Four Women with Disabilities from History You May Have Overlooked&nbsp; Women with disabilities are powerful, complex, and accomplished people with valuable insights. Unfortunately, many famous women from history have had their disability identity erased from their legacy in the historical record. By highlighting women with disabilities from history, we honor these women&rsquo;s legacies and send a message to today&rsquo;s women with disabilities that they have the power to be tomorrow&rsquo;s leaders. 
With that in mind, here are four women with disabilities from history you may have overlooked:
&nbsp;
Harriet Tubman. Most famous for being a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who dedicated her life to assisting other enslaved people escape to freedom. She acquired <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/10/harriet-tubman-disability-democracy/">several disabilities</a> <a href="http://www.harriet-tubman.org/early-life/">as a direct result of her enslavement</a> and had frequent headaches, narcolepsy, and seizures throughout her life. More recently, <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/730157">academics are beginning to highlight</a> the role her disabilities played in her prominence as a freedom fighter.

Frida Kahlo.&nbsp;Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter whose work centered around themes of pain, self-image, and beauty. While most people know Frida Kahlo&rsquo;s imagery and bold self-portraits, her experience with chronic pain is consistently erased from accounts of her life. After a childhood experience with polio and a severe bus accident, Frida Kahlo often used a wheelchair and many times painted from her bed. Some <a href="https://newhistories.group.shef.ac.uk/disabled-impressionism-art-through-the-eyes-of-frida-kahlo/">critics believe</a> that it is this experience that makes her work so powerful.
&nbsp;
Fannie Lou Hamer. Born into a poor sharecropper family in rural Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer found her calling as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fannie-lou-hamers-dauntless-fight-for-black-americans-right-vote-180975610/">a voter&rsquo;s rights activist</a> when she was in her mid 40s. Hamer also had polio as a child, the effects of which were exacerbated by a later brutal altercation with police in a Mississippi jail. This experience <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676267/until-i-am-free-by-keisha-n-blain/">adds a new dimension</a> to Hamer&rsquo;s most famous quote, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sick and tired of being sick and tired.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
Kitty Cone. A fierce leader in the Independent Living Movement, Kitty Cone was a white lesbian disability rights activist and credited for being <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/obituaries/kitty-cone-overlooked.html">the &ldquo;organizational brains&rdquo; behind the Section 504</a> Sit-In protest in 1977. The sit-in is widely recognized as the longest non-violent occupation of a government building in United States history. In <a href="https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt1w1001mt&amp;brand=oac4&amp;doc.view=entire_text">her oral history of Section 504</a>, Cone notably states &ldquo;I am thankful for my disability. I feel like the constraints and the choices that it has given me have made me who I am. And, you know, I like who I am.&rdquo;

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Discover four women with disabilities from history who made significant contributions and left lasting legacies.

