I took History of disability before starting any major core
classes in the school counseling program. It was a real eye opener to me to
gain knowledge on how disability was viewed, even as far back as before the renaissance.
It was also interesting to see how far we have come in society and how far we
still need to come to have equality among those with disabilities, ethnicity,
and gay and lesbians. Chapter four was easy for me to relate to because I
already had background knowledge on disability not only in the work force but
also in regards to schooling
I would also
like to agree with Julia on the fact that I am not sure that women need to be
classified into the same grouping of people with special needs as with Gay and
Lesbians. But I believe Brown is trying to get the point across that along with
those with special needs and mental illness’s, women and gay and lesbians are
at a disadvantage when it comes to the work force. That is, they both have gone
through some of the same struggles and triumphs to gain equality for them, and
show they are not any less capable of becoming successful or improving society.
There are a
significant number of people in the workforce that have disabilities. “ According to the current populations survey,
about 10.5 percent of the total US population or 17 million people between the ages
of 16-64 have disabilities”, ( Brown 2012, p.118). That is right at the point
where one starts their career adventure and on the verge of the end of their
career journey looking to retire soon. This also does not even include those
that are working that do not even know that they have disabilities. I like the
example of Charlene, she made it to graduate school, being on honor roll and
then developed a bipolar disorder. This illness is something that she couldn’t have
seen coming. I can imagine that there are many other individuals out there like
Charlene that either have some form of mental disorder but just don’t realize
it. Charlene isn’t any less capable of succeeding in a career, she just needs
to change and adjust her path because of her bipolar. Understanding her
triggers that set of her moods is important and once she is able to gain
control over her illness she could be back on the path to achieving her masters
degree and go on to be a great leader her career of choice.
Career counselors
have the ability to improve and help those with disabilities and other group
classified earlier in the chapter or they can hinder someone’s success in the
workforce. Understanding each group’s needs and abilities is important and
helping them realize that they are capable of great things is of equal importance.
Brown, D. (2012). Career
Information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New
York
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