Five-Star Disability

Hey everyone!

In recent October I had learned that funding was available to support the Deaf-Blind community of Vancouver in terms of intervenor services!

I was employed by the agency to, well, survey the community. That I did with great results. And the funding was approved to go ahead.

Then, after my 30 hour contract was complete, I had to apply for the coordinator position. Which I welcomed. I did not want the be given the job on a silver plater, but I wanted to prove I could do it.

There were a few other people who applied, and one of those people did better at the interview than me.

Understand, I have no issues not getting the job! I actually told the interviewers that I was perfectly fine not getting the job. I just wanted services to be available!

I think I did pretty damn good in terms of cover letter, resume, and interview; not having done anything like that in several years, I haven’t applied for any job in a very long time, and not been interviewed since 2009! So I am proud that I did get Second Best.

The reason for this blog is to focus on the Second Best; I’ve applied for, at least, four jobs that focused in the Deaf-Blind sector, and all four jobs I lost out to friends, and in one job, a non-friend. (This non-friend would become my boss, who hired me to teach ASL to Deaf-Blind consumers, and my boss would eventually “fire” me because no one wanted to learn ASL from me.)

About the Best and Second Best, I need to inform you all positions were open for Deaf-Blind, and that is most important! There were no Deaf or Hearing people being recruited to fill these positions. Only Deaf-Blind people were Best and Second Best! If Deaf-Blind persons were not prioritized for the positions, the Best and Second Best would probably have been Twenty-First Best, while second best would have been maybe thirty-second best! Why do you think that? I think it is because, obviously, hearing people can assert themselves better, with better answers and better, or quicker replies, questions and understandings during an interview.

I feel that I was second best, not because of my vast experiences or focus for Deaf-Blind, but because I could not “think on my feet.” My ataxia is affecting my thinking processes, planning and quickness.

Now, don’t say: “You did great, there will be other opportunities, other job openings…”. While I do thank you for cheering me on, I repeat I am not upset that I did not get the job; remember the a-bomb I just dropped in the paragraph before? Ataxia? That. I have no idea how it will progress, will it mellow out, or will it be good day-bad day for a while, or will it drop like a rock from a tall building…. I simply don’t know.

The point being, unless there is another job that fits me like a wet t-shirt in a rainstorm, I won’t be applying for any jobs in the future.

I’ll find other ways to pay my bills, perhaps I should have a donation button on my blogs? Is that going too far? I can’t wait 99 years for the first $100…

Anyways!

A Big Congratulations to my good friend who was Best and got a 30 month contract to provide intervenor services for Deaf-Blind in Vancouver, BC! You, and you know who you are, deserve it!