Job Hunting with a Cane

I had been working for a company about ten years when I received an interesting call from a head hunter. I was quite satisfied with my current job, but I always advised others who I managed to stay aware of opportunities, and I remained open, too. This job sounded as if it might be a good one, and I was willing to explore further.

The day of the interview, I was looking forward to the meeting and was ready to ask and answer questions and discuss the job. This would be fun. I met with two executives from the inviting company. We had a lively, animated discussion about the job details, my qualifications, work ethics, plans – all those interview topics. The job sounded challenging and the money sounded good; I would consider this one.

But wait. They had one more question. “What about the cane? Why do you carry a cane?”

It had not occurred to me the cane would even be an issue. I had been using it for several months now, and it did not interfere with my tasks at work.

I answered truthfully that I was having balance problems. No, the doctor did not find anything medically wrong, and he told me not to worry. Actually, it didn’t happen often anyway and I kept the cane with me "just in case." They were concerned about the cane, and maybe we weren’t such a good match after all.

That was fine. I liked my current job, so I returned, still quite satisfied.

A few years later, after more symptoms appeared, I was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). Well that explained my intermittent balance problem and my cane. I had my first glimpse of the mid-80’s job market for the disabled, a decade before ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) legislation and 15 years before my MS diagnosis.  But I was lucky, I had a job.