Notice Abilities: Recent Episodes
Department of Rehabilitation
Some people are born with disabilities. Some people acquire disabilities. People from every country, every ethnicity, every age, every gender, every political party, every religion, and every socioeconomic status can have disabilities. Disabilities don't discriminate. In this blog we hear the stories of poeple with disabilities.
Living with a form of dyslexia, Serafin had no idea that what he was seeing and what he was writing were two completely different things.
I had a professor back then (early 1990’s; it was a poly stat class), and I took a test and I failed it, and I’m wondering why I failed it… and I asked him, and he goes, “Serafin, something’s wrong… I can’t read what you’re writing”. Then he gave me the test orally, and I blew him away… whatever I had put down on paper did not reflect what was said orally. Then he said, “Oh my god… you have a disability”. I was tested and they said “You have a form of dyslexia”.
(DOR helped assist him though college)
The good thing about California State University Northridge (CSUN) [is that] they had, they had one of the best disabled students’ program in the country. I didn't know that. So, under Equal Opportunity for Minorities, I struggled for my first year because it was hard, but the good thing is, CSUN Department of Student Affairs, referred me to the Department of Rehabilitation.
What [DOR] did, they also helped me as well with paying my tuition and my books for going to CSUN. And I was still undecided in what I wanted to do, but I really wanted to become an architect. That was my passion. I [then] find that that CSUN did not have, an architectural school, so I decided to go into psychology. [Ultimately] I had to develop my own technique to learn how to do my tasks.
I had a tutor, who was also my note taker… and that person also became my wife, so that was cool.
(When talking about living with his dyslexia)
When I look at a paper, what I see is kind of like, I read it sometimes backwards. So, I have to step up a bit. But I also had to figure out another way, so I use color to read it right. I use either yellow or like a red or like a light blue and make little slits, so I have to read whether it’s a report. But now you can just scan it (into a computer or smartphone), and that information is there for you, and it’ll read it for you! So that’s really cool, I like it.
For work reports and tasks, I [also] developed template(s) for stuff so that it's already been done. All you got to do is carry over to the next month. It's not that hard. But again, we were figuring out like little techniques and tools to make our job a little better.
(Talking about getting employment)
I graduated back in 1991, and I was so happy. Back in ‘91 low and behold I applied for my first job… it was the Department of Rehabilitation. Back then, you needed a B.A. to become a rehab counselor, I was gonna be a rehab counselor and they had me ranked at either 1 or number 2… the problem was, there was a freeze.
At the same time, I applied at Los Angeles City Housing Authority, the same place where I ended up living at. I was going to work in one of the worst areas… and I ended up helping the kids in that area for drug, alcohol, and gang problems. I did that from ’91 all the way up till about ’95. Then I became what’s called a drug/alcohol counselor.
I always remember back then when the department of Rehab helped me. You just gotta give them your time and you've got to make a commitment.
After having to restart her career multiple times from extreme injuries sustained, Kati is a true example that hard work and perseverance can always get you back on your feet. Having already dealt with a major career-altering injury over 15 years ago, Kati tells the story of her second time facing that challenge.
About a five and a half years ago, I tripped and fell… [shattering] my left leg for the second time. My foot got tangled up in a tarp that had blown off [my] fence and I fell on my left knee and leg. And as I said, I shattered it.
(Talking about her work experience)
I worked my way from being a secretary at an ad agency to being vice president of it. I was responsible for the Hoover Company in 26 states and five Canadian provinces. I traveled 400,000 miles in five years throughout the western United States training and helping various retailers to improve their businesses.
One of my great feats (as I liked to call it) is that I convinced Macy's to have their greatest Hoover sale ever. They had never had the biggest sale... and it brought such fantastic results that they had the biggest lingerie sale, the biggest sheet and white sale, etc. for several years.
[Afterwards, I] was recruited in a sense by Cal Worthington (a mega car dealer) to be his advertising director. I had an advertising budget of 11.5 million dollars (twice as much as Nestle chocolate has at the time); But now, after I've shattered my legs five years ago, I had to take another step back. I [now] have 21 inches of titanium in my left leg and hinge in the middle.
My whole world fell apart.
(That’s when Kati started working with DOR)
I contacted DOR for help and they have been an immense help. [My DOR counselor] has been my rep now for over a year I believe. And anytime I need help, she's there. I call her, she calls me back. We email each other sometimes, two or three times a week. I've gone through other career development things, but with the Department of Rehab, it's one on one. It's like being best friends. I can come in here and use the computer and she sits with me. I have applied for many state jobs and I've been on some interviews, two or three with the state.
I've got 40 years’ worth of really good, valuable experience… I don't intend to ever retire. I have too much energy. I can run circles around most 30 or 40 years old, [and] I can outwork most of them because I have the Midwestern work ethic.
I will continue to work with (DOR) as long as they'll have me because I feel like somewhere out there, there's a place for everybody. And I keep trying to hold on one of these days I'm going to find somebody that needs me as much as I need them. And that it has to be on an equal basis. That's why I know I have to start at the bottom. I'm willing to do that.
You think about what you can do, not what you can't do. I've had to learn to forget about what I can't do and concentrate on what I can do. Now yes, I've got 21 inches of titanium and a hinge, but I can yeah, go out and play nine holes of golf.
It still boils down to the fact that you have to shake off and deny, as I did, my world fell apart. But the whole world didn't. If cats got nine lives, I'm working on 14 or 15! I'm just a small part of that whole world and if other people are in worse shape than I am, then I can do it.
Having the ability to clearly remember something that happened fifteen years may seem out of context to some but to DOR consumer Carson he remembers it like it was yesterday. Carson feels that his disability is a part of him.
Carson: My name is Carson Guy Everett and I was born in San Francisco. I work at Lowe’s. At first I thought I’d be bored out of my mind because I’m not very good with mechanical things but luckily as a greeter I get to direct people to people who are. I also don’t have the best temper when I have broken something. Thank goodness I haven’t broken anything at Lowe’s yet.
My former job coach knew someone from Lowe’s and suggested I work there. I actually went online and looked at their employment part. How to apply told you how and then I did the application. Within a week or so they said you may come in and then I was interviewed. I passed with flying colors. They like having a diversity of people and are very diverse. The next step was to take the drug test and then when I took the drug test it was wonderful because I knew I was going to pass. Once I passed they said I may come in and then the next portion was the training part. And so I trained and did the modules. What do we do when someone screams at us? We have to stay calm under fire. The third step was working. So it was very easy and it wasn’t a hard process to get the job. And I’ve been employed since December 2016.
My experience with getting employed is Lowe’s didn’t have to accept me and they did. But on the other hand it’s sometimes harder for them to understand why I have a job coach because I actually come off normal. It’s not that I hide my disability I just don’t think of it as a disability. I think of it as a memory booster.
I’m not sure what’s my plans are after Lowe’s. I’m thinking about it. Now I’m sort of bitten by the bug of maybe party planning but we’ll see how that goes because I don’t think I could do it all alone and I don’t know anyone else who is interested in it. Let’s say I have a friend who does, not exactly party planning, but deals with costumers and makes events and puts them together. He mostly just drives and makes sure things are on time. He can’t do the social part as much as I can. Some people I know are very quiet and meek compared to my … loudness and enjoyment of life.
Deaf consumer Joe has been working on improving his interviewing skills. With the help of DOR, Joe hopes to make a positive first impression as he looks for employment.
Joe: I worked many years at many different odd jobs. The longest job I had was working at Pepperidge Farm. I did that for 20 years. I really enjoyed that job driving and going to all the different stores, the big stores and delivering things. The one negative was that I get stuck in traffic driving. That was the one thing that I felt was a negative and then I decided to leave. I retired for a while. My wife said, “At your age it's going to be hard for you to find a job.” So I decided that I wanted to find some part-time work. So I asked the Department of Rehabilitation for help and so I came here.
Things are really different than they were before. I've had to update everything. I've had to ask them how to do this. They ask about attitude and behavior and you have to learn how to have those interview skills. I have a whole list of things. It's really been helping me get ready for interviews. It's really important for that. I had sloppy clothes. Now I know how to look at the interviewer. I had a poor attitude and was kind of frustrated. I didn't have an interpreter long ago. It was kind of emotional looking for work and some of my friends had helped me. So then I was able to learn more about appropriate behavior and I thank DOR for their help and changing me and helping me with those interview skills.
Sometimes when a deaf person is interviewed they get very nervous and they need to be trained how to have appropriate clothing for a job interview that’s not too loud. You know not to dress too loudly and to be thankful. DOR has been able to teach me how to dress to impress and have all of the skills that I need to get through an interview.
The first application was a bit frustrating and with the resume I had a lot of problems because my English isn't that good. So I had to have some help from someone to tweak my English to make it much better because I had a few failures and I didn't have an interpreter or anything and had to write back and forth. It was such a struggle to communicate but I didn't give up. It was a good challenge. I got them to give me a trial for a week so that I could see what was going on and learn what I need to do and then I got hired and that gave me a chance and made me be able to get into the job. My friends encouraged me. They said, “You have to struggle but you can do this.”
I learned being calm was really important and how to handle myself. Being polite, dressing well, how to meet with the manager, having an interpreter and meeting with the HR manager, being friendly, shaking their hand. You don't act silly and you got to make that eye contact so they can see you and you don't look away. You can look at the interpreter and then look at the person. I can do that. I can do anything.
Cris’s lifelong dream as a kid was to be a cosmetologist but life got in the way and he never pursued it. Struggling with mental health issues he finally sought assistance from DOR and made his dream come true.
Cristobal: My name is Cristobal Zarala but people call me Cris. I heard about DOR a long time ago. The first time I went to DOR was in 2008 and I was in another training but I didn't think I was ready because I was still dealing with my mental health issues and drug abuse. I was pretty bad with my bipolar and my schizoaffective disorder. It almost took my life. Struggling with those demons and everything like that I really didn't seek anything. When I got clean I decided to give them another try because when I work with them they show that they really care so that's why I came back.
They helped me out with materials for school which was kind of freaking me out and helped me get around with the bus. With DOR's help I found out about mental health services. They gave me great referrals to a whole bunch of their resources. Especially the counselor, first and foremost, I should have started with her. Knowing that my counselor cared that's all I needed because everything else just followed in my best interest. I was referred to a psychiatric doctor.
Ever since I was a teenager I used to do my sister's hair and growing up it was kind of frowned upon to play with girls and stuff like that. I guess there was an internal thing from my parents being “old school” that it wasn't cool. I never really pursued it but it’s always been in my heart.
When my clients start making silly faces in the mirror because they're feeling it I'm feeding off their good energy. It keeps my mind distracted when I'm working with my hands it’s almost like improvising. Everybody's different. Everybody's head shade is different with different hair textures. You are almost like a psychologist because you're there for them. You're there to provide a service and you must be humble. It's dealing with people every day, all kinds. It’s brought me back to reality and I think I chose well with this profession [cosmetology]. Nobody cares about where you come from. They just care how good you are!
Technology has been Emmanuel’s passion since he was very young. Over the years, with the support of DOR, he has honed his skills by interning with companies like Cisco and IBM as a computer programmer.
Emmanuel: When I was younger I've been interested in technology and I still remember this today. My mom also reminds me and tells stories about this. When I was young I didn't want to play with toys. Like when she got me a toy typewriter I refused it. I said no I want a real typewriter. And then she realized that I like real life adult things rather than actual toys from a toy store. I've also experimented with electronics around the house. My father had purchased wires and circuit boards and I tried to make my own circuits. The Youth Leadership Forum that I attended when I was younger, one of the speakers said, “Don't let your disability put you down.” And I never did – keep moving forward and don't give up just because you have a disability.
My manager understands that I need extra time to finish a project on my own because I only type with two to three fingers even though I have two hands. But it's only functional with two or three fingers. I do take longer but I take the time out of my own schedule to accommodate for that so I'm not being held back because of any disability.
There is no special quick way for individuals with disabilities. A lot of people make the wrong assumption thinking that somebody with a disability gets a job much easier than an individual without a disability. That's not always true.
We still have to go through the standard procedures related to the company and not just be able to jump through the hoops and be hired versus the rest of the line behind you. Accommodations come after you're given the job offer. I've done interviews for a company as well as being interviewed myself. Employers realize the value that as long as you have the knowledge and the brain power that's the most important – and everything else can be accommodated.
Feeling like he couldn’t confide in anyone about his depression, Charles turned to DOR to help him look for employment and gained not only employment, but financial and emotional support.
Charles - I think up until before I came into the DOR and became a consumer of the program, I really experienced a lot of challenges both personal and academic.
I’m the only black male of my program among faculty and among students. Going through this (school) program for the past five and a half years has been a very isolating experience. I think with that and the lack of support that I really needed to move myself forward made it really hard - in addition to trying to manage my financial expenses. It's LA so it's really expensive here especially trying to be a student. I’ve been struggling on and off as I mentioned with the depression. Trying to manage the things that I can on my own and it was just really hard. There were days where I would just lay in bed and couldn't get out couldn't do anything. I wasn't making any progress, most of my attention was going towards trying to find employment and school was dragging along and the experiences that I had within my program didn't help with that as well.
I feel like I’ve been placed in settings where I’ve always been the only one and because I’ve been the only one, I’ve been afforded opportunities that maybe others haven’t. I think that because I am a black male I feel like I've had to work harder (and) I don't want to show any signs of weakness or that I’m incompetent or anything like that. I think that creates a lot of anxiety for myself which perpetuates the depression and insomnia and many different things. It's just it's a ripple effect. I think. It sucks.
Coming to DOR and then getting the support that I need to move forward, that's really helping me. I think with just lifting my spirits, being more optimistic about the future, in addition to allowing me to be able to take advantage of opportunities that I may not have had the ability to do on my own.
It just feels good to have to know that you have some extra support and going on that job market - It was great. I was able to share some of the great things that were happening with my counselor. She would tell me of other supports that they could provide that might be useful to ensure that I was able to get a job and I actually did end up getting a job throughout this process. My counselor was one of the first people I thank.
After of years of working physically demanding jobs with a physical disability, Armando discovers a new avenue towards a career right for him.
While visiting her daughter, Jerri Schlachter lifted a heavy suitcase resulting in an injury that led to the discovery of her condition of osteopenia. As her pain quickly escalated, she found herself in situations unable to move. This is the story of how Jerri rediscovered a passion for life again - though her work.
Preparing for a hopeful spot on the Paralympics team, college student Michael Kinoshita tells DOR the path he has followed as a blind student-athlete.
Clay Hoffman tells the Department of Rehabilitation about his dreams of becoming a groundskeeper for the State of California.
Cy Lugo recalls the morning after Monday Night Football, 14 years ago, when he woke up blind. Due to an autoimmune deficiency, Lugo became visually impaired but continues to push himself to become a better person, father and counselor to others.
Due to glaucoma, Sarah slowly began losing her eye sight. After two hard years of transition, Sarah realized her potential to make a difference in the world. Here she tells her story of the hardships faced and explains her plans to help others understand visual impairment.
Stacy and Greg's lives changed the instant he heard her voice at a convention for the National Federation of the Blind in Texas. Now married with their first child, they share a bond around their commitment to disability awareness, accessibility, and improving the quality of vocational rehabilitation in the state of California.
Ivonne was headed to work when her life changed in an instant. She acquired a significant Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that left her unable to continue working as a teacher. After being released from the hospital, she received TBI services through Dignity Health’s program. Now Ivonne is an advocate for individuals with TBI and is part of a poetry writing group.
Kelly had just moved to Monterey to be closer to family and raise her son when she found out the pain in her hands was De Quervain’s tendinosis; preventing her from continuing her career as a massage therapist. She decided to check out DOR to see how we could help her transition into a new career in a related field. With guidance from her counselor and tuition assistance from DOR she set her goal as a college degree in physical education, but was diagnosed with breast cancer. She put her case on hold during treatment and eventually came back ready to start courses. She was re-diagnosed her sophomore year but continued school, graduating in 2014. As she gains back her strength, she’s looking forward to the pursuing the next level.
Dante wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life, so he moved to California at the suggestion of a friend. He enrolled in classes at Sacramento City College and after finding his voice and building confidence in a public speaking course, decided he wants to be a Communications major. With tuition assistance and textbooks from DOR, Dante can focus on getting good grades.
Jordan Gonzales spent much of his adolescence not knowing why he felt so sick, but a diagnosis brought some clarity and new opportunities. With assistance from DOR, Jordan is finishing his bachelor’s degree at San Jose State with a concentration in art and psychology, hoping to use his passion and talents to help others like him.
Jason Chu got a degree in Criminal Justice from San Jose State that led to a job at the US Department of Justice. Working with his DOR counselor, he explored other options related to his field of study and now has a dream job at Google.
Travis graduated from the University of Santa Cruz with assistance from Department of Rehabilitation and entered a training program through Expandability for job seekers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He’s now living independently in Palo Alto working for SAP.
Jennifer Jones first exhibited signs of mental illness as young child, but she was not properly diagnosed until her 30s. Her high school years were very difficult and she ended up dropping out. Jennifer took a proficiency exam and started classes at community college. She did so well she was able to transfer to UC Berkeley, eventually earning her master’s degree in clinical psychology. California Department of Rehabilitation connected Jennifer to Momentum for Mental Health, and now she is the manager of Consumer Affairs in Santa Clara Mental Health Department, pursing a second master's degree in licensed clinical social work.
Alex Lee spent most of his childhood in Hong Kong, where he was first diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. At two years old, he began receiving occupational therapy and his parents started noticing a difference in his behavior — specifically a budding artistic ability. Alex finished high school and college in the U.S. and worked with the Department of Rehabilitation to determine next steps. His counselor suggested working with a non-profit organization to get his foot in the door. Now he’s putting his artistic talent and graphic design skills to good use as a marketing intern for Goodwill.
James Donnelly studied communication sciences and disorders at California State University Chico. He also has cerebral palsy with spastic dysarthria. With financial help and guidance from DOR and a personal aid to help with the transition to college life, James looks forward to the next chapter.
After college, Elijah Martinez wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to pursue until his counselor Nicole Green suggested he work with Evolibri, an employment services provider geared primarily to individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, Learning Differences, and Mood Disorders. Staff at Evolibri recommended Elijah for a month long training program through Expandability; he excelled in the program and was hired as a full time employee at SAP.
Andrew Shanley had a very active lifestyle, traveling the world as a cable splicer for AT&T, until a stroke led him to the hospital. He soon learned he had a rare degenerative disease - Inclusion Body Myositis. Rather than transitioning into early retirement, Andrew visited his local Department of Rehabilitation in 2011. With assistance from his counselor, he enrolled in college courses and is looking into opportunities in renewable energy.
Robby wanted to be a firefighter, but his mom Gail and teacher Barbara Schulman, knew that career goal was out of reach. With some hard work, the support of his family, Barbara, his DOR counselor Michele Kaplan (and natural charm of course) Robby landed his dream job at Albertson’s. He’s been there for three years now, and it’s not always easy, but he can’t imagine not working.
Haben Girma grew up in Oakland, CA with her parents insisting that being Deaf-Blind did not mean she couldn’t attend her local public school. She transitioned from Skyline High School to the Department of Rehabilitation where she and her counselor began talking about the technology she would need to attend college—like note takers. (Haben uses a wireless Apple keyboard that transmits to a digital braille computer, which she is then able to read in digital braille.) DOR also sent her to the National Federation for the Blind’s living skills center to help prepare her for the dorms. She attended Lewis & Clark College and went on to get her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Harvard Law. She now serves as a Skadden Fellowship Attorney in Berkeley, where she is challenging barriers to accessible technology.
Geoff was injured in a surfing accident at age 24; the same day he was offered a job with a public relations firm in southern California. Following years of physical rehabilitation and a few trips across the country, he's back in southern California working in an office and finding new ways to give back to his community after opening a case with DOR in 2010.
Shortly after moving to Northern California, Julio sustained a life-changing injury. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to go back to work, or if he even could. Then he met DOR counselor Teresa Cole in 2013. She helped Julio enroll at the Computer Technologies Program in Berkeley where he updated his skills and secured an internship at LMi.net—a local internet service provider. He was hired on full time as technical support in October 2014.
Nick moved to California from Texas for a career in renewable energy. When things didn’t go quite as expected, Nick came to the Department of Rehabilitation in 2013. He was assigned to a job developer at Diablo Valley College who worked with him to secure a position at the U.S. Mint.
Debbie came to California to live with her parents and heard about the Department of Rehabilitation’s Business Enterprise Program. She graduated from BEP in 2012 and interviewed for the vending route at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. She was awarded the location and has become a very successful vendor.
Devin was 22 years old with a promising career in mixed martial arts when he broke his neck during a routine practice session. Despite this major change in Devin’s trajectory, he didn’t let his accident slow him down. Devin came to DOR in 2013. Now he’s back in school pursuing a degree in accounting.