United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I am a scuba diver with erbs, I have driven a semi with erbs for over 20 yrs with erbs till I tour my rotor cuff in my good arm at work, I also have a handicap discrimiation case going to a hear , I have been threw so much with erbs from experance . It would be such a loss to all here if people didnt ask me qesuation I can help alot. Tom

Tom,
Can you tell us a little about your discrimination case your going through? Im concerned about my child when he gets old enough to work and what all hell have to go through with. if you dont get a college education there aint much out there to chose from unless you do manual labor and we all know how hard that will be with a paralyzed armand hand and the good arm doing all the work for so many years. alot of companies just aint for handicapped people, I know where I work, theres nothing for them to do, and its a shame, because you need such jobs for insurance and stuff. Most part itme jobs and such dont have that. Especially if you live in a small town. And sometimes if you go to college, its still hard to get a job...so much to worry about.

I did get turned down for the air force when I was 18. But I have never gotten turned down for any job that I applied for because of my arm.
Of course I have never asked for any special accomodations either. With the job I have now, I am going to able to work at home a couple days a week. I told my boss the long hours and driving were making me tired and in pain a lot of the time. he was very understanding--he is a Dr. and i think he understands--at least a little.

I was discriminated against two summers ago, a local grocery store was hiring for cashiers and baggers so I applied, I got an interview and the guy told me that he didnt think I could do it because of my arm. I should have fought it but it is not worth my time and energy. So that summer I just volunteered at head start and played with little kids.
Amy 18 ROBPI from MN

When I was 16, I got a job as a bed maker in a nursing home. They didn't think I could be a nurse's aide because of my arm. One day the owner of the home--who was a little lady in her 60's--told me that I would become a nurses aise. she didn't see why my arm should stop me. I got my cerification that year and went on to become a nurse. i worked for many years until my arms gave out. I still work with computers , putting healthcare clinic in businesses, but I don't think I would have had the confidence to try if that one lady hadn't encouraged me. She used to bounce a quarter off the drawsheet. If it didn't bounce, she ripped the bed apart and made me do it over. I think nursing had a lot to do with the shape my arms are in now. But I'm 52--what a boring life it owuld have been if I hadn't tried and worked to my max potential
Pat

I loved your input Pat!

My daughter has not had any chances to be really discriminated against in any job yet but I thought I'd share another story.

When Brittney was trying out instruments for the middle school band, she made it very clear to me that she did not want me to tell her new band instructor about her injury. She wanted to just go in there and try and prove to them that she could do it. I think now, looking back, that she was scared he would have stopped her from trying - assuming that she couldn't handle it like the others. She ended up playing the clarinet, and the band instructor constantly told her to keep her elbow down (which she can't do and play at the same time) - but she refused to tell him about her injury... I got a call from her private lesson teacher one day saying that the band instructor was concerned that because of the way Brittney held her arm to play that she could never keep up as the music got harder. I told Britt about this phone call and I think that it gave her more determination! I again talked to her private lesson teacher and explained her injury and told her that Brittney said that she can keep up and I think she can... Well Brittney went from 14th chair, up to first chair, on to the Honors Band, and is now 2nd chair in the 8th grade Honors band - way ahead of the other 20 clarinet players. I think that she thought it was best to prove herself capable first without drawing attention to her injury - and that definitely worked for her. They all could see that she could do it - and the focus was not on her injury but on her abilities. Her band instructor realized eventually that Brittney had an injured arm and shoulder and he is very understanding and is one of Britt's favorite teachers.

Brittney has talked about possibly becoming a lifeguard when she is 16 - and I know (I was a lifeguard for many years) that the training can be very physical and I wonder and hope that they will acknowledge her abilities to get the job done her way because she is a good/strong swimmer. Sorry I rambled - I'm just throwing thoughts out there.
Christy

How about this discrimation, Ill work backwords How would you like to have a job you you work for 10 yrs with erbs, Then became 50 and then let go of because the owner stated in writing that he didnt think I would have the energy to do my job any more, OR Was that because I became 50 or of my ERBS! Then He offerd me a job ware I would have to turn 500 lbs drums , Maybe now you need to get a copy of my case look at as inspeation or determiation of one person trying to expand our right by standing up. Tom

I went to physiotherapy school without telling them that I had Erb's. The teachers saw it day one, (no kidding, they were all PT's). It didn't stop me, a few things were harder to do or I had to try doing it the "alternate" way. No problems. Now I am in Nursing School and this time had to tell them (as I have another issue going on with neurological problem) and they didn't care, about either problem. They figure since I passed the physical and think I can do it, why should they doubt me. So here I am at the end os semester 1 and LOVING it. Yes things are a little harder, people do look at me funny sometimes but no real problems!
Marieke