Finding Work After Spinal Cord Injury
Kessler's June 18 Conference, Life after Spinal Cord Injury, provided a forum on employment issues for almost 100 attendees.
June 23, 2010
WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Kessler Foundation, in association with Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, hosted another chapter of its Life after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) conference, entitled "Empowering People with SCI to Compete in Today's Workforce," on Friday. The conference series is a part of the public outreach from the Northern New Jersey SCI Model System.
"This consumer conference gives us the opportunity to show how the work we do benefits people with disabilities," said John DeLuca, Ph.D., Vice President for Research at Kessler Foundation Research Center. "Kessler Foundation does more than just research. We look at ways to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through employment. Not only is getting back to work important, but it's possible."
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, along with the Alan T. Brown Foundation, sponsored the event. The goal of the conference was to make people aware of available services and how individuals with SCI have successfully used them to find satisfying employment.
"Knowledge is power," said Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, Interim Director of the SCI Research Lab at Kessler Foundation. He is also the Director of Consumer Dissemination and Outreach for the Northern New Jersey SCI System. Determination is important too, said Dyson-Hudson. "Never take 'no' for an answer."
The first part of the conference featured a panel of six people with SCI, who discussed how they emotionally recovered from their injuries and overcame their fears to find employment.
Kevin Gibbs became paralyzed and lost an arm after a motorcycle accident. As a former electrician, Gibbs knew he had to find a different career. He enrolled in EmployMe!, an information technology training program at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). . Kessler Foundation Program Center, which funds organizations that promote training and employment for people with disabilities, sponsored NJIT's program.
"If you had a strong personality before [your accident], that has to carry over," said Gibbs. "No matter what injury, situation or problems you have, you can do anything you want to do. You may have to work harder, but you can do it. Give it a hundred percent."
Charles Fleischer was paralyzed as a result of injuries from a car accident. After his injury, he went back to school and earned his graduate degree in history. He later became an entrepreneur and opened his own nursing agency in an effort to provide proper care for people who need care at home.
"No matter where you are in your recovery or in employment, you can always do better," said Fleischer. "You can start trying things and see what works."
He also joined a public speaking group to learn how to be engaging while speaking to a large group of people. Fleischer is now a speaker at Kessler Foundation's ThinkFirst program, where he speaks to students, from kindergarteners to high school seniors, about the importance of avoiding disability by minimizing risky behaviors. .
Victor Calissi, Accessibility Coordinator for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, was the keynote speaker. Following his injury after a mountain biking accident, he found wheelchair sports to be a way of coping with his disability and became a Paralympic athlete. This love for sports led him back to school for a degree in sports management.
Calissi knew he wanted a career in sports where he could give back to people with disabilities. While it was difficult to find work, he volunteered at several organizations, helping people in wheelchairs participate in all sports. Sharing his expertise as a volunteer gave him the experience and exposure needed to find employment. He now manages accessibility for over 29,000 acres of parks and other recreational areas for NYC.
"My work allows me to give back," said Calissi. "I'm fulfilling my destiny."
Hannah Rudstam, Ph.D., Senior Extension Faculty for the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center and Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University, discussed the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and gave practical advice on reasonable workplace accommodations. William Ditto, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office on Disability, presented an update on healthcare, disability benefits and employment incentives.
Volunteers from AmeriCorps, sent by the Cerebral Palsy Center of Middlesex County, assisted with registration and served the guests. Aimee Gerber, an employee of AmeriCorps, has a physical disability and is in a wheelchair. Kessler Foundation recently gave a grant to Americorps to fund her position. As the AmeriCorps Enhancement Counselor, Gerber ensures that all members with disabilities get the accommodations they need to have a successful experience with Americorps.
"[The most rewarding parts] are seeing members graduate our program and seeing them move on to bigger and better things and knowing that I made a difference in their lives," said Gerber.
The Life after Spinal Cord Injury conference series is just one way that the Northern New Jersey SCI Model System reaches out to consumers with the latest information on living with SCI.
Model Systems are federally funded comprehensive networks that promote independent and collaborative research to improve the national standard of care for individuals with devastating injuries. Kessler Foundation Research Center is one of only 8 centers to have model systems for both spinal cord and brain injury. Northern New Jersey SCI Model System and Northern New Jersey TBI Model System are collaborative efforts with UMDNJ–University Hospital and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation strives to be a leader in rehabilitation research and grant making that
