Yes, that's an insane question to ask, and no, I obviously don't really think that it's true. But life experience doesn't lie. (At least, I don't.)
I graduated from Miami Ad School and graduate school in early 2023. It's been almost a year since then. Unfortunately, the very program I went into to get me a job after graduation, failed on that part of the bargain. Of course, it's not entirely their fault. Could I have worked harder on my creative portfolio while in school? Yes. But could they also have prepared us better? Also, yes. But that's a whole other blog post.
Being chronically ill with Cystic Fibrosis and being a double lung transplant recipient, I'm required to mark myself as disabled on every job application I apply to. The number of people with disabilities who are employed has gone up to 21% as of 2022, which is an improvement from the previous year (2021), which was at 19%. Even with the steady improvement, job hunting is torturous for us...well, me. There are theories out there that say you're more likely to get the job because of your disability, and if so, where do I apply???
All jokes aside, the excruciating months of job hunting have made me wonder if checking yes for disabled has hindered, and not helped, my application for a job. Do they look at my resume and think, "Well she's qualified, but what if she takes a sick day every other day?" or "Yeah, I love her award-winning 360 ad campaign, but she might die at any second, and who needs that headache?" According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "In 2022, 21.3 percent of persons with a disability were employed, up from 19.1 percent in 2021...for persons without a disability, 65.4 percent were employed in 2022, up from 63.7 percent in the prior year." The report from 2022 also said, "The unemployment rate for persons with a disability was about twice as high as the rate for persons without a disability." I just threw out a lot of numbers, but the fact is, that people with disabilities are less likely to complete a Bachelor's degree than their non-disabled peers. Another fact: We are capable, we are smart, and we are looking for employment just like everyone else. So what can be done?
I'm over the self-deprecating, over the disappointing rejection emails, and over the hundreds of recruiters ignoring me when I'm doing the absolute most to get anyone's attention. I've started writing for myself again, hence the blog. It might not be a paying gig, but it's something. (My anxiety about being a contributing member of society will have to wait for another blog post). It's something, and I've decided to open myself up to freelance copywriting opportunities. I'm actually already working with my first client. This isn't to say freelance is for everyone, hell I didn't even think it was for me until I put my superiority complex to the side. We're all capable. We don't let our disability define us. We let it enhance what's already there. We are not disabled people, but people living with a disability.
P.S. If any creative recruiters are reading this, you can prove you're not the ableist asses I'm talking about by responding to my LinkedIn messages ;)
Comments