Here’s how the conversation starts:
“You are disabled, but you look just fine”. After I explain all the things I went through in Iraq, people seem puzzled. They say “I’m sorry, thank you for your service. This is a conversation that I’ve had multiple times, however, it never gets old. It’s an honor to explain to people that not all veterans injured in combat are missing limbs or have severe burns.
I was shot by a sniper in my left leg. The bullet shattered my femur and caused severe nerve damage in my left leg. I was hit by a 7.62 round, the bullet destroyed my leg, mental and physical health back in 2007. I had just turned 20 years old and as I lay there on the ground after being shot, I knew that moving forward in life wouldn’t be easy. I was left with severe muscle atrophy and painful scars from bone spurs on both of my feet.
Living with a disability can be challenging. When I was younger, people used to give me the side eye because I had a handicap placard. When I was still in the Army, the MP’s would ask to see my placard after parking in a handicap parking spot. There would be times when I’d push myself too hard in physical therapy to be “normal” so I wouldn’t have to go through things like that anymore. I ended up prolonging my physical therapy because I pushed myself too hard.
ADA law is something that we all know about, but we really don’t know what it is. When we get a new job, it is one of the many pamphlets we get and just toss aside because we are excited to have a new job. Years ago, I was working for Kodak in a warehouse that required us to stand 12 hours a day in steel toe boots. This was a temporary position I got through a temp agency called Adecco. I was in pain everyday at work, but I needed to work so I dealt with the pain.
I knew about ADA law, but I didn’t know how it applied to me. To make matters worse, I was too worried about being fired because I was a temp. I ended up leaving, but that was not the end of my challenges in the workplace as an employee with a disability.
I once worked for a Fortune 500 company in Kennesaw, Ga. We all had the same problem because of the accommodation we needed. I tried my best to explain the situation to my manager, but I got the same BS answer every time “I’m just following procedure”. I had experience in this, so I read up on ADA law to determine if my rights were being violated. Once I did my reading, I informed my coworkers about our rights. However, I noticed an issue…
“I’m not trying to lose my job” is the response that I received from literally everyone I talked to. The tables turned when I told them I was going to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) to stand up for myself and my coworkers. Suddenly nobody wanted to talk to me about the issue we were all having because they feared retaliation. To my surprise, I went to arbitration with my employer and got the desired result that I was looking for. The lady mediation the meeting said “David, you must stop saying “we”, you are the only one here. I ended up quitting that work environment and it was the best decision for both my mental and physical health: https://www.dkendrickjr.com/post/i-quit-my-job-to-save-my-mental-health
I’m no ADA expert, but I do know what it’s like to stand up for yourself as an individual with a disability. Sometimes I have to educate employers that my disability isn’t like other veterans they encountered. The physical/mental injuries associated with getting shot by a sniper aren’t the same as a veteran involved in a bomb blast (which is the typical vet you see on TV). Speaking up for yourself can be a daunting task, especially if you fear retaliation of any form. This is also why I named my company Lion Speaking Agency: because it takes the heart of a Lion to advocate for yourself and others.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness month. If you are looking for a speaker for October, or any other time of the year send me a message!!!
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