The 10 Work-Happiness Secrets Of People with Severe Developmental Disabilities

Is your workplace making you crazy? Do your co-workers get on your last nerve? There is no question that work can be a place that tests your patience by lifting you up, tearing you down or sometimes completely ignoring your contributions. It can be a place of passion and drive or a place of frustrated and burnt out clock-watchers. At Chesapeake Service Systems (CSS), hundreds of people with mental retardation and other severe disabilities have a refreshingly honest point of view about work and how attitudes on the job can greatly affect happiness and work satisfaction. We can all learn a lot from how they choose to see the world.

1. Be grateful that you have a job to go to every morning. 20.3 million people with severe disabilities are unemployed in this country. People with severe disabilities who are out of work often suffer mentally, physically, and developmentally digress. Those who have a job, come into work with big smiles on their faces. They want to come to work on the weekends, holidays and even during inclement weather because they know how it dramatically affects their lives for the better. Regardless of whom you are, having a job and a purpose in life is essential to self-esteem, independence, and overall well-being. It might be difficult to drag yourself out of bed on Monday morning, but without a job to go to; your quality of life would suffer immensely.

2. Every job (no matter how small it may appear) is important. Whether you have difficulty communicating, moving, hearing, seeing, or comprehending, every job for a person with a severe disability is important. To someone without a disability, putting a cable into a bag could seem monotonous and boring. It could appear to be just a very small part of a larger contractual obligation with an outside company, but to that one individual performing the task; it is their one chance to be like everyone else. When they are on the job, they are not a person with mental retardation; they are a co-worker and an essential part of a team with a goals and objectives. Status and titles have no meaning here because everyone is an essential part of the companies’ success.

3. Greet your co-workers with a kind word or smile when you pass them in the hallway or when they enter your workspace. In a world that is increasingly cut off from people and emotions, simple gestures that display kindness and openness are harder and harder to find. Walking onto our work floor is an instant mood-lifter. Everyone who visits is welcomed with open arms and greeted in a positive manner, regardless of who you are or how much money you make. Everyone wants to know how your day is going, to shake your hand and to tell you how excited they are to be on the job. Think of how differently your day would go if you treated your co-workers in that manner.

4. Look for ways to encourage your co-workers to perform better on the job and you will all reap the rewards. It is not uncommon to see people on the work floor assisting others with their daily tasks or giving an encouraging word. No one is viewed as competition or as someone to fear, but rather as people who are all in the same boat, trying to make the best of some very challenging situations. When someone accomplishes a personal or professional goal, their achievements are championed by all. There is a deeper understanding that when one person wins, everyone wins.

5. Take breaks and have fun, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Understand the value of balance in your life. Due to physical, mental, and emotional limitations, breaks throughout the day are mandatory for our clients. Because of the unique circumstances, becoming stressed and overwhelmed not only affects one person, but can quickly permeate the entire work force and wreak havoc for everyone. Knowing when to stop, to give your mind and body a break, is essential to maintaining a happy and healthy work environment for people with and without disabilities.

6. Take pride in what you do, regardless of the pay or recognition. We all want to be known for being the best at what we do. It’s human nature to crave recognition and monetary compensation for hard work and dedication. Many of the jobs here are assembly-line, labor intensive or entry level positions that most people would dread. However, every single person is proud of the work they do and they are eager to tell everyone they know about it. The work is not glamorous. It’s not all that creative or dynamic. Unfortunately it will probably never be seen as something deserving of high wages or praise, but it serves a very important function in our society. These are jobs that give incredible meaning and value to countless lives.

7. Life is too short to gossip, back-stab or criticize. People, who have the most compelling reasons to complain about difficult life circumstances, choose not to. Life is challenging for everyone. We all deal with the daily frustrations of having to work with people who are different from us. Some people communicate differently, some are slower or faster than us, and some don’t share our same enthusiasm, but we all are required to work together. Conflicts arise on the work floor here, but they never last long or become spiteful, catty, or mean. Being focused and grateful on the job leaves little time or energy for negative interactions with co-workers. Positive attitudes give-way to positive interactions.

8. Focus on what you have, instead of what you don’t have. It’s easy to get caught up in keeping up with the Jones’. In a society where it’s all about the nicest car, clothes, and house we miss out on enjoying what we have in the constant search for something bigger and better. Many of our clients with mental retardation, autism, and other severe disabilities have very little in life. Almost all cannot drive, don’t own a home, and many wear the same clothes year after year. However, that doesn’t change how happy and fulfilled they are in life. The one thing they want is to feel normal in the here and now. Working gives them that feeling and as long as they are provided with that opportunity, they feel like millionaires.

9. Enjoy the little things in life. Some of our clients get very small paychecks because they can only work a few days a week, but to them, it’s like winning the lottery. It’s not about the monetary value of the check, but the paycheck alone that gives them pride in themselves and what they do. Going to the mall and buying something with their own hard-earned money is an indescribable joy that most people take for granted. The next time you buy something for yourself, remember how hard you worked to get it. It will make your purchase even more rewarding.

10. Get excited about going to work. Even if it’s raining outside, you are stuck in traffic or are running late, you were hired because of your unique abilities and talents. You were specifically chosen because someone was impressed by what only you can bring to the table. Someone had faith in you and believed in you. Celebrate and enjoy that fact!

So many people with severe developmental disabilities are never even considered for employment. They are all too often perceived as not being useful to society, much less on the job. Imagine how it would feel knowing you have a lot to contribute to the world, but that no one will give you a chance. As a result you spend your entire life hoping that someone will come along who will see you for who you really are and give you an opportunity to shine.

People with mental retardation and other severe disabilities are elated to be at work. They are often the first to arrive and most days dread having to leave. Their work ethic is something beyond compare because they know how it feels to be isolated and segregated away from normal life. They appreciate the opportunities they are given and show their gratitude by excelling on the job.

Our motto is: “It’s not about the work they produce, but what the work produces in them.” That is true for all people in all work environments. In many ways your work defines who you are and brings to the surface your core values and character. It can make your life enjoyable or completely miserable. It’s all in how you choose look at it and how you choose to let it affect you. Take some time to see life from someone else’s perspective and learn the important lessons that they are trying to teach you. It is often in the most unexpected places where we find the greatest gifts.