S2 Episode 13: Employment The Struggle is Real!

Description of Image: Black background On the left is an African American female with a white off the shoulder shirt in a wheelchair. Then Queens On A Roll in Gray Letters with a purple outline with a crown on the Q. The word Roll looks like a wheelchair and the word podcast in Gray Letters with a purple outline in all four corners

In this episode I am doing another installment of i'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I express my frustration and  discuss the obstacles that we as ably different people face with employment. So Come Roll with Me!

Transcript

(Instrumental Music) You gotta Dstackz Beat

(00:03.3 - 00:06.3)

(Instrumental Music) Yeah, I gotta Dstackz beat.

(00:06.4 - 00:09.8)

(Instrumental Music)

(00:09.8 - 00:11.7)

(Instrumental Music) Listen to the beat y'all

(00:11.7 - 00:14.4)

(Instrumental Music)

(00:14.4 - 00:17.3)

(Instrumental Music) Come on, Dstackz, bring it in.

(00:17.3 - 00:19.6)

(Instrumental Music)

(00:19.6 - 00:24.8)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Heyyyyy, Heyyy, Heyy, Hey

(00:24.8 - 00:27.6)

(Instrumental Music)

(00:27.6 - 00:38.3)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Wooo Queens On A Roll, Woohoo Queen On A Roll

(00:38.3 - 00:43.2)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Powerful Queen On A Roll

(00:43.2 - 00:49.0)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Beautiful Queens, Queens, Queens On A Roll

(00:49.0 - 00:58.9)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) We're moving, we're grooving, we're jamming we're slamming Queens On A Roll

(00:58.9 - 01:08.3)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) We're moving, we're grooving, we're jamming we're slamming Queens, Queens, Queens On A Roll

(01:08.3 - 01:18.2)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) She's educating and inspiring everyone that has challenges Queens, Queens, Queens On A Roll

(01:18.2 - 01:28.3)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) She's educating and inspiring everyone and having fun she's Queens On A Roll

(01:28.3 - 01:37.6)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Wooo Queens On A Roll OOO Who Queen On A Roll

(01:37.6 - 01:42.1)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Powerful Queens On A Roll

(01:42.1 - 01:48.6)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Beautiful Queen On A Roll

(01:48.6 - 01:58.9)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Come Roll With Us, OO Who Come Roll with Us

(01:58.9 - 02:07.4)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Come Roll With Us, Woohoo Come Roll with Us!

(02:07.4 - 02:17.5)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Wooo Queen On A Roll, Wooo Who Queen On A Roll

(02:17.5 - 02:30.0)

(Instrumental Music & Singing) Ooo Queens, Queens, Queens & Bells Chiming

(02:30.0 - 02:34.7)

Hey Everyone! And Welcome Back to Queens On A Roll podcast

(02:34.7 - 02:38.4)

This is Latavia here, and I'm back with another installment

(02:38.5 - 02:41.1)

of I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired.

(02:41.1 - 02:44.2)

Alright, let's roll.

(02:44.2 - 03:33.3)

(Instrumental Music)

(03:33.3 - 03:38.4)

(I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired when is change gonna come Sound Effect)

(03:38.4 - 03:40.6)

So I am so sick and tired of being

(03:40.7 - 03:44.2)

sick and tired of employment opportunities being scarce or

(03:44.2 - 03:47.4)

difficult for individuals in the ably different community.

(03:47.5 - 03:49.2)

When is that going to change?

(03:49.3 - 03:51.2)

We want to work, but there's always

(03:51.2 - 03:53.0)

three obstacles in front of us.

(03:53.1 - 03:55.3)

So buckle up and get ready because I am

(03:55.3 - 03:57.0)

going to tell you all about them.

(03:57.0 - 04:01.3)

(Buckle Up & Get Ready Sound Effect)

(04:01.3 - 04:03.5)

The first hurdle is when we go on an

(04:03.5 - 04:06.1)

interview and they don't hire us even when we

(04:06.2 - 04:08.5)

have the credentials, because you can see on their

(04:08.6 - 04:11.0)

faces they are thinking we will be a liability.

(04:11.2 - 04:12.5)

Now, I know some of y'all may

(04:12.5 - 04:14.7)

be thinking, but the ADA protects us

(04:14.8 - 04:17.3)

against discrimination based on our disability.

(04:17.4 - 04:18.1)

And it does.

(04:18.2 - 04:21.3)

But let's be honest, it has to be explicitly stated

(04:21.4 - 04:23.6)

like, we are not going to you because we

(04:23.6 - 04:26.2)

can't accommodate your needs at this place of employment.

(04:26.3 - 04:28.9)

But nine times out of ten, that's not what we get.

