Navigating a workplace with a disability: Matthew’s story.
“For a lot of people, it’s just a degree. But for me, it’s so much more.”
“I have a dream to work in law enforcement. I’m going to do anything that I possibly can to reach it and nothing is going to get in my way.”
Matthew, a Criminology student and soon-to-be-alumnus, isn’t afraid to dream big. He has gone through obstacles, victories, and disappointments during his degree.
Essays and homework, studying and presentations. This stuff ain’t easy.
But what about the struggles going on around the demanding assignments and exams in University ? Financial stress. Family struggles. Grief. Mental illness. Fights with friends and SOs. Health issues — your own and those of your loved ones.
Matthew understands how external forces impact your education better than most.
Matthew has a reading disability and mild cerebral palsy.
Basically, this means that reading is challenging and he relies on various types of accessibility technology to support his studies.
“School’s never been easy for me and I have to record my lectures,” Matthew says, “For example, my surveillance class was an hour and fifty minutes lecture. That’s an hour and fifty minutes I’m basically just transcribing. Then I write the notes out again and then I type them out and that’s how I study. Especially with all the readings and articles I had to read, it takes me a lot longer so I have to stay on top of things.”
Matthew developed a studying system and rigorously managed his time. Along the way, he tried to gain professional experience and learn strategies to navigate being in a workplace with a disability.
“School is challenging but you also have to start thinking about after you graduate — how and when are you going to talk to your employer about your disability? What are your limitations and how are you going to adapt?”
Disability or not, thinking about life after school is important for all students.
Campus, and the Faculty of Arts, is a place for students to take ‘safe’ risks. Try working in a particular role and organization through AWE. Job Shadow for a day — don’t like it? Now you know. Take living abroad for a spin through Cortona or jump into a full semester exchange.
These experiences are purposefully designed to allow you to test out options for your studies, career and life.
When you graduate, a lot of those opportunities aren’t there anymore. But graduating students with a disability also lose access to Accessibility Resources and the U of A’s duty to accommodate policy.
For those of you who don’t know, University of Alberta faculty and staff are obligated to accommodate the health needs of students — whether in the classroom, the hallway, or at the student services office.
So what happens when you rely on these accommodations and are suddenly in the work world — working for employers who may not have the same obligation?
Matthew’s Story
As a B.A. Criminology student, Matthew chose to pursue the field placement stream, which allows Criminology students to gain professional experience through volunteering in organizations across Edmonton for a semester.
Matthew was delighted to be placed in a government position, working on impactful projects with public servants.
However, he had experienced negative reactions and discrimination after disclosing his disability to employers in the past and he knew that he needed to build trust with the employer before deciding whether to disclose.
“It’s not only the stress of finding work but finding the right job because you need to find an employer that is going to understand you and be willing to work with you.
I was very concerned going into this placement because all my previous placements had only been shadowing. So this was where I was actually going to be in an office doing work.”
Matthew arranged a meeting with the placement host ahead of time, before he had even finished his Fall Term exams. His placement involved researching an unfamiliar topic and he knew he would need to prepare in advance.
“I basically found this audio book that gave me all the information I needed to be up to date on this project. I spent 11 hours listening to it, I watched YouTube videos about the topic and I put so much effort into it before my placement even started. My placement host was really impressed with that.”
Not only that, but his hard work and drive helped him bridge his volunteer role to a paid position.
“There were two months left of my placement and they said ‘can we start paying you?’ I was like ‘um yeah!’ — because I know getting bridged is critical.”
At this point, Matthew hadn’t yet disclosed his disability. He had simply said that he uses his laptop because he is a slow reader. But when he was offered a job, he sat down and talked to his boss.
“I said, ‘listen — this is me, this is my disability, this is what I use to adapt’, and she said ‘I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me. To me you don’t have a disability because I haven’t seen it. Your work’s been great. I edit your stuff but I edit everybody’s stuff’. It was really cool to hear.”
Although Matthew knows that he may still face challenges ahead, this experience has confirmed that he is a valuable member to his team — with or without a disability.
Matthew’s Advice to Students with a Disability
- Advocate for yourself.
“If you are a student with a disability, you have to advocate for yourself. A lot of people will just sit there and be like ‘this is how it is’ but no. You’re paying five hundred bucks per class, plus textbooks, plus everything else. Advocate for yourself.” Accessibility Resources can provide support if you’re not sure what to do in a challenging situation. - Identify a support network — and use it!
Matthew utilized Accessibility Resources, professors, and his loved ones to manage obstacles. “I’ve had so many people support me. You’re going to need people around you, so figure out who those people are. And don’t be afraid to use them.” - Leverage your profs.
Even in big lecture classes, professors can be an incredible support network. “In my first semester, I didn’t have any accommodations yet and I was freaking out about this Spanish class. I was literally like ‘we are going for a fifty!’. But I had an amazing Spanish prof who really helped me out and I ended up getting a B or a B+.” Although all profs have a duty to accommodate, Matthew suggests that if you don’t jive with the prof, just drop the class — it’s really not worth the stress. - Know your rights.
Matthew didn’t tell his placement host that he had a reading disability right away. He built trust with his employer and then disclosed when he was ready. “I’ve actually talked to the Human Rights Commission and they basically said, ‘if you’re having issues with an employer, you should tell us.’ So know what options are out there and know that if you have a disability you don’t have to accept how people treat you.” No one can tell you that you have to disclose your disability. - Celebrate your accomplishments!
“I finished my last class last Friday, so I called my aunt. I’m really close with her, and way back when, she helped me write my first paper, because I’d never written a university paper before. And she said, ‘Matthew, I am so proud of you. You’ve climbed Mt. Everest by getting your degree. School is really hard for you and you’ve come so far’. I mean, I didn’t even think I could get a diploma and I got a freaking degree. For a lot of people, it’s just a degree. But for me, it’s so much more.”
Empowered by completing his degree and his positive field placement experience, Matthew continues to pursue his dream of working in law enforcement. He has successfully completed all of his coursework and will convocate in November 2019.
Congratulations on your degree, Matthew! You’ve earned it.
If you are a student with a disability and want to learn more about available accommodation options, contact Accessibility Resources.
Want to learn more about Job Shadow Week as an Arts student? Read Logan’s story!
