So you think you've got it tough?

by Greg Miller (edited by Kent Walker)

In these difficult economic times, I hear stories every day about people losing their jobs. Professionals from all walks of life have had their lives put on hold. They grow increasingly anxious about what awaits them in the future. As much as I sympathize with their situations, I want to call attention to the fact that the disabled community has been largely ignored in terms of how they are being affected by this recession.

Imagine, just for a moment, being in a long line at a job fair. You are dressed basically the same as everyone else. And for the most part, you are as qualified as everyone else. Yet there are only five positions available for an applicant pool of hundreds. Now imagine that there is something that sets you apart from all other applicants: you have Tourette's syndrome.

As you wait in line for your turn to speak with an employer, the symptoms of Tourette's begin to take you over, and there is nothing you can do about it. Perhaps it's a facial tic, an obscene gesture, or an outburst of offensive language. Whatever it is, you instantly notice that everyone is staring at you. You are embarrassed beyond words.

The moment eventually passes, though not without a steady flow of whispers, chuckles, and finger-pointing. You try to compose yourself once again.

Now, it is your turn to speak with the employer. But as you take your seat, an uncontrollable urge takes over again. As the muscles in your face contort you simultaneously blurt out a stream of random obscenities. The interviewer recoils with confusion and disgust. In a single instant, your chances of getting a job have just evaporated.

This scenario played itself out, over and over again, in the lives of the subjects of a 2007 documentary called Tourette's on the Job (Cicada). This film takes a sober look at the cold realities that confront the victims of Tourette's every day. But it also chronicles the eventual success that came to these individuals after lifetimes of struggle and rejection.

While the overall message of this film can provide hope for the disabled, especially those who are capable of employment, it nevertheless reminds me how difficult times are for the disabled in this current recession. After all, Tourette's on the Job was made in 2007, just as the recession was getting underway. So the negative effects on the disabled community had not yet come to pass. What worries me, then, is the likelihood that so many opportunites to repeat the successes in this film have been lost.


Watch Tourettes on the Job [Part 1] in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


Watch Tourettes on the Job [Part 2] in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com