Employment with Physical Limitations & Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities

Well, I’m an older lady with chronic health conditions looking for another job and a change of career. It’s hard for me to find another job because someone like me is always supposed to be stuck in a line of work that is physically demanding! I have back & leg problems (herniated discs, arthritic knees, swollen ankles, etc) and I can’t do any heavy lifting, kneeling, climbing, or standing for long periods of time.

It seems it’s very difficult to find desk jobs and/or remote work. Entry level jobs are a lost cause it seems today. There needs to be more inclusive hiring practices and more flexible work opportunities to ensure that people with disabilities and/or individuals with physical limitations have a fair chance at achieving economic independence and vocational success. I don’t think it’s fair that individuals in this situation, including myself, must settle for jobs that involve grueling manual labor while I continue to suffer from chronic pain daily.

Is it just me, or does it seem only certain people can have desk or remote jobs that require more intellectual skills and others are always shoved into lower paying, dead-end jobs that require you to break your back (or break a leg, an arm, a finger, or whatever)? That’s another topic for another day I guess. But, everyone isn’t cut out for “strong man” work and there really needs to be more entry level opportunities and/or accommodations for people with disabilities & limitations.

For the record, I was working as a caregiver at one point. But because of back and leg issues, I had to stop doing this type of work. On the other hand, I’m quite tech savvy and know plenty about particular apps and software used on certain operating systems and mobile devices. Everyone doesn’t have a big college degree or decades of experience, so there should be entry-level opportunities for people like me to get our feet wet in a brand new career path.

Physical limitations can also restrict access to proper transportation and workplace environments that won’t even consider accommodations for people with disabilities. This is a problem definitely for many job seekers here in the United States. So, as I continue my job search and cross my fingers for the best, I’m not going to give in to injuring myself any further for a dollar cause there are just certain activities I can’t and won’t do anymore. Sorry…..NOT sorry.

**Why the right to work still falls short for persons with disabilities**