Employment Barriers: Rocky Balboa Delivers a One-Two Punch

“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!”

 – Rocky Balboa

I apologize to any readers that are offended by boxing movies, but wisdom shows up in the strangest places sometimes! This quote, delivered by Sylvester Stallone in the recent movie “Rocky Balboa” had occupied my thoughts for the last few weeks. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, the words are spoken to someone who is blaming his own lack of career/vocational progress on someone else. As I watched this scene, I thought of many people with disabilities I have met who have allowed similar thinking to make them lose sight of their own power and influence, to relinquish control of their own lives and to stagnate in anger, defeat and victimization.

I know that, for some, those will be hard words to read, but I have encountered so many people with disabilities who have really lost belief in themselves and belief in their ability to influence their own destinies. In the face of disappointments and discouragement in their job search, they have resigned themselves to inaction. By way of explanation, they readily point fingers at “the system”, “employer attitudes”, “discrimination” – asserting that those external barriers are insurmountable and the sole reason for their own lack of employment and/or career advancement. (This phenomenon, by the way, is not unique to the disability arena. In a similar way, many other individuals are stopped in their tracks due to similarly-perceived employment barriers relating to age, socio-economics, prior convictions, language barriers, etc.)

While it is true that those barriers do exist, it is also true that they are not necessarily insurmountable. While those barriers are frequently cited as the reason for a person’s lack of success in the workforce, I would suggest that often the individual job seeker’s lack of education/training, lack of self-confidence, and/or lack of work ethic disqualified them from job competitions - quite apart from any disability-related considerations.

Yes, there are very real disability-related barriers out there. There are employers who are biased and misinformed. There is prejudice. There are companies that are reluctant to incur the cost of accommodations. There are employers who can’t see past an applicant’s disability. These are all very real and likely to be encountered by a job seeker with disabilities. Those barriers, however, do not exist in all companies and those attitudes are not carried by every employer. Even where they do exist, they can often readily be overcome by a job seeker whose confidence, ability, and passion for the job outshine any disability that they bring to the table.

“Pointing fingers” is an insidious mindset - a disempowering lie. It is a lie that comes with a high cost – a future of unemployment and underemployment. For people with disabilities who are or may be trapped in it, we need more services and resources that help them to discover and affirm their own power. We need to be Rockyesque in urging folks to “…know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth.” We need to help people develop the strength in themselves to take rejection in stride – to hold firm to their belief in themselves and their dreams.

In closing, there is one more quote from the movie that struck me. Against the odds, Rocky has been working towards the goal of getting his boxing license approved and getting back into the ring. He has done everything required, passed all the tests, yet he gets been turned down by the boxing commission – for their own subjective reasons. I couldn’t help but think of the many job seekers with disabilities who, similarly, go through all the prescribed steps to secure employment. They have become well-educated in their chosen careers, they have gained work experience through internships, and they have determined exactly what accommodations they need to be productive on their jobs. Yet, they are still turned down by employers who just don’t believe in them.

I have to admit that, having watched the movie  I relished the thought of gathering all such employers into an auditorium and having Rocky Balboa redeliver his message to the boxing commission: “…maybe you're doing your job but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? Cause if you're willing to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you want to get, who's got the right to stop you? I mean, maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do... and you're told ‘No’, even after you paid your dues? Who's got the right to tell you that? Who? Nobody!”

~ Rob McInnes

P.S. For inspiration and ideas on how to keep going in the face of challenges and disappointments, you might want to read my partner Denise's article on "How To Keep On Keepin' On"

© Rob McInnes, Diversity World, April, 2007 (If not used for commercial purposes, this article may be reproduced, all or in part, providing it is credited to "Rob McInnes, Diversity World - www.diversityworld.com". If included in a newsletter or other publication, we would appreciate receiving a copy.)

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Interview Skills - Mental Health Issues

Is anyone aware of DVDs that are geared specifically toward interview skills for people with mental health issues?

- Paula Gillis, Job Placement Services

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