If society only knows one kind of story about disability, how does that create the misunderstandings, fears, and stereotypes that make our lives as disabled people difficult?
We addressed that question in October at our second annual storytelling event featuring stories from Disability Lead Members Ana Monga, Kenneth “Coach Ken” Jennings, Irma Gomez, and JP Price. The event was designed to share a variety of stories from our member base to diversify the kinds of stories we hear about disability. As we engage in more authentic storytelling about disability and disability in leadership, we can disrupt myths and stereotypes as well as build more inclusive communities rooted in connection. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Sharing stories about our experiences as disabled people is critical to creating workplaces that support us and our growth as professionals.
Here are some highlights from their stories.
Ana Monga
Disability Lead Member Ana Monga is an HR leader with 10+ years of experience leading programs across career development, DEI, and talent planning. She is currently an HR Manager at Google. Ana shared her story of living and working with hearing loss. She began telling her story by demonstrating how she experienced sound for the first 26 years of her life.
Ana detailed her experiences with doctors and in classrooms as a child, but it was not until she was an adult when conversations in the workplace changed how she engaged with her disability. One manager mentioned that he noticed her hearing loss, which she did not disclose, but that knowledge did not affect the kind of projects or assignments. “It didn’t cost my manager an extra dime to treat me with fairness and equity,” she said of her experience. Other experiences lead to her seeking help, getting hearing aids, and ultimately feeling safe enough to disclose her disability. Watch Ana’s story at 2:39.
Irma Gomez
“Te amo mucho para rendirme. I love you too much to give up.” - Irma Gomez’s mother
Disability Lead Member Irma Gomez is an ADA Compliance Programs Manager at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). Her background includes working with students with disabilities and advocating for accessibility in higher education. Irma shared a touching story of advocacy. She learned how to be an advocate from watching her mother when she became a wheelchair user at five years old.
Irma details how her mom instilled in her that her voice mattered and that she deserved to take up space. She recalls that her mother said, “Advocacy wasn’t just about fighting. It was about loving someone enough to believe in their future when others couldn’t see it.” Now, decades later, their roles have reversed in ways they could not imagine. Now, Irma takes on the role her mother performed for her as she translates her mother’s words and compels medical professionals to engage with her mother’s humanity. Watch Irma’s story at 11:36.
Kenneth Jennings
“I’m proud to say I’ve helped coach [Howard High School] over the years to five state quarterfinals and three state semifinals with the help of the coaches. I personally coached two high school all-Americans. Pretty good for somebody who can’t move their legs or arms.” – Kenneth Jennings
Disability Lead Member Kenneth “Coach Ken” Jennings is a founder and CEO of the Gridiron Alliance Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization in Illinois. He shares his experience of being injured in a high school football game in 1988, resulting in an injury that rendered him quadriplegic and paralyzed from the neck down. Coach Ken told a story of destiny, resilience, self-advocacy, and creating a new normal for himself. Despite the impact that a football game had on his life, he lives by the motto “I Am Blessed To Be Able”. Watch Coach Ken’s story at 25:27.
JP Price
Disability Lead Member Jennifer “JP” Price has a degree in social work and 20+ years of corporate and consulting experience. She is a career counselor to engineers, data analysts, and testers at EY. JP shares her childhood experiences moving around, having difficulty capturing thoughts and feelings, and coming to understand her experiences as “different.”
“As a woman of a certain age, now, I layer in those decades of hormonal-driven feelings, the lack of impulse control, and honestly, I just shrug. I just accept that I am different.” At 35, while managing a crisis at home and work, JP details how she came to understand that her difference was a disability. When she was diagnosed with ADHD, the research and acceptance of her neurocognitive differences helped her reframe her childhood and young adulthood. JP ends her story with some “life hacks.” Watch JP’s story at 37:04.
Watch the entire event on YouTube.