Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbAZeaI8iH8 Starts at: 03:08:24 (jump to 03:08:24)
Kim Kozak - Disability Advocacy and Workplace Accommodations
[03:08:24] Kim Kozak [03:08:26] Kim Kozak to the stage [03:08:28] And the dog [03:08:29] Bring the dog too [03:08:30] I’m going to wander around the stage because I’m super wiggly [03:08:43] So, my name is Kim [03:08:46] This is my partner, Joe [03:08:48] We just finished like 15, 14, 16 something years together [03:08:51] I don’t know, I’m dyslexic [03:08:52] It’s very close [03:08:53] And we’re very happy [03:08:54] This is my dog, Rowdy [03:08:55] He’s actually not that rowdy [03:08:58] As long as you’re human [03:08:59] Sit down, boo [03:09:00] Lie down for me, please [03:09:02] Can you lie down, please? [03:09:04] So, he’s been on airplanes and in operating rooms together [03:09:07] And pursuant to current law [03:09:09] I trained him myself [03:09:10] So, anyhow [03:09:12] Raise your hand if you or somebody you know [03:09:15] Because it’s not necessarily us [03:09:17] Raise your hand if somebody that you know has a service dog [03:09:20] That’s been trained [03:09:23] Are any of these mobility service dogs? [03:09:24] Or emotional support dogs? [03:09:26] Yell it out [03:09:27] I can’t see [03:09:28] Emotional support [03:09:29] Emotional support [03:09:30] Anybody have a mobility one? [03:09:31] Good [03:09:32] That’s very cool [03:09:33] So, my psychiatrist believed that my dog was originally trained as a vet’s PTSD dog [03:09:38] Due to his comportment when I brought him in for service viability assessment [03:09:41] I thought I would share his story a little bit [03:09:43] Because we just had the 4th of July [03:09:45] And Joe can attest to the fact that he shit all over himself every time the big fireworks went off [03:09:50] So, if you don’t happen to need support whenever you should [03:09:53] Then I think a trained service dog might need to be a little bit retooled [03:09:57] But we got him through the 4th of July just fine [03:09:59] So, I want to thank you all for your presentations [03:10:02] You really motivated me to get up here and actually decide what I wanted to talk about [03:10:06] I’m extraordinarily unprepared [03:10:07] And that’s mainly because [03:10:09] Like some of my ADHD friends [03:10:11] I do some of my best work at the last minute [03:10:13] And so, can I get a round for attention deficit storage? [03:10:18] Yeah [03:10:19] Right? [03:10:20] So, has anyone seen the movie where there’s like bald aliens? [03:10:23] That drink a lot of milk? [03:10:25] I don’t know the name of it [03:10:26] But I know it’s out there [03:10:27] Because I’ve been made fun of before [03:10:29] Reformed [03:10:30] Been made fun of for [03:10:31] Because of it [03:10:32] But I carry around a liter or gallon of milk with me all the time [03:10:35] Because I’ve lost my swallow function [03:10:37] So, I’m one of the few people that have a rare biological disease [03:10:40] That has magnificent mental health implications [03:10:44] I took myself to the Psyche Yard for the first time in 2017 [03:10:47] Even though I was a six figure world traveling consultant [03:10:51] I knew that once you started to scream [03:10:52] And you needed to scream and laugh [03:10:54] You needed to go ahead and go to the Psyche Yard at that point in time [03:10:57] So, subsequently I’ve been through a roller coaster of ups and downs [03:11:00] Of misdiagnoses and correct diagnoses [03:11:02] And accept your diagnoses [03:11:03] And then I’ve settled into [03:11:05] I really don’t care what the acronyms are anymore [03:11:07] Anybody have too many acronyms? [03:11:09] Too many acronyms? [03:11:10] All that really matters is what your functional capacity deficit is [03:11:14] As is viewed by other people [03:11:16] So, I used to be an ADA consultant related to the disability law [03:11:21] And I did voc rehab [03:11:23] And it’s because I was bangin’ disabled and I was functional [03:11:26] So, I can help other people that were disabled too [03:11:29] But I didn’t know that I didn’t have the proper diagnoses [03:11:32] And living a long, long, long, long, long time with the wrong diagnoses [03:11:35] Anybody have problems with that? [03:11:37] Incorrect diagnoses? [03:11:39] Or wrong meds? [03:11:40] It’s kind of almost the same thing [03:11:41] The point is don’t give up, right? [03:11:43] Don’t give up [03:11:44] So, pursuant to that [03:11:46] I’ve always sort of been the resume person and the HR consultant [03:11:50] And, you know, give people jobs [03:11:51] But at the end of the day you have to be able to negotiate a reasonable accommodation [03:11:55] If you need some sort of an accommodation, right? [03:11:57] Do you know what you need? [03:11:58] No [03:11:59] Do I know what I need? [03:12:00] No [03:12:01] Does it matter what my acronyms are? [03:12:02] No [03:12:03] Because under HIPAA your employer doesn’t actually have to know your diagnoses [03:12:06] What they need to know is what are your functional capacity deficits [03:12:09] And what type of an accommodation