Growing up, none of us knew what direction life would take me. I fell behind compared to sighted and hearing individuals; in particular, in early primary and high school. The supports in place did not prepare me for the post-secondary or employment adventure. I left high school early due to mental and physical health woes that didn’t allow me to focus on my educational goals. Recovery took a few years before I dove into the journey of pursuing a college education working towards certification in administrative assistant/reception.
When I attended college between 2005-2008, I was lucky to take classes that were relatively easy due to the technology I was already familiar with and had a strong knowledge in keyboarding. The early exposure to computers in elementary school prepared me for completing the Applied Business Technology program. Barriers were present as a person with deafblindness despite poor support services within the college but it didn’t deter me one bit. I graduated successfully despite staff putting attitudinal barriers up but I broke them.
After graduation, the hardest part of my life was before me–job hunting. I attempted to tackle this task on my own for a year before approaching a non-profit organization that assisted individuals with disabilities secure employment. I was assigned a job coach that was responsible for finding employment according to my skills and knowledge. In the end, it was decided I consider finding volunteer work in order to get my “foot in the door”. In 2009, I started volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross where I thrived working the front desk and volunteer resources before I was officially hired in 2016 in a permanent part-time position. The hiring person saw potential and knew from previous observations how hard I work and knew I would be a perfect candidate to work within the team. My title and work plan has evolved since that time, but I have stayed with an organization that truly believed in diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities.
Self-employment was one of the biggest stepping stones while I was volunteering. After working as a professional pet- and house-sitter for over 15+ years, during the pandemic, my established entrepreneurship skills allowed me to switch gears and open a new opportunity doing consulting in a field I love to study and work in–emergency management. Here I am today showcasing, as a deafblind individual, no matter how long it takes to get where I am, I will NEVER give up on my goals and dreams.
Next? Maybe after I complete my Bachelor’s degree of Emergency / Security Management through the Justice Institute–pursue a law degree???? (I have been hinted by a few folks told me this was an career avenue I should have taken!)