In 1968, Bruce realized part of his dream. A university in another state accepted him. Four years later he would graduate with a BS degree in political science and history. He wanted to go to Graduate School but he could not score high enough on the GRE because he never received the proper foundation from elementary to secondary school. Even if he could have overcome this, he had another problem finding funding. Again the state agency that had denied him help in 1965 still refused to help.
With efforts to continue his education thwarted, Bruce entered the job market. This proved futile because most employers would shy away once they discovered that he might be a risk to them. Even if he were lucky enough to gain employment, he appeared to lose it once that employer found out about his possible risk factor.
These roadblocks to employment made Bruce realize that he might never be considered Normal. Instead, he would always be considered disabled, simply because he possessed a residual limitation called Epilepsy. He later discovered that this condition caused employers to look upon him as a liability to the workplace instead of an asset to them.
These problems may have been caused by the application itself. Originally, he had to declare his draft classification, which was 4F. Immediately all employers - state, federal, and private - asked why. He told the truth. He possessed a controlled seizure disorder. The word "controlled" fell on deaf ears and these prospective employers were never heard from. The word epilepsy apparently raised insurance fears on all employers, even with the advancements in treatment that have been made over the years.
Job applications became more of a problem after the draft was abolished. Employers now asked a barrage of pre-medical questions. An affirmative answer to any could spell death to your employment hopes. One such question was "Have you had or do you now have Epilepsy?" Again, Bruce told the truth even though he knew that he had automatically disqualified himself.
Disqualification because of this question was also true for federal employment. An instance of federal disqualification came in 1971. Bruce desired to enter the Diplomatic Corps. He was informed that he could not even test because of his condition. Another instance came in 1976 when he applied for the Armed Services on the advice of his Neurosurgeon. This ex- military man told him that there was now no reason why he could not enter the Armed Services.
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