Estela Landeros: Ability Trumps Disability

by Alicia Contreras, Oakland, CA

Estela Landeros in her office

Estela Landeros says that the biggest problem when disabled individuals look for work is that we tend to think about our “disability” before we think about our “abilities.”

Estela is a teacher and is a specialist in assistive technology. Through her work at IBM and the Organization of American States (OAS) over the course of several decades, she has successfully helped many people with all sorts of disabilities integrate themselves in businesses where they got well-paid jobs. Over the years, Estela herself has been challenged by different health problems that have left their mark on her physical abilities, causing her to become a member of our community, the disability world.

Currently, Estela works as “Assistive Technology Coordinator” at the Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities (KIHd)’s Training and Technical Assistance Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.  Her work consists of supporting teachers who work with disabled students that need assistive technology so that they can study in the area’s public schools. This means doing consulting work and conducting individual observation in order to recommend appropriate technology, develop and implement training classes in the usage of adaptive technology in the classroom, and participate in state, national, and international conferences discussing disability and technology issues.

The accommodations that Estela needs to be able to do her job are minimal. For example, when she has to drive for a few hours for a conference or to visit a student who needs assistive technology, the university gives her extra travel time so that she can rest when she needs to. In her office, she uses assistive devices that help her read documents without putting stress on her neck, from physical adaptations that hold documents up, to software that lets her listen to what she is reading. Estela has gone through seven surgeries during the last three years. When they operated on her back the first time, the university got her the necessary equipment so that she could work on her computer at home, without having to go to the university. When her energy level is low, her boss knows that Estela will get her work done when her energy level is back up to normal and lets her work at her own pace.

Estela is an excellent example of how ability can trump disability when it comes to the workplace integration of people with disabilities. When she was chosen to work at the OAS, they didn’t hire her because of her disability or because she was Latina. They hired her because she knows about the reality of disability in Latin America and the United States, speaks three languages, and is a specialist in assistive technology. Thanks to her work at IBM, she was part of a network of professionals who knew the quality of her work. This helped her increase the budget of the program she worked at to extend its services and improve its hi-tech equipment, creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities. From a program that began in El Salvador, Estela planted the seed for similar programs in other countries, such as Chile, Perú, Nicaragua, Panamá, and Guatemala.

Her advice for disabled Latinos interested in finding good-paying jobs is the following:

Focus on your abilities.- First you have to show that you can and are willing to do by beginning with volunteer work at potential employers, so that they see what you can do.  At the same time, this will let you create a network of people who can help you find a job.

Be honest about your disabilities.- You should recognize what you can and cannot do.

Don’t limit yourself to a strict work schedule.-  You need to prove that you are willing to “Go the extra mile.”

Don’t abuse your rights as a person with a disability.-  It’s important that you try to use what is already available. If you need accommodations or assistive technology, remember that the most expensive options are not necessarily the best.

Don’t let your family undervalue you.- Often, being overprotected by your family is the worst impairment, because it blocks you from the chance to develop independently.

Specialize in something.- The best message you can give to potential employers is that you are willing to learn more.

One of Estela’s favorite stories is about Luis González Gatica.  Luis is a blind person who supported in the training of other blind people at the Mexican computer lab founded by Estela when she worked at IBM, and went on to become a customer service manager at a Mexican bank.

It is never too late to learn. Estela Landeros is a over the age of 60 and is now about to get a doctorate in “Instructional Design and Technology.” Her dissertation is about the development and implementation of an application that will help people with cognitive disabilities to go places by themselves using an iPhone. She is truly an example for all of us, disabled Latinos looking for opportunities to succeed.

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