My name is Steven Kyman and I’m a 23 year old recent graduate from Cleveland State University, graduating with a degree in Social Work. I have Cerebral Palsy, which is a disability that restricts my ability to perform physical activities such as walking independently, using my hands to dress myself or write for myself, going to the bathroom without assistance, etc. Every recent graduate is concerned about the job market these days because of the current economy, especially in Ohio. However, a job search for me is even more limited because of my disability. Fear of failure, like all of my peers, is something that I now have to deal with on a daily basis. This is a fairly unfamiliar feeling for me because, as I was growing up, school was a place where I could compete with my peers and succeed. I’ve always felt as though the playing field was level for me academically because, as long as I had someone to take notes for me and was provided with time accommodations for my tests because I need a proctor to write for me, I knew that I could succeed and be just like all of the other kids in my class. This allowed me to grow and learn in a friendly environment.
One of the reasons for this successful experience was because the Achievement Centers for Children helped me and my parents navigate adapting to the school environment when I was little. Through the technical assistance program, which went to my school and helped explain and educate the faculty and the students about my disability, the school system learned about what I would need in order to succeed in a regular education environment. This is where I started to build my knowledge of acceptable accommodations and began to learn how to advocate for myself and others. As I got older, the ACC provided me with the opportunity to go to Camp Cheerful, which is an overnight camp for people with disabilities. It might seem a little dramatic but this is where I first learned how to negotiate my own care independently. Before then I relied on my parents to express what my needs were wherever we were at the time. At overnight camp though, I didn’t have the luxury of relying on my parents to express what I needed, so I had to do it for myself. Those experiences helped me be able to eventually live on my own in a dorm at Wright State University and will help me when I have to advocate for adaptations to a perspective employer or to the Bureau for Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) which is a governmental organization that attempts to help people with disabilities find jobs. I am somewhat limited as to the kind of job that I can even interview for, since I cannot just take a job where you have to do perform any physical task. I do use an adapted computer and a computer program that allows me to type using my voice, which does permit me to do paperwork, email and any other research that might need to be done. Because of my physical limitations, I will have less to choose from in terms of available jobs but hopefully with the right job coach from BVR and training I will be able to find something in Social Work in one of the non-profit or government agencies in the Cleveland area.
Despite any physical limitations I have, I am still able to live a healthy and productive life because of various services and adaptations that I have received from a number of organizations, most importantly the ACC. My journey is far from over but the lessons I learned when I was a child at the Achievement Centers for Children and my experiences at Camp Cheerful has helped me learn how to negotiate the “real” world outside of camp and school. There aren’t many places that provide children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to do that. Throughout the next twelve weeks I will be sharing stories with you about my journey into the job search process, the challenges that people with disabilities face doing every day things, and the experiences I have in the “real” world. I know, however, that I am not the only one going through this process, so I welcome anyone reading this to comment and get a dialogue started about the challenges that the disabled community faces and overcomes each day.
24211 Center Ridge Road - Westlake, Ohio 44145 
15000 Cheerful Lane - Strongsville, Ohio 44136