Working with a disability

A decade ago, I was completing my master’s degree in environmental science and policy, and preparing to embark on a multi-decade career in advocacy and public policy that would have required not only long hours during the workweek, but frequent travel and overtime. Unfortunately, my body had other plans. Slowly my experiences began to erode my fantasies, until finally my vision of a flourishing full-time career evaporated entirely. The slow toll of disability on work life and goals This didn’t happen suddenly or all at once. Instead, I gradually and incrementally began to pull back from applying for high-energy full-time jobs. As an alternative, I started opting for part-time jobs while completing freelance work on the side to supplement my modest income. I was lucky: I did eventually find a decent-paying, part-time position in the environmental field, in a municipal government that allowed me a flexible schedule and some telecommuting opportunities. If I was too sick to work one day, I could come in the next day or make it up another week. Since I only had to be in the office two days a week, I didn’t have to struggle to schedule and make my necessary medical appointments, either. I held this part-time position for several years before budget cuts contributed to my layoff. Since then it’s been more of a struggle for me, as well-paid, part-time positions are something of a unicorn in the working world in the United States. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, having a c...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Source Type: blogs