Home » Health & Wellness » Disabilities » After Disability...What Now?

After Disability...What Now?

© Michelle Struik

Recently I received an e-mail from a reader asking the age old question. "What now? How can I feel useful?" This reader had developed a disability in early middle age and was at a loss as to what they could do with their life. Where were they going to find meaning? What points of reference would they use to judge their contribution to society?

No one person plans on becoming disabled. Sure, some of us might take out disability insurance in the event this situation arises, but what do we do after the disability appears out of left field to help us with our self esteem? The reality is that most of us feel in some way either consciously or sub-consciously that at times we are no longer contributing members of society. Whether or not this is true or not doesn't really matter, it's what we think in our mind that influences us. This can be a major blow to our self esteem!

I think most disabled persons who were born with disability would agree that to become disabled later in life is a more difficult adjustment. Those of us disabled later in life have memories of what it's like not to live with barriers. Those memories are stumbling blocks in themselves, constant reminders of what we can't do, rather than focusing on what we can do. Those of us disabled later in life just have to be more creative and learn that barriers can be overcome if we truly wish for an event in our lives to happen.

So what can we do that may provide us with a sense of worth? Since a lot of disability pension plans and services preclude us from working, volunteer work does fit the bill. In most cases (please check with your pension plan to make sure it will not jeopardize your income), volunteer work is permitted and might give you some insights into future possible employment opportunities you'd like to explore. Volunteer work can be as simple as working at a local library reading stories to young people or as challenging as serving on a board of directors for some national medical illness organization.

Another possibility is extending our education. Most universities have disabled student services where you can explore educational opportunities that might lead to possible future employment that will fit in with your disability. Sometimes re-educating ourselves combined with volunteer work within the field can open up opportunities that we might miss otherwise. It could lead to part time employment that pays better than your disability pensions.

The copyright of the article After Disability...What Now? in Disabilities is owned by . Permission to republish After Disability...What Now? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.