Four Historic Women with Disabilities

It can be an exciting experience for veterans to return to the civilian workforce. After their service, it&rsquo;s beneficial for the mind and body to stay active throughout the day. Employers should encourage their veteran employees to live healthily and take advantage of company resources to keep them safe while at work. Here are some tips that every veteran employee should know when returning to the workforce. 
<h2>Enroll in Employer-Provided Health Benefits</h2>
With physical and mental health a priority for veterans, there&rsquo;s a great opportunity to supplement existing <a href="https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/publications/hbco/hbco_va_other_insurance.asp#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20other%20forms,VA%20along%20with%20these%20plans." rel="noopener" target="_blank">VA benefits with employer health insurance</a>. This will provide coverage for health issues that are not related to military service. The VA PCP and the private PCP will communicate to ensure the health issue is being resolved and billed to the proper provider.
Another great health benefit is to take advantage of discounts at gyms or fitness facilities if offered by your employer. Sometimes these fitness discounts can also be applied to at-home gym equipment or health devices like fitness-tracking watches. Review your employee benefits manual to know which areas may be discounted and how to receive reimbursement if needed.
Most larger workplaces now offer EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs), which usually don&rsquo;t require enrollment but are still valuable assets to keep in mind. An EAP&rsquo;s purpose is to confidentially help employees through troubling situations in their personal lives, which can be a priceless resource for veterans. Talk with your human resources representative to find out how to contact the workplace&rsquo;s EAP group.
<h2>Avoiding Common Workplace Hazards</h2>
When veterans browse jobs within the civilian workforce, they&rsquo;re looking to apply the skills they developed during their service. Typically, veterans will leverage their experiences to land in fields like information technology, land trade, and labor-based jobs. These professions require skilled and determined workers but have a higher risk of exposure to hazardous materials such as PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls), PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), lead, and asbestos.
If any of these hazardous materials are on the property or involved in day-to-day operations, the workers must adhere to proper safety precautions to avoid long-term health issues. One of the more common hazardous materials veterans may encounter is asbestos. Avoiding asbestos in the workplace is especially important since <a href="https://www.mesothelioma.com/veterans/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">veterans were exposed to asbestos</a> during military service, which can lead to mesothelioma cancer. In order to prevent further exposure, veterans should be aware of asbestos involved in their civilian work and follow the proper procedures to preserve their health.
&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/75EhNqEqTxq4VmFU8YKc"> 
<h2>Follow On-The-Job Safety Protocols</h2>
Every workplace should have safety regulations in place to protect its workers, which vary depending on the job. Each year, <a href="https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/fastfacts.html" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">millions of people are injured at work</a> with slips and falls being the leading cause. With safety being of the utmost importance during military service, that same caution should be adhered to during the workday.
One of the most common ways workers are injured is by attempting to lift heavy objects without proper posture or assistance. To avoid injury when lifting heavy objects alone, first, make sure your path is clear and stretch your muscles. Next, firmly grab the object while keeping your back straight and your knees bent, then stand. This will ensure your knees are managing the weight of the object and not your back. Neglecting these steps or attempting to lift something too heavy by yourself can provoke serious back injury.
An easy way to avoid slips and falls is to wear non-slip work footwear. Whether it's shoes or boots, they&rsquo;ll have a better grip on wet and oily floors. They&rsquo;re made in a variety of styles and budget-friendly pairs are available in retail stores.
<h2>Maintain Good Physical and Mental Shape</h2>
While this may seem like common knowledge, it&rsquo;s easy for months to pass without strengthening your body&rsquo;s muscles and making them vulnerable to injury. Veterans were expected to stay physically fit and be mentally ready for anything during their service. That same mindset can be utilized in the civilian workforce to keep one's self physically in shape with a sharp mind.
By staying in good physical shape, you can reduce the risk of body strains at work, especially if the job is more sedentary like deskwork. A good routine to incorporate is exercising for two days, 30 minutes each day, followed by a rest day. The exercises can be as simple as lifting weights at home, walking or running on the treadmill, swimming, etc., as long as it's raising your heart rate.
Staying in good mental shape can be more challenging, especially for veterans, as there&rsquo;s no uniformed solution for mental health. Some common mental health exercises, known as mindfulness, can be meditating, organizing and overall asking yourself &ldquo;how am I doing?&rdquo;. With depression and <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">PTSD</a> (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) the most common mental health issues among veterans, regular visits with an experienced therapist or psychiatrist is recommended to keep all aspects of your life safe, including work.
<h2>Bring a Healthy Lunch and Hydrate Regularly</h2>
Another commonly overlooked but essential value to staying safe at work is eating a proper meal on your scheduled lunch break. Throughout the workday, your body is burning calories that it needs for physical exertion and mental focus. Eating fast food or skipping your lunch break entirely will have adverse effects on your body, as it's lacking the proper fuel for the second half of the day.
An easy routine to set yourself up for success is meal planning. Set some time aside a few times a week to plan your lunches for the next couple of days. It can be as simple as packaging dinner leftovers in tupperware or preparing some sandwiches and veggies in a ziploc bag. Either way, your lunch will be ready to grab in the morning when you head out the door.
For hydration, keep a water bottle with you on your desk or anywhere easily accessible at work. It&rsquo;s easy to get caught up in tasks and let hours pass by without hydrating, which is easily solved by setting a timer on a computer, phone or watch to drink water every 30 minutes. 
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Our workplaces are where we spend a large portion of our lives and should also encourage us to stay safe while on the shift. Keeping our veterans safe at work should be a priority for employers, along with assisting them wherever possible to live their healthiest lives. For more resources, check out our article on <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/how-to-support-veterans-in-the-workplace-gettin" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">How to Support Veterans in the Workplace</a>.

