Guest Blog: On the Path to an Accessible Workplace

Guest blogger Tom Hershey joins us to discuss his history of innovating, adapting, and improvising to create an accessible work environment for himself and others, and the job that put in the time and energy to anticipate his needs.

Everyone on this earth is different. But I have a disability – and that makes me really different when it comes to integrating myself into a work environment. I have a delightfully confounding combo of physical attributes that have defied diagnosis for 55+ years. I use a scooter, forearm canes and drive an SUV equipped with a ramp and hand controls. Coworkers, clients and the general public don’t quite know what to make of me until they get to know me better. My goal since starting work at 18 has always been to be the guy who does good work. The guy who supported me in that meeting. That jerk who cut my budget. Anything but the guy in the scooter…

Make no mistake – I embrace who I am and I support inclusion of every kind. I applaud and owe great gratitude to the activists who have worked tirelessly to level the playing field for people with disabilities. I have been blessed with the ability and the opportunity to work all of my adult life, and I try to give back to the community whenever I can.

I’m just not very skilled as an activist. If I can positively change a coworker’s view of what it means to be disabled and be considered an equal – I maybe have done my small part to promote inclusion.

But at the end of the day, I am different. I am that guy in the scooter that needs to get around.

I was educated and entered the workforce well before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was a reality. I have used loading dock ramps, ridden in freight elevators and entered through the kitchen (via an alley door) more times than I can count.

I am not a hero – that’s just the way it worked. In the 70’s and 80’s, if you wanted to go somewhere, or participate in an event, you always had to be ready to improvise. Before the ADA, you could either get to where you wanted to go, or you couldn’t. There was no basis for indignation, just as there was no law to guarantee your access. Whether going out to eat, going to school, or going to work – your access relied on luck, ingenuity and the cooperation of helpful people you encountered (and I have encountered thousands…)

Needless to say, times have changed. Schools, public buildings and offices are required to provide basic access and reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities.

I recently started a new job at Paramount Pictures – on a motion picture lot that was established in 1912. Forget about wheelchair-friendly access – in 1912, horse-drawn carts were still stylin’ transportation and “accessible” restrooms meant indoor plumbing.

I went in with shields up – not knowing what to expect. Was the first six months of my job going to be filled with inventing workarounds? Navigating back entrances, freight elevators and tunnels connecting one old basement to another?

Day 1 – I reported to orientation with a dozen more newbies. After a morning of presentations about not leaving your computer password on a post-it stuck to your computer screen (and other hot topics), it was time for a golf cart tour of the 45-acre Paramount Lot. I was glad my scooter was fully charged so that I would have a fighting chance to keep up…

But wait – our Orientation guide split us into three groups, and directed me and two others to a wheelchair accessible golf cart. Ramp down, roll up, ramp up – on our way. What kind of wizardry was this?

When I got to my office building, I passed workers installing a push button door opener. When I stopped by later in the day, they apologized for being behind schedule and assured me that another door opener was coming to the restroom on my floor the next week.

By week two, I had more door openers than I had ever seen in one place, a walking tour of every stair lift and elevator on the Lot, and a serious case of the warm-n-fuzzies. I felt truly welcomed. Time to focus on the work!

This proactive approach to accommodation was new to me, and frankly, took some getting used to. I have never felt entitled to anything in my jobsite other than fair judgement of my work. To have an employer anticipate my needs (some of which I might have never addressed myself) was a progressive sea change from anything I’d ever experienced.

I still don’t feel entitled – I’m too old to break my habit of trying to figure things out myself; of calling attention to what might make my life a little easier. But I am very grateful to benefit from the spirit of accommodation and inclusion that forward-thinking companies like Paramount are demonstrating to its employees.

Are we now living in a world in which I don’t have to think twice about accessibility when I’m going somewhere unfamiliar? Nope, not quite – given my history of challenges in getting around, I’ll never take access for granted. But the good news is that we’re on the path.

I’ll never be less “different” – but maybe it won’t matter as much…

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Tom was born with an undiagnosed physical disability and uses a scooter and canes to get around. A Navy brat, he grew up in Florida, attended undergraduate school in Massachusetts, and came to Los Angeles for graduate school in 1986. He has worked in the entertainment industry for nearly 30 years in production, post production and visual effects. He and his wife Kim Hudson-Hershey live in West Los Angeles with their two dogs, Hank and Carmine.

Read more from Tom and his wife Kim at https://www.loveonwheels.net/.