finding employment

You're going to want to find employment at some point, whether it's for the income or simply to be productive. You've got options.

You can try finding a busy street corner and a tin cup. I've heard that during the holidays you can rake in some big bucks. The down side is that it's simply wrong, for SO many reasons.

If you were employed before you became disabled, you might have a big advantage, you've proved your ability and you have contacts... that's a big plus.

If like me, this all happened before you established yourself professionally, that can be good, and not so good. You may have some financial benefits as you're disabled, that will allow you to go to college or university. Take your time and find something you enjoy, it makes life MUCH more interesting. Once you're out there looking, you've got the same challenges as others' plus some. Human Resources professionals are trained to see past your disability and look at you like every other candidate. BUT, they are human, and this isn't always the case. Make sure you are as prepared as possible for any interviews. Be ready to answer any questions about how your disability might affect your performance, they have a right to know. If they don't touch on it, at the end you might ask if they have any questions about it. It's the 'unknown' that scares people. When you're looking for a job, try and focus on organizations that advertise as being an equal opportunity employer. Don't be scared to call and ask what they do to make this true in their organization. Be sure you know about access at their location, no point in showing up and being stuck outside.

I've been mostly lucky, working for people who saw what I could offer and made it easy for me to contribute to my fullest. That doesn't mean I haven't felt the cold stare of discrimination. It's ok to be pissed off, but then you've got to let go, and move on.

Good luck!