What is the Worth of a Disabled Professional?
Guest blog by Sarah Dubinsky, Esq. What do you do for a living? That’s the first question asked at any networking event. It’s the second question potential in-laws ask after the pleasantry of “where did you two meet” has been resolved. Work status comes up on Facebook. Your friends of friends want to know. Heck, I want to know. Am I defined by my disability or my career? I used to work full-time as a lawyer, advocating for impoverished individuals with disabilities seeking public benefits. Due to a relapse of schizoaffective disorder last year, I became one of them. I didn’t earn a dollar for 14 months. In irony, my sympathy curdled into empathy. Every interaction with neighbors, former colleagues, people I met at weddings became a self-judgment. A simple “how are you?” internally turned into “what are you doing with your life?” Well, I was being sick. I couldn’t decide between shrugging off the question with a quick smile and a “fine” or ...