(04:28.9 - 04:30.0)

It's implicit.

(04:30.0 - 04:32.0)

You walk into the interview and you get the

(04:32.0 - 04:34.3)

looks, the shocked look, and you can just feel

(04:34.3 - 04:36.6)

you won't get the job because of your disability.

(04:36.7 - 04:39.3)

And they say, we appreciate you and we will give

(04:39.3 - 04:41.5)

you a call back, but you never get one.

(04:41.6 - 04:43.4)

Now tell me, how are we supposed to

(04:43.4 - 04:45.6)

make a case for discrimination with that?

(04:45.6 - 04:48.5)

I remember one day when I was going down for

(04:48.5 - 04:51.5)

an interview and my mom drove me to the interview.

(04:51.5 - 04:53.4)

We were sitting, waiting for the interviewer

(04:53.5 - 04:55.5)

to come out and she said, Latavia.

(04:55.6 - 04:58.4)

And she looked straight at my mom, I guess because

(04:58.5 - 05:01.1)

she was expecting my mom to be the interviewee.

(05:01.2 - 05:03.7)

But when I decided to roll up and go into

(05:03.8 - 05:06.4)

the office, she had a shocked look on her face.

(05:06.5 - 05:08.9)

That's some of the things that we face all the time.

(05:09.0 - 05:10.9)

And enough is enough.

(05:11.1 - 05:13.8)

The second hurdle is the fear of losing

(05:13.8 - 05:16.8)

the SSI or Social Security income check.

(05:16.9 - 05:19.4)

And for most ably different people, it's not so

(05:19.4 - 05:21.9)

much about losing the money as it is losing

(05:21.9 - 05:24.4)

the security that it provides us with, because it

(05:24.4 - 05:26.1)

provides us with a lot of security.

(05:26.2 - 05:29.5)

But when we start working, that Social Security income

(05:29.5 - 05:31.9)

goes away because they start cutting the check.

(05:31.9 - 05:33.6)

Because at least in New York State,

(05:33.6 - 05:38.7)

you can only make $1,767 a month. Yes, that's right.

(05:38.8 - 05:39.6)

You heard me.

(05:39.6 - 05:42.9)

$1,767 a month.

(05:43.0 - 05:45.8)

If you make over that, which you will, especially if

(05:45.8 - 05:48.9)

you work full time at the minimum wage, which is

(05:48.9 - 05:51.3)

$15 an hour, they will cut you off.

(05:51.4 - 05:53.7)

But that's not the only thing that gets cut off.

(05:53.8 - 05:55.3)

The medicaid does, too.

(05:55.3 - 05:57.0)

And we need the Medicaid to pay

(05:57.0 - 05:59.4)

for our medical needs and medical equipment.

(05:59.4 - 06:01.5)

Now, some of you may say, well, you can apply

(06:01.6 - 06:05.0)

for Medicaid separately, and you're right again, we can.

(06:05.0 - 06:06.9)

But the amount we can't make over

(06:07.0 - 06:10.0)

for Medicaid is $934 a month.

(06:10.0 - 06:14.0)

Yes, let me say that again for you, $934 a month.

(06:14.1 - 06:15.7)

So at this point, you're damned if

(06:15.7 - 06:17.1)

you do, damned if you don't.

(06:17.2 - 06:21.0)

Because our employment income may not be steady, because when we

(06:21.0 - 06:23.3)

don't feel well, we can't go to work, or if our

(06:23.3 - 06:25.7)

chair breaks down, we are forced to stay home.

(06:25.8 - 06:28.1)

And some of us live on our own, so we

(06:28.1 - 06:30.3)

have bills to pay, like rent and a light bill.

(06:30.4 - 06:33.0)

So we are forced to quit because we rather have

(06:33.0 - 06:35.9)

a steady source of income and medical needs versus a

(06:35.9 - 06:38.9)

paycheck that may fluctuate due to our condition.

(06:39.1 - 06:42.1)

So I think what the government should do for people who

(06:42.2 - 06:45.8)

are ably different and receiving an SSI check, I think they

(06:45.8 - 06:49.1)

should put us on a 90 day probationary period just like

(06:49.1 - 06:51.3)

they would do if we started a new job.

(06:51.3 - 06:53.9)

They put us on a 90 day probationary period,

(06:53.9 - 06:57.2)

and after the 90 day probationary period, if we're

(06:57.2 - 06:59.8)

still on the job, then slowly decrease the amount

(06:59.8 - 07:02.7)

of the check but leave us on Medicaid because

(07:02.9 - 07:05.9)

some jobs don't give us medical insurance.

