I’m hosting a disability carnival in a few weeks on disability and employment, so this article concerning the challenges facing attorneys with disabilities in landing jobs with big firms is timely. The article seems to be making the point that attorneys with visible disabilities have a much more difficult time getting jobs with firms than attorneys with invisible disabilities, but few attorneys with any type of disability are even applying for jobs with the big firms.

This observation is consistent with my own experiences and those of my colleagues. I can’t think of one attorney with a disability in my professional circle who works for a firm. I’ve never interviewed with a firm. Besides having almost zero interest in the majority of work that firms do (I’d rather be punched repeatedly in the face than do estate planning or complex business litigation), I have had the impression since law school that firms aren’t terribly accommodating to those of us with disabilities. I could be mistaken, but the culture of big firms seems to thrive on an atmosphere of buttoned-down homogeneity that doesn’t cope well with individual differences.

Of course, attorneys with disabilities who are interested in big-firm life should have the same opportunities to access those employment opportunities as anyone else. But I don’t think you’re going to see significant numbers of attorneys with disabilities in large firms until there’s a fundamental shift in hiring practices and work culture. Unfortunately, I think those changes will take a long time in coming.

Thanks to Blue for pointing me to this article.

For those of you wondering about the status of the pending complaint against me regarding my flagrant violations of my building’s no-visiting-pets rule, it would seem I dodged a bullet. The Board stayed the fine pending no further violations. I like to think their leniency was due in part to the exceedingly civil and reasonable letter I wrote to the Board in my own defense. I guess I did learn something in law school. If I’m ever charged with some white-collar crime, I’m confident I can gently persuade the judge to let me off with a fine and community service.

I’m beginning to give some serious thought to making a trip to this year’s Coachella Music Festival. The only thing that gives me pause is the ancillary costs. In addition to the cost of a concert pass for me and one person, there’s also airfare, lodging, and renting an accessible van to get to and from the concert site. It’s conceivable that a trip like this could total a couple grand. Yeesh. I need to start writing term papers for spoiled, affluent college students to pull in some quick cash for the vacation fund.

But then again, I think I’ve earned a brief holiday. The demonstration program that I help coordinate just signed up its first enrollee. Why not celebrate my professional accomplishments with a little rockin’ out?

My seating insert, which supports my upper body when I’m in my chair, hasn’t felt quite right the last couple days and today I figured out the cause. Somehow, a large tear developed in the foam in the upper portion and it isn’t quite conforming to my body as it should. It’s still usable, but I’m going to need to get this fixed soon. Complicating matters is the fact that the seating clinic which last worked on me closed its doors a few years ago, so I’ll have to try to get in as a new patient at one of the few other places that do customized seating. And it’s not like I have a spare, so here’s hoping the thing doesn’t disintegrate further before I can get seen.

I suppose things could be worse. At least it’s not me that’s falling apart.

I’m noticing that it is becoming more acceptable in the business world for men to go sans necktie. The custom of wearing a piece of cloth around one’s neck to signify formality probably has centuries-old roots, but it’s rather silly on the face of it, don’t you think? I frequently wear ties (something of a challenge when one has a tracheotomy) and I wouldn’t shed any tears if this particular fashion practice faded into oblivion. But I’m not a huge fan of jackets and blazers. They usually feel bulky and they don’t seem to fit me very well. Perhaps I need to find a gimp-friendly tailor.