39 replies to this topic

[Dan Jurgens]

I saw on ABC TV that only 21% of handicaped people have real paying jobs. i now that there are lots of diferent kinds of handicapps but i wonder how many of us SCI have jobs so id like to do a poll. Ill start. Im a c4/5 complete quad with almost no volantary movement. I dont have a job since my injury.

Dan (typed by Norma)

[chris135]

I live in an appartment complex for people with disabilities and theres quite a few that don't work at all. I'm a t8 complete since may 09. I have normal hand/arm function. And i've been back to work (automotive repair planner) 40 hours a week give or take since april '10.

Chris

[HiltonP]

I'm not an SCI, but my life is pretty similar to a high quad (can't dress, bath, shit, pee or transfer without help).
I worked for 22 years in a "real paying job" with all the responsibilities which came with it. I received no government
or state assistance for anything, and paid my way for everything (including all wheelchairs, tax, etc) and I would not
have wanted it any other way. Despite my level of disability I was a breadwinner, and that mean't something to me.

With the anniversary of the ADA a number of figures have been put out there, including those shown below. If I was a US
citizen I would find them quite alarming since they hint at a slide backwards rather than a move forwards. The US would
arguably like to think of itself as THE 1st World country, yet 1-in-5 citizens has a disability? That's a figure I would
normally associate with a 3rd World country.

54 million: the number of Americans with disabilities, or 19% of the total population
11 million: the number of disabled people age 6 and older who need personal assistance with everyday activities
3.3 million: the number of people who use a wheelchair
48: the percentage of people age 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability who work full time

[kim wright]

level t11/12 complete

i went back to work doing the same job that i did before my injury
27 hours a week
admin supervisor

[Smileyblue]

I am injured at T8 complete.. I've just been medically boarded.. I was a Maintenance Planner at an open-cast heavy minerals mine.. The main reason for my being boarded though was due to my short-term memory loss..

[un_holyroller]

I'm a c5/6 I was a construction worker prior to my injury so i couldnt go back there. I've worked and went to college since my injury.

[gchesman]

I'm C4/5. I tried finishing school but ended up falling into a job I can do from home. I've had some surgery to boost mobility, although, it's still limited.

[BillS]

T6 Complete here and have worked for the Social Security Admin for 29 years. Currently I'm a computer programmer here.

I was in High School when I had my injury, started college 8 months post injury and worked some summer jobs during college. I didn't graduate from college but was working at SSA about 5 months after leaving college.

My jobs have always been desk jobs so there was no reason why I couldn't do them.

[AussieBrad]

T4 complete, I still have a job with the same company before my sci, I was a stockcontroller,loading and unloading trucks.
so I am unable to return to that but maybe an office job.
hope to return to work april next year

[chris3829]

T12..I work as a self storage facility manager/Uhaul dealer ,been doing to for i guess 5 or so years(time flys)..48hrs a week..Anyone want a sat job??Hate working sats

[Dan Jurgens]

Smileyblue, on 30 July 2010 - 04:44 PM, said:

I am injured at T8 complete.. I've just been medically boarded.. I was a Maintenance Planner at an open-cast heavy minerals mine.. The main reason for my being boarded though was due to my short-term memory loss..

Hi,
Can you tell me what boarded means. we dont have that term here.

Dan (typed by Norma)

thands to those who replyed. How about more quads telling their story like do you want to work and cant.

Dan (typed by Norma)

[davjed]

Worked over 30 years in medical and public health laboratories and ultrasound laboratory.

[jdub]

Old data from University of Alabama National SCI center lists unemployment at 63% after 8 years from injury. http://www.sci-info-....com/facts.html Even more grim is that I've read a Cornell study that lists severe disabled as having 86% unemployment rate. Unfortunately, neither statistic surprises me.

Just my two cents, I think people want to work but can't due to medical reasons. It's my opinion that in the USA, we have a great acute care system, so people get what they need while they are in hospital, but once they leave there is no follow through. for myself, this forum has been the most helpful source to deal with the health issues as every spinal cord manual just has general advice i.e. do weight shifts, eat well, and so on. but what does it mean eat well for instance? or what creme is best fir chafing, and so on...

anywho, i'm unemployed but was a recent student and will be a new student shortly.