(07:06.0 - 07:08.9)

And we need Medicaid to make sure that our

(07:08.9 - 07:12.0)

medical equipment, which the most important one, is our

(07:12.0 - 07:14.1)

wheelchair so that we can get to and from

(07:14.2 - 07:15.7)

work, is in tip top shape.

(07:15.8 - 07:18.7)

So they should definitely leave us on Medicaid.

(07:18.7 - 07:20.9)

Which leads me to my third hurdle.

(07:21.0 - 07:24.5)

When you finally do get a job, sometimes the

(07:24.6 - 07:28.1)

place may not have the accommodation you need to

(07:28.2 - 07:32.5)

even work there, which is absolutely ridiculous.

(07:32.6 - 07:34.4)

I mean, most of the time, these

(07:34.5 - 07:37.2)

accommodations are not difficult at all.

(07:37.4 - 07:40.5)

It's an accessible restroom and sometimes a

(07:40.6 - 07:41.8)

desk for you to sit at.

(07:41.9 - 07:43.5)

So it's not complicated.

(07:43.5 - 07:45.2)

I say an accessible restroom

(07:45.3 - 07:47.0)

because sometimes there isn't one.

(07:47.1 - 07:49.5)

Sometimes you can't even get in the bathroom or you

(07:49.6 - 07:52.3)

can't even move to turn around in the restroom.

(07:52.4 - 07:54.9)

And sometimes you need a desk to sit at because they

(07:54.9 - 07:57.8)

don't have desks that are high enough for you to be

(07:57.8 - 08:00.4)

able to sit up while sitting in your wheelchair.

(08:00.4 - 08:05.2)

So these are simple accommodations, and sometimes, even when you are

(08:05.2 - 08:07.7)

on a job or when you're going for a job, you

(08:07.7 - 08:11.2)

have to be very strategic about where you decide to work

(08:11.3 - 08:13.7)

and in what capacity you decide to work.

(08:13.8 - 08:17.5)

So, for example, I decided to become an independent contractor,

(08:17.6 - 08:20.7)

not really by choice, but by necessity, because it gives

(08:20.7 - 08:23.6)

me the flexibility I need to work and take care

(08:23.6 - 08:25.5)

of my medical needs because if I was on a

(08:25.5 - 08:28.1)

regular nine to five at a facility, if I needed

(08:28.1 - 08:30.1)

to take off, I have to request it.

(08:30.2 - 08:32.6)

They have to grant it and then I can take off.

(08:32.6 - 08:34.6)

That is not feasible, especially

(08:34.8 - 08:36.3)

if my wheelchair breaks down.

(08:36.4 - 08:37.9)

That happens sporadically.

(08:38.0 - 08:41.2)

So being an independent contractor SLP allows me

(08:41.2 - 08:42.8)

to take off when I need to.

(08:42.9 - 08:45.1)

So basically I'm my own boss and

(08:45.2 - 08:47.0)

I can decide that for myself.

(08:47.2 - 08:50.7)

Then sometimes you have to be apprehensive about furthering

(08:50.7 - 08:53.2)

your career and applying for a new job because

(08:53.2 - 08:54.8)

let's say you get the new job.

(08:54.8 - 08:57.9)

You have to advocate for accommodations in addition to

(08:58.0 - 09:01.0)

making sure you are performing your job responsibilities to

(09:01.0 - 09:04.2)

the best of your ability, which is a headache.

(09:04.3 - 09:07.3)

Sometimes you're just like it's not worth the aggravation

(09:07.3 - 09:09.6)

and you want to scream and cry because you're

(09:09.6 - 09:12.5)

like why is everything so easy for our able

(09:12.5 - 09:14.5)

body counterparts and not for us?

(09:14.5 - 09:16.1)

Why do we always have to think of

(09:16.1 - 09:19.1)

extraneous factors just to do what they do?

(09:19.2 - 09:23.7)

It's not fair and it needs to change now!

(09:23.7 - 09:27.0)

(Delayed Beat Sound Effect)

(09:27.0 - 09:30.0)

I'm not entirely sure of how to change it

(09:30.0 - 09:33.2)

Maybe we should start with government mandating, that things

(09:33.2 - 09:35.7)

be in place for people who are ably

(09:35.7 - 09:38.4)

different to work at different places of employment.

(09:38.5 - 09:41.2)

Or maybe it's just gonna take the able body community

(09:41.3 - 09:44.6)

not seeing us as a liability but as an asset.

(09:44.7 - 09:47.1)

And when is that going to change? I don't know.

(09:47.2 - 09:50.8)

Maybe it's when they see more of us in the workforce.

(09:50.9 - 09:53.1)

That's why we have to keep going.

(09:53.2 - 09:55.4)

We have to keep fighting and we have

(09:55.4 - 09:58.1)

to keep fighting to be seen and heard.

(09:58.3 - 10:01.8)

Working is something that we all want to do, right?

(10:01.9 - 10:03.7)

But it is very hard for

(10:03.8 - 10:05.4)

people who are ably different.

(10:05.4 - 10:08.3)

We have to think of so many different things.

(10:08.4 - 10:11.0)

So things definitely do need to change and

(10:11.0 - 10:15.0)

it is very, very aggravating and everyone who is

(10:15.1 - 10:17.4)

out here listening, who is ably different.

(10:17.5 - 10:19.5)

If you are trying to find a job,

(10:19.6 - 10:21.8)

if you're in the process of interviewing, please

(10:21.9 - 10:24.1)

don't give up, please don't get discouraged.

(10:24.2 - 10:25.8)

Continue to do so.

(10:25.9 - 10:29.3)

They need to see more of us out here being productive

(10:29.4 - 10:32.9)

members of society and just out there in the workforce.

(10:32.9 - 10:34.1)

So please keep going.

(10:34.2 - 10:36.2)

I'm telling you, if it happened for

(10:36.2 - 10:37.5)

me, it will happen for you.

(10:37.5 - 10:39.1)

We just gotta keep fighting to

(10:39.1 - 10:40.9)

be seen and to be heard.

(10:41.1 - 10:43.0)

So on that note, I would like

(10:43.1 - 10:44.9)

to leave you guys with a quote.

(10:45.0 - 10:49.3)

So it is time for the quote of the episode!

(10:49.3 - 11:39.2)

(Instrumental Music)

(11:39.2 - 11:42.3)

The quote is by Martin Luther King Jr.

(11:42.4 - 11:44.7)

If you can't fly, then run.

(11:44.8 - 11:46.7)

If you can't run, then walk.

(11:46.8 - 11:48.7)

If you can't walk, then crawl.

(11:48.8 - 11:51.9)

But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.

(11:52.0 - 11:55.3)

And that so much embodies this episode, right?

(11:55.4 - 11:58.7)

Because we are going to face so many challenges,

(11:58.7 - 12:00.9)

not just in the workforce, but just in life,

(12:01.0 - 12:04.2)

in general just because we have disabilities and just

(12:04.2 - 12:07.5)

because sometimes it can be difficult for us.

(12:07.5 - 12:10.6)

But we have to keep pushing forward through all of

(12:10.6 - 12:13.1)

that so that we can be seen and heard.

(12:13.2 - 12:16.5)

And eventually, if we keep persevering, if we keep

(12:16.6 - 12:19.7)

pushing to be seen and heard, we will finally

(12:19.8 - 12:22.8)

get to the finish line and be seen and

(12:22.9 - 12:25.2)

heard and people will take us seriously.

(12:25.3 - 12:28.9)

People will know we are a part of society and we are

(12:29.0 - 12:32.9)

out here doing our thing just as much as they are.

(12:32.9 - 13:21.8)

(Instrumental Music)

(13:21.8 - 13:25.6)

So thank you guys so much for joining me today!

(13:25.7 - 13:29.1)

I so appreciate you sharing, subscribing

(13:29.2 - 13:30.9)

and running my numbers up.

(13:31.0 - 13:32.3)

You guys are awesome.

(13:32.4 - 13:34.7)

I do have a patreon account if you would

(13:34.7 - 13:37.4)

like to donate to Queens On A Roll podcast.

(13:37.5 - 13:40.2)

I will put the link in the comments in my YouTube

(13:40.3 - 13:44.5)

channel, my Instagram, my Facebook page and my Tik tok.

(13:44.6 - 13:47.1)

I would greatly appreciate your support.

(13:47.2 - 13:50.0)

I love you guys so, so much.

(13:50.1 - 13:51.6)

Thank you again.

(13:51.8 - 13:53.2)

You guys are awesome.

(13:53.4 - 13:55.3)

If you have any questions for me,

(13:55.3 - 13:59.6)

you can reach me at queensonaroll.podcast@gmail.com.

(13:59.8 - 14:04.1)

Again, my email is queensonaroll.podcast@gmail.com.

(14:04.2 - 14:05.5)

You guys are awesome.

(14:05.7 - 14:08.7)

Thank you again so, so, so much.

(14:08.8 - 14:10.6)

And we are rolling out!

(14:10.6 - 14:13.3)

See you guys next week! Bye!

(14:13.3 - 14:59.4)

(Instrumental Music)

(14:59.4 - 15:07.3)

PLEASE go follow our insta @queensonaroll.podcast & FB Queens On A Roll & submit those questions to queensonaroll.podcast@gmail.com