Entering the Workforce as a Stroke Survivor
By Gracie Doran
After I had my stroke at age 10, I had to grow up in many ways different from my peers — from thinking differently about the way I got to class due to my physical disability to understanding that I needed to view my pathway through education from a whole new standpoint.
I suffered a hemorrhagic stroke from a cavernoma in my brain stem (a cavernoma is made up of abnormal clusters of blood vessels that form lesions). I had emergency brain surgery and was in a coma for three days. I woke up paralyzed and, after months of rehabilitation, I was able to relearn how to speak, eat and walk. But I’m still paralyzed on the right side of my body and left side of my face.
As a result, my parents let me know early on that my focus needed to be on my education. Due to my disability, there was a sector of career paths unavailable to me and my power was going to be my education, because my stroke did not affect my cognitive abilities.
After high school, I pursued a degree in social justice with a vision to start my career in disability advocacy. I have worked at many law firms and have been able to learn and continue to grow under the guidance of some fierce disability advocates and attorneys.
While I have had many great opportunities, I have faced certain career struggles as a survivor and a person with a disability. With my stroke resulting in physical disability, it felt like I had part of my power taken from me. Because of that, I focused a lot on keeping the remaining power I had close to me. I find this to be true of many survivors: That is one of the reasons asking for help or accommodation is so difficult. I struggle to get to the point where I will make that request.
What I have found the hardest about entering the workforce is knowing the accommodations I need, and feeling safe and secure enough in my work environment to ask for them. When I first entered the workforce I was so appreciative of being there and apprehensive of jeopardizing my new position that I would not prioritize myself and the accommodations I needed to be able to thrive in that environment. I started off as a temp worker to gain experience and, because of that, I didn’t always have enough time at my placement to learn what I needed in that position.
I’m now in a permanent position in an environment where I was onboarded and given access to accommodations to help me maximize my efficiency. To optimize the efficiency of the workforce in the future, especially with the increase in stroke in younger populations, we need to prioritize the creation of a transparent training process that includes the accommodations that the employer can provide. We also need to ensure that all survivors know they are in a safe environment to be able to request those accommodations.
Gracie Doran was named the American Stroke Association’s 2020 Outstanding Survivor Hero as part of the Stroke Hero Awards. Learn more about her story here.
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