Multiple Disability Workplace

During my first semester at Seton Hall University, one of my professors told us we couldn’t use laptops in classes in order to avoid “distractions.” For some this was easy enough to do (for those who aren’t addicted to Facebook at least) but for me it was a completely different story. When I first arrived at Seton Hall I had the opportunity to sit down with the Director of our Disability Support Services to work into my courses “reasonable accommodations.” Many of these accommodations were due to my diagnosis of autism. I was granted accommodations such as extra time on tests, a private room to take tests, and a recorder to have all my classes taped.

One thing many don’t know about me though is that along with autism I have dysgraphia, a handwriting disorder. When I was young it would physically hurt to try to keep my hand still enough to write. So, when this issue came up I needed to address the fact that in addition to everything else I needed the computer as an accommodation in order to take notes.

I was thinking about this subject the other day while I was writing my signature on a form and it made me think about how a disability, such as autism, can be linked to so many other disabilities. Growing up I had issues with fine and gross motor skills, which could very well have been factors leading to my diagnosis of dysgraphia. This could also be linked today with how some of my emotional issues and sensory integration difficulties have led to anxiety when it comes to living everyday situations.

These challenges have made me question my future in the workplace. I feel as though as time has gone on, in every stage of my life, accommodations have been becoming a lot less detailed. Could this also be the case wherever I land a job next? It then made me wonder if a workplace would even be able to handle someone with multiple disabilities. More and more I’ve seen through internships that there has been training on acceptance and accommodation for individuals with disabilities but these discussions have always seemed very specific on each disability by itself … not multiple disabilities combined.

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