might you need to do this job? [03:12:13] And that’s where we all sort of fall off into this world [03:12:16] We only talk over here with these doctors that use big old words like [03:12:20] I don’t know [03:12:21] Gynandromorphophiliac [03:12:22] And just other things that I don’t even know the definition for [03:12:26] So, but when you go to work [03:12:28] And you go and you put that resume in [03:12:30] And you made it through the interview [03:12:32] And you’re super anxious because my GAD is out of control [03:12:35] Here’s for some out of control GAD every now and then [03:12:38] It sort of helps you get along in life if you can acknowledge that you need to address it, right? [03:12:43] But you have to be able to tell them [03:12:45] And this is where I’m at right now in my life [03:12:47] So I was a professional [03:12:49] I cried, but it’s okay [03:12:51] I was a professional [03:12:52] I had neurosurgery [03:12:55] And to articulate what’s wrong with me is extraordinarily difficult [03:12:59] Because it’s not the same every day [03:13:02] And I know that you’re all going to be stuck [03:13:11] Anyhow, you’re all going to be stuck in the same boat as me [03:13:13] If you’re not currently working in an accommodated environment [03:13:16] And you happen to be in an accommodation [03:13:18] Most of you probably don’t [03:13:20] Everybody I’ve seen up here, I’d love to work right next to you [03:13:22] Just be your authentic self right alongside me [03:13:24] And we figure out how to make the world a better place [03:13:26] But until then [03:13:28] Until then [03:13:30] While you go about trying to be your authentic self [03:13:32] I just want to encourage you all [03:13:34] Because your HR department and your managers don’t speak medical jargon [03:13:38] And they don’t care what your acronyms are [03:13:40] What they want to know is when you are triggered [03:13:42] Whether it’s a biological trigger [03:13:44] They can see that old people can’t do certain things because they’re old [03:13:46] And feeble [03:13:48] But they can’t see it in you and in me [03:13:50] Because we look strong and healthy and with it [03:13:52] And fine and not triggered [03:13:54] So you need to know when you’re triggered [03:13:56] You need to be able to say, I’m triggered [03:13:58] And you need to be able to say [03:14:00] I need to now have my accommodation due to my trigger [03:14:02] And the people around you just need to know what that accommodation is [03:14:04] And that’s it [03:14:06] It’s usually just to step away for about five minutes [03:14:08] Compose yourself and come back to work, right? [03:14:10] So that’s not too hard to talk about [03:14:12] And so all you have to do is get a letter from your doctor [03:14:14] That says this person has an illness [03:14:16] Period [03:14:18] Maybe they might want mental or physical [03:14:20] It doesn’t really matter, an illness [03:14:22] That qualifies for accommodation under the ADA [03:14:24] They are triggered by [03:14:26] List three things, even if you only have two [03:14:28] Because three is a nice good number [03:14:30] And these are the types of accommodations that [03:14:32] That person could have in the work environment [03:14:34] Potentially that would work [03:14:36] Which is usually a five minute timeout [03:14:38] And then you could even say something like [03:14:40] If I take too many, you can dock me an hour [03:14:42] At the end of the week [03:14:44] Which is fair, but I probably will only take two a week [03:14:46] For five minutes, is that reasonable? [03:14:48] So until you can articulate your functional capacity deficits [03:14:50] In terms of HR [03:14:52] You’re still going to hit the mental health wall [03:14:54] And I hate it [03:14:56] Because it doesn’t matter what your acronyms are [03:14:58] As long as you’re living your authentic self [03:15:00] And you’re living healthy for your biology [03:15:02] And your mental health [03:15:04] What does it matter? [03:15:06] You do what your therapist says and you take your meds [03:15:08] And so I just want to encourage you all [03:15:10] Because being stuck in the time in between jobs [03:15:12] Is difficult for everyone [03:15:14] And sometimes we have to change careers [03:15:16] Because we can no longer do what we did before [03:15:18] So those of you who stuck it out [03:15:20] Our police officer who stuck it out [03:15:22] We need folks like that [03:15:24] And it doesn’t matter if it’s customer service, retail [03:15:26] If it’s Marshalls Ross [03:15:28] Or if it’s like something in the Biden administration [03:15:30] That’s going to help folks recover from COVID [03:15:32] We need people to stick out their jobs [03:15:34] Our neighbors and what not [03:15:36] So anyhow [03:15:38] I just wanted to maybe take a moment to [03:15:40] Encourage you from the perspective [03:15:42] Of where I’m trying to encourage myself [03:15:44] And let you know that [03:15:46] If you want to help with your resume [03:15:48] I may not get to it very soon [03:15:50] But just see me after [03:15:52] I’ll give you some feedback