[Smileyblue]

Can you tell me what boarded means. we dont have that term here

Hi Dan and Norma.. ;-)

Being boarded means that for medical reasons, my pension fund took over from my employer and are paying me 75% of my salary (before deductions) till pensionable age, after which I will receive my normal pension..

;-) Renée

[airart1]

had 3 retail stores for 10 years, 14 hours a day and 500 hours from thanksgiving day to christmas day, had all i wanted of malls though and got out........

[Snakeye]

Spent my youth working like a slave on a dairy farm, my early adult years in Uncle Sam's Green Machine then worked for the goverment as a civilian until retirement. Afterwards, I wrote books on regional history until accident put a stop to that....Now I mostly sit on my ass patiently waiting for my monthly allotted allowence...

[Texaswheelz]

Dan Jurgens, on 30 July 2010 - 11:30 AM, said:

I saw on ABC TV that only 21% of handicaped people have real paying jobs.

In my 20 year's I've had about 15 different real paying jobs. Currently though I work for free for my wife, we have a catering and bakery business. I'm the face of the bakery, deal with customers, sell stuff, stock stuff, take orders...etc. So not currently working a "paying job".

[Millard]

I am a C5-C6 Quad/Tetra. I was injured in 1967 and started working in 1970. I worked until September, 2009. I volunteer work now and work part time for a couple of companies doing their computer programming and webpages.

[Dan Jurgens]

Thanks to all who answered. i think this poll is heavy on the side of those of us who can and do work. i was a roofer before my car wreck and did heavy labor every day. i understand snakeye because i can only sit on my ass and watch my wofe wait on me. its only been 10 months for me so i can see my futrue real clear. im glad for those of you who can get out adn do someting.

Dan (typed by Norma)

Smileyblue, on 02 August 2010 - 02:06 PM, said:

Can you tell me what boarded means. we dont have that term here

Hi Dan and Norma.. ;-)

Being boarded means that for medical reasons, my pension fund took over from my employer and are paying me 75% of my salary (before deductions) till pensionable age, after which I will receive my normal pension..

;-) Renée

thanks Renee for the update. Here Dan has govement disabiltiy adn his former companies insurance pays us every month to and gives Dan a lot of his needs like his wheelchair and hospital bed and etc. Were lucky ot be doing well because lost of CSI people arnt.

Dan (typed by Norma)

[xxm]

Dan Jurgens, on 05 August 2010 - 11:50 AM, said:

.. i can only sit on my ass and watch my wofe wait on me. its only been 10 months for me so i can see my futrue real clear.

Hi Dan,

Ten months is very short time and you will continue to recover, to adapt to your new condition, to learn to be independent as much as possible. I'm sure that soon you will be on the computer and we shall not see "typed by Norma" any more. 35 years ago it was very difficult for me to accept that I will not be able to walk. I waited three years for a miracle that will make me walk again but this didn't happen. One day when I was in hospital I realized the truth, cried a lot but this was the last time.
So Dan don't hurry to see your future - nobody knows what the future holds as you didn't know that "this " will happen "Twice in one week" ...

Wish you both with Norma to overcome this challenge on the wings of love you share so dearly.

Rudy

[Wheelsonfire]

xxm, on 05 August 2010 - 04:44 PM, said:

Hi Dan,

Ten months is very short time and you will continue to recover, to adapt to your new condition, to learn to be independent as much as possible. I'm sure that soon you will be on the computer and we shall not see "typed by Norma" any more. 35 years ago it was very difficult for me to accept that I will not be able to walk. I waited three years for a miracle that will make me walk again but this didn't happen. One day when I was in hospital I realized the truth, cried a lot but this was the last time.
So Dan don't hurry to see your future - nobody knows what the future holds as you didn't know that "this " will happen "Twice in one week" ...

[Dan Jurgens]

Thanks Rudy for youre encuragement and i do keep hope in my heart but so far absolotely nothing has immproved. Im the same i was when i came home from rehab and have no more use of my arms and fingres that i did them so me using a computor would be a miricle. Im not complaining and i never thought there would be a miricale. If not for my wife Normas love and devotion i dont now what id do. as most c4/5 are im totaly dependant on her care and my being paralyxed has incresed our love. I now it seems it should be the oposite but its not.

Dan (typed by Norma who adds Dan gets depresed but so far im able to cheer him up. Were just happy he has enough use of his left fingers to do his wheelchiars joystick.)