Veterans returning to the workforce: Tips for staying healthy, safe, and utilizing employer resources effectively.

5 Ways Veterans Can Remain Healthy on the Job | Getting Hired

5 Ways Veterans Can Remain Healthy on the Job

Part 1: Understanding Disability
Many employers do not know where to begin when it comes to creating disability-inclusive workplaces. In order to implement the most inclusive hiring practices, the best place to start, is fully understanding what a disability is, what the landscape is like, and some facts that might not be known.
Disability 101: Back to Basics
What is a disability? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),&nbsp;<a href="https://adata.org/faq/what-definition-disability-under-ada" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an individual with a disability is</a>&nbsp;defined &ldquo;as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.&rdquo; The ADA qualifies disability as a legal term, not a medical one, helping secure equal opportunities and civil rights for persons with disabilities.
You may not even realize that certain disabilities, limitations, or illnesses &nbsp;are actually disabilities that may need employer accommodation.
To help further this understanding, we&rsquo;ve provided some examples below &ndash; (this is NOT a full list, however, a full list can be found on the Job Accommodation Network&nbsp;<a href="https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a><a href="https://askjan.org/a-to-z.cfm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">.</a>)
AIDS/HIV
Allergies
Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease
Amputation
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig&rsquo;s Disease
Anxiety Disorders
Arthritis
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Auditory Processing Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Bladder Impairments
Brain Injuries
Cancer
Cerebral Palsy
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Pain
Cognitive Impairment (Intellectual)
Color Vision Deficiency (Color Blind)
Deafness or Hard of Hearing
Depression
Developmental Disabilities
Diabetes
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Glaucoma
Heart Conditions
Hearing Loss
Hepatitis
Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
Huntington&rsquo;s Disease
Kidney Diseases
Learning Disabilities
Lyme Disease
Liver Disease
Lupus
Mental Health Impairments
Migraine Headaches
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Muscular Dystrophy
Parkinson&rsquo;s Disease
Personality Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Pregnancy
Psychiatric Impairments
Quadriplegia
Sickle Cell Anemia
Skin Disorders
Sleep Disorders
Speech-Language Impairments
Spina Bifida
Spinal Cord Injuries
Stroke
Stuttering
Thyroid Disorders
Wheelchair Use
As you can see from the list we&rsquo;ve provided, along with most recent statistics,&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/media/releases/2018/p0816-disability.html" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">1 in 4 Americans have a disability</a>. While many disabilities are visible, such as blindness or low vision, paralysis, or other physical disabilities,&nbsp;more than 70 percent of disabilities are non-apparent, such as cancer, autism, diabetes, PTSD, or depression.&nbsp;Additionally, more than 80 percent of disabilities are acquired throughout an individual&rsquo;s lifetime.&nbsp;Examples include long-term injuries due to an accident, diagnosis of an illness, decreased vision, hearing, or mobility.
Disability &amp; Employment
The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is almost twice that of individuals without disabilities, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/odep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">7.7 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed</a>, compared to 3.7 percent of people without disabilities. This isn&rsquo;t only about education levels either &nbsp;&ndash; persons with disabilities who have attained at least a bachelor&rsquo;s degree are still three times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2018/labor-force-characteristics-of-people-with-a-disability/home.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">less likely to be employed</a>&nbsp;than those without a disability.
For an in-depth look at these topic areas,&nbsp;<a href="https://go.careercircle.com/candidate-experience-for-job-seekers-with-disabilities" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">download our eBook, &ldquo;Understanding the Candidate Experience for Job Seekers with Disabilities.&rdquo;</a>
For more resources and guidance on Understanding Disability, contact the CareerCircle team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.

Understand disability basics to create inclusive workplaces. Learn about Disability 101 and improve hiring practices.

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 1: Understanding Disability

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Staff Writer

141 Articles

Four Historic Women with Disabilities

5 Ways Veterans Can Remain Healthy on the Job

The Candidate Experience Blog Series Part 1: Understanding Disability

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