Just returned from a brain injury support group meeting.

The meeting was very helpful and productive. I had attended this same event over a year ago and was unable to handle the meeting and left early. Very early.

At my departure, one of the office staff had asked the time since the date of my injury. I gave her my answer and her cryptic response had been “it’s still too early.” I did not understand her remark and have puzzled over it ever since. Today