[Carolie]

I'm a C3-7 Incomplete Quad/Tetra.

I've got an MBA in Marketing and have done just about every kind of work prior to my initial injury. I had to go on disability because I had complications at additional levels and several other unrelated operations for a few years.

Now I'm trying to find a good paying job because everything has gotten so expensive.

Edited by Carolie, 09 August 2010 - 07:37 PM.

[Dan Jurgens]

good luck, Carolie, here in florida our unemplyment is over 10% for ABs and who nows what for paralysed and houses are being forclosed on right and left. We boutht our wheelcahir freindely house after Dans CSI as a repo from a bank because no body wanted one like htis. Lucky we saved all 9 years were narried to by one be for Dans CSI to by one otherwise wed be living in our van. i worked at walMart but now im home as his care giver so i dont wore ether. Dan was a roofer before his car wreck and with his lvel of disibiltu he hasnt even looked sicne he can only move his left fingers enogh ot use his wheelcahirs joy stick and needs canstant care.

Norma (wife of Dan(

[Stand]

I'm a C3-C4, ASIA C, incomplete. I'm just about to come up to my one year anniversary, so I realize I'm not that far from my initial injury. Unfortunately so far I've been unable to work, but hopefully the changes one day. I hate relying on the government, but at the same time I'm very thankful. I would just love to return to the workplace and make a decent living. Until that happens... Here I am!

I'm very happy for those of you who have found work. That's really great and I hope more of us are just as lucky!

[Dan Jurgens]

ive read back over the replys and it seems taht us quads either sit all day or go to schol while paras who have more movement and mobilty work. Does that seem rite?

Dan (yped by Norma)

[Stand]

Dan Jurgens, on 11 August 2010 - 12:06 PM, said:

ive read back over the replys and it seems taht us quads either sit all day or go to schol while paras who have more movement and mobilty work. Does that seem rite?

Dan (yped by Norma)

I'd say that's right for my case. I do sit around for most of the day but I am back in college. At least for now anyways. I will soon be receiving my FES stim bike, so my studies would most likely take away time from this, as it already has a physical therapy. I really want that degree, but also really want to walk or at least gain back as much as I can. I'm thinking I might put school back off for little while and refocus back on my body.

[Dan Jurgens]

Stand117711, on 11 August 2010 - 04:03 PM, said:

Dan Jurgens, on 11 August 2010 - 12:06 PM, said:

ive read back over the replys and it seems taht us quads either sit all day or go to schol while paras who have more movement and mobilty work. Does that seem rite?

Dan (yped by Norma)

I'd say that's right for my case. I do sit around for most of the day but I am back in college. At least for now anyways. I will soon be receiving my FES stim bike, so my studies would most likely take away time from this, as it already has a physical therapy. I really want that degree, but also really want to walk or at least gain back as much as I can. I'm thinking I might put school back off for little while and refocus back on my body.

i think we all want to get back as much as we can. im a c4/5 complete so i dont expect much. what is a FES stim bike and i dont understand what youre level of CSI is at.

Dan (typed by Norma)

[StillFingers]

Hi Dan,

After my SCI in 78, finishing college, I started part-time work (software design/programming) in the mid 80s, late 80s thru early 90s worked at Hughes Aircraft Company as an analyst/programmer and then moved on to the world of fastfood, working again as an analyst/programmer but also a network administrator at Del Taco's corporate headquarters...I never did get to ask a customer if they wanted fries with their order

After getting my fill of fastfood my next job (96) was as a working manager of a software development group and then transitioned into a chief systems architect's role in 2000 and was laid off (with my entire division...so much fun) in 2003; shortly after my father died

Took a few months off (was given a nice severance pkg) and began independent contractor work for the next 4 yrs. Developed some major health issues, landed in hospital in late March of 08...

As of late, I just started rollin again after over two years of healing a half dozen bedsores. I'm currently on disability (SSDI), looking to get my strength back, my head around the current job market and new skills I might need to be successful again, and will eventually get back to more independent contracting or full-time work...given someone will still hire this old, graying propeller head

Regards,

Jerry

Edited by StillFingers, 12 August 2010 - 03:35 PM.

[Wheelsonfire]

Very impressive Jerry, now you must have lovely frames for them certificates, um me wonders how many trees adda go to make all them wuvly certs to show your worth