Recently, I have had several kind friends and contacts send me job postings. I have also had one interesting comment on Poverty Advocacy Nanaimo’s social media that if I can do that work, I can get a job and stop draining the public purse by being on Provincial Disability. I think that people see what I do with PAN (which is entirely volunteer), and some know that I had spinal surgery last March, and think that I can work now.
I am not able to do a traditional job. My surgery was helpful, yes. Instead of being at an 8 or 9 out of 10 for pain, I sit at a 5 or 6. My mobility is improved. I sleep better.
BUT I still can’t sit at a desk. I still take a lot of medication. I have to pace myself and rest a great deal. While I am no longer housebound, I stick very close to home, and performing “normal” housekeeping and grocery duties wear me out.
I do work about ten hours a week as a virtual assistant for a moving company to supplement my meager provincial disability payments. Thankfully I can do that work from my couch with my laptop.
95% of what I do for PAN is done on my phone, via email and social media. Most meetings are phone and virtual. I schedule social media posts and design graphics in bed.
The beautiful thing about PAN is that if I have a bad day, I don’t have to show up. Emails will wait. Meetings can be rescheduled. My clients understand because a huge chunk of them are disabled too.
Anyways, just sending this out into the world with a plea to consider the people with invisible disabilities in your life.
Poverty Advocacy Nanaimo 