As a Latina with a sensory disability, I often asked myself whether or not to disclose my disability. During most of my life, I have experienced that difficult choice. My family did not treat me as an individual with a special need. Therefore, I didn't acknowledge myself as a person with a disability.

I never disclosed about my disability while I was in high school. Nobody in school knew that I couldn't see the blackboard. I never asked for any type of assistance. My grades were not good.

It was not until I was in college that I started to accept that I had a disability. As a result, I was able to accept some of the assistance that I needed. The Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services (BBVS) in Philadelphia paid for most of my college education and assistive devices.

Unfortunately, I ended up dropping out of Peirce Junior College in my first year. Even though I accepted the financial assistance and the assistive devices, I still had attitudinal barriers.

I decided to get a job. I did not have any professional experience. So, I hired a company to assist me to get a job. My first position was as a switchboard operator at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia. I did not tell my employer about my disability. They fired me when I found out that I had a disability.

My second position was also as a switchboard operator/ receptionist at Parkway Corporations. I was not able to perform the essential duties of my position. I was supposed to see a three-inch screen that monitored the safe deposit box. I was also in charge of buzzing in visitors. Both of those duties required fairly good eyesight. Since I did not disclose to the employer about my disability, I was not able to ask for assistance. I ended up quitting my job before they found out that I had a disability.

Empowerment opens a new world
I finally acknowledged that it was ok to have a disability. I also realized that it was okay to ask for assistance. Most importantly, it was okay to disclose to my teachers or potential employers that I had a disability. Once I empowered myself,
a whole new world was opened up to me.

I decided to go back to Peirce College to finish my Associates Degree. It was nice to go back to school with a new attitude, because I could concentrate on my studies rather than my disability. I disclosed about my disability, and I was able to obtain all the assistance that I needed. I was determined to graduate this time.

Graduating…volunteering…paid employment
After I graduated from Peirce College in 1992, I started to volunteer at Resources for Living Independently (RLI). RLI was the local center for independent living in Philadelphia. While I was volunteering, I was offered a part-time position as an Information and Referral Specialist. I had a long and expensive commute to work. I soon received a promotion, and I became an Independent Living Specialist. This position was full time, and I was able to afford to move closer to work. RLI changed names to Liberty Resources, Inc. Then, Liberty Resources moved, and I had a very long and expensive commute again.

I worked at Liberty Resources for almost five years. While I was there, I joined several boards of directors and committees in the disability field. The boards and committees gave me a sense of fulfillment. I decided that I did not want to continue working at Liberty Resources, because I no longer had room for professional growth. I also was having too many difficulties traveling via three modes of transportation in order to get to work.

I was going through a difficult personal time, and I felt as though I needed more purpose in my life. So, I started a new job at Matrix Research Institute. I became an Employment Supports Counselor for people with physical and sensory disabilities. I felt as though I was doing exactly what I needed to do with my life. This position had a lot of potential for me, since I was going to work on a brand new project. This project was a three-year research and demonstration project to show that people with physical and sensory disabilities can remain on their jobs with support services. I was able to relate to these people with disabilities, because I had to ask for supports in order to reach my educational and employment goals.

Both Liberty Resources and Matrix inspired me to focus on my talents. I was able to handle all of the duties of my jobs. I also often gave my supervisors ideas for new projects. I realized that I had a lot to offer my employers, but I did not have enough educational credentials for further career advancement.

Upgrading my skills and expanding my perceptions
In 1998, at age 29, I entered Lincoln University's Master of Human Services Program. This program was geared toward individuals who had at least 5 years experience in the Human Services Field. I enjoyed Lincoln's Pre-Masters Program, because it improved my writing skills, and it changed my perception of society.

I was having many problems at Lincoln after I completed my pre-masters program. During my first year in the Master of Human Services Program, I was asked to write an autobiography. Even though Lincoln University was helping me overcome some obstacles in my life, it also forced me to recall personal issues that I had pushed way to the back of my memory. Some of the memories that I had to relive were my childhood experiences dating to the civil war in El Salvador and, later, my divorce. I was going through an emotional roller coaster ride, because I was going to school full-time and working full-time. Unfortunately, I ended up dropping out of Lincoln University in 1999.

Resolving a little problem
I needed to take time to analyze the issue in order to overcome the obstacle. The issue for me was not my disability or lack of time. The issue was that I was falling in love with my best friend from church. We resolved that little problem. We started dating, got engaged and got married within one year.

I returned to Lincoln University in 2000. I had only been married for two months at the time. My husband completely supported me in my decision to return to school. He helped me along the way, and he stayed up with me every night while I would write my papers. I was going to do my best. I graduated from Lincoln University with a Master of Human Services Degree in 2002 with a 3.45 grade point average.

Between 2002 and 2004, my husband and I started a wonderful family and we became business partners. We have two lovely young sons and two businesses. Our lives became overly stretched. In December 2005, we decided to dissolve one of the companies, TEAMS Inc, because of lack of funding and resources for small non-profits that served people with disabilities.

printer friendly format