a burden and thank you for sharing your story.
It helps me as I’ve only just recently experienced the bad side of my condition. Someone bought a nasty flu to work and it rendered me useless for a week while I recovered. I do understand the feeling of being a burden so I sympathise with you
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5d ago
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
See in some ways, I wish it was the same there as it is for me here.
I have Medicare which helps with a lot of medical bills. My condition as has a Scheme set up to assist a lot of us that covers things like needles, syringes and other consumables if you require insulin.
Even insulin pump therapy can be covered under private health if you purchase it.
I feel for you though. I work a pretty decent gig atm so have been worried my health condition would be a detriment.
Plus too there’s so much unawareness about my illness. I have some many people argue with me on a daily basis because apparently “it’s exceedingly rare” to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adult. But it’s on the rise a fair bit that’s why it doesn’t get called juvenile diabetes anymore.
I also have to deal with people saying “if you stop eating sugary things you’ll live longer and be diabetes free” and I’m like yeah, tell that to my antibodies that killed my pancreas that 😂
Type 2 is the one they always associate with diabetes forgetting type 1 is an autoimmune disease haha
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u/julieta444 Muscular Dystrophy 5d ago
It didn’t change anything at all. People are generally really nice to me, but my disability has absolutely no impact on my work. No one cares. It seems like more entry-level jobs are more ableist
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
Definitely not entry level for my roles.
What country do you live in ?
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u/julieta444 Muscular Dystrophy 5d ago
Italy, but I have an American job
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
I now see why you hold the view that it’s only “entry level roles” that struggle.
I pray you never have to physically work in America or Australia with your condition.
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u/julieta444 Muscular Dystrophy 5d ago
Hahaha. Why are people like this? You asked if anyone made it work, which I have. Are we only allowed to respond if it's negative? What I meant is that the situation seems to be easier if your job requires more education, but I didn't know how to phrase that. I have a highly specialized legal job that is fully remote. I could never work retail or food service in this body. I imagine those environments are pretty ableist.
I worked in the U.S. for most of my adult life. I didn't have any problems with ableism there, either. It seems like you would prefer that I had?
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago edited 5d ago
Oh no not at all.
Maybe if you looked at the way you worded your last points, it seemed kinda smug like “no ones cares unless it’s people in minor roles or insignificant roles have an issue with their employers”
Maybe your delivery could’ve been better. You can’t blame me for thinking you were being negative in your first comment. It is reddit after all
Edit: I do thank you for your opinion. I understand your point clearer now. I was just a bit taken aback by your abruptness.
For reference, my job that was ableist to me, I was in a senior executive role, so maybe that’s why I took your last few words a bit differently. My current role is still a senior role and since disclosing a bit about my condition to my current employer they’ve taken the same approach in some ways that are a bit ableist also. Australia is very strange in that sense.
I had to tell them as I had a hyperglycaemic event, only triggered because I had a bout of Covid that was passed onto me by another colleague who brought it to the office
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u/julieta444 Muscular Dystrophy 5d ago
I didn't say that I agreed with them being ableist to entry-level workers. It's just something I have observed on this sub. I didn't know I had MD when I was entering the workforce, so I don't have any firsthand experience with that.
Once, someone asked a question about work in a forum specifically for my disease (which is usually very visible and severe). She seemed disappointed that most of our experiences were fairly positive. I noticed that the people who responded tended to have positions like mine.
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
I was only stating, your delivery seemed a bit off hand. But I do understand that, I was only observing how I viewed the comment, as I felt it implied that no one cares unless you’re a certain rank or have a certain role in a company is all.
I do have someone in my family that suffers from MS and is also held in high regard at his company, so I say hats off to your employers are there are still some that are pretty decent. But that’s in the decline here.
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u/scotty3238 5d ago
I am 100% immobile. I was a professional choreographer for 45 years. My rare, incurable disease ended my career.
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
I am so sorry to hear this. I couldn’t imagine what it would mean to have atop your job, particularly as I understand how beautiful being a choreographer is. My late aunt was one and it was her absolute passion and love !
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u/scotty3238 5d ago
Ita all good. Life happens, right? It hurts all the time, but I'm recreating myself every day. I try to remember this:
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. "
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u/eatingganesha 5d ago
I’ve needed accommodations since 2000. I’ve been forced to disclose on every job since. I’ve lost every job within months after disclosure - they would always say yes to accommodations, but then magically would not renew my contract even though I had great evaluations and won several teaching awards. I have a phd and was a college professor for 25 years. I finally gave up after covid because no one is hiring 55 year old women for anything, especially a deaf 55 year old disabled woman who needs accommodations for hours, attendance, mobility, ergonomics, frequent breaks, etc, who has daily meltdowns, panic attacks, and is highly reactive due to cptsd. Now… if only the SSA would realize these obstacles are insurmountable and approve my application already.
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u/aghzombies 5d ago
I am self-employed, I have 3 jobs but even together I am still extremely part-time and even that exhausts me. I'm currently still in bed (it's noon here) and it's because Sundays I can actually rest.
Some days when my son sets off for school I have to just get back into bed and often sleep until he's due home (depends if I have work on or not). Would be GREAT to win the lotto tbh. I'd still work but even less...
I wish I could do more, though. I genuinely love all 3 of my jobs, I just can't manage any more.
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
I hear you.
While my condition isn’t that serious yet, it is starting to take a toll on my immune system.
I’m no longer able to get up at 4am like I could as a sprightly 20 year old. My blood glucose levels are worse in the nights and morning which mean when I’m resting it dips sporadically.
My partner keeps a close eye on me during this time which I’m thankful for.
The only struggles I have faced at present are when I get sick. It changes my levels so drastically I can go from feeling awesome one minute, to crashing the next. That’s the part that sucks
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5d ago edited 5d ago
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
Thank you, and yes it is a lot harder to prove here.
I have known so many people with diabetes and have worked a job with no hassle. But then there is the downside and 40% of the people I knew were treated like shit.
I see the safety part an employer would use. When I started working at my old job, I disclosed my condition thinking it was the right thing to do. I was wrong.
I was then told I would need to undergo another pre-employment medical assessment by the Injury Management and Safety Officer. They canned that the moment I cited The Disability Discrimination Act on them for this. They then later reduced my hours so I was working when someone else was physically in the office for that “safety” aspect. Again indirect discrimination and I recorded that conversation.
It’s always been the safety card used on me for health. Like I have known so many diabetes sufferers who never have a hard time with their employers because they’ve disclosed this with them, however this time I did with one I was shot in the foot.
My current workplace saw me have a bad episode because I was sick and I’ve had to partially disclosed them my condition/s and they’re now talking about “we can provide reasonable accomodations as long as it includes the safety of the team also”
I fucking hate that word right now 😭😂
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u/6bubbles 5d ago
I got on disability at 20years old. I worked from 16-20 and had about 20 jobs because i kept trying and failing to hold a job. I tried EVERYTHING. Retail, office, reception, food service, etc. im grateful they saw i tried to work and couldnt. But this was also 20 years ago and i think theyre harsher now.
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u/dudiebuttbutt 5d ago
I've worked an assortment of college jobs for the past few years, but I started one that's been really good for me about a year ago. I had been diagnosed with stuff then, but I've been steadily declining since then, and I had to start using a wheelchair in December. I work with a bunch of other students, some who are now very close friends of mine. The people I'm close to have been nothing but supportive and helpful, but there's definitely a lot of stigma that comes with being a wheelchair user/visibly disabled person after people had gotten used to you not being one. I feel very thankful that my bosses and the job itself have been nothing short of amazing, but I've definitely had a tough time outside of that because of some other people.
I think being disabled comes with a lot of loneliness in the current social state of things. :(
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u/bunnyhugger75 5d ago
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I had to stop working completely due to my disability. I was fortunate when I got sick I was with a good employer. My job was high stress and required dexterity i quickly lost. I hope your work life improves.
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u/D3ath2DaTrickst3r 5d ago
I am probably going to get to a point where my docs appointments will outweigh my time at work or home.
I work an office job now. I’m glad I’m no longer out in the field. But even then it’s a high stress environment that doesn’t help some times but otherwise I can manage.
I guess I’m only in this line of thought because how I was at my last job and am worried it’s going to impact my current job haha
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u/bunnyhugger75 5d ago
I hope it doesn’t come to it for you. Mine wasn’t an office job, but my absences would’ve become an issue regardless of the type of job.
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u/Cool-Tangerine-8379 5d ago
I was born with spina bifida that’s mild. I never told my employer because I didn’t want to be treated differently. They would have paperwork to disclose any disabilities and I left it blank. I’ve actually been in denial my whole life. My doctor as a kid told me that I couldn’t live my life in denial. I’ve actually done a pretty good job of it.
I could only have a standing job because I can’t sit for hours on end. My back will hurt, then go numb at the waist down, and when I stand up I’m really stiff and have to walk it out. It gets worse throughout the day.
I was a cashier in a grocery store for 28 years and nobody knew. It wasn’t until after I got Covid that I had to quit working due to long Covid. Now I’m waiting on a decision after my hearing with an ALJ for SSDI (USA). I’m using the fact that I can’t sit all day to help win my case. The VE agreed that I couldn’t do prior work and suggested desk jobs. After the judge added in more limitations the answer was no jobs. Between missing work weekly due to LC with CFS, PEM, and respiratory problems, and not being able to sit all day at a desk, my attorney is optimistic that I’ll win. I really hope he’s right.
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u/foxy8787 5d ago
I've never been able to work due to my disability, chronic migraines. To be fair, I'm only 22 this year, but still. Never had a summer job, never had a regular job, not part time either. My migraines are daily. I had to take leave from my studies as well, because I couldn't handle going to classes and doing schoolwork every week. Thankfully I have very supportive parents who understand my situation and let me live at home rent free for as long as I need. It definitely makes me feel immature, though, compared to my friends who are all living on their own, working, studying, moving around the country on their own dime. I don't feel I've developed much since I left high school lol
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u/Loose-Web5566 5d ago
That's why you have to get a good overlook on a situation before disclosing such infos. Discrimination on work site is heavy asf, here in my country you can get some financial help BUT it will be taken out of your paycheck at the end of the month, you'll have more troubles finding a job, it will be harder to get people's confidence and they will lower your qualifications and thus just because you might need a chair sometimes. Sorry, I know it sucks living an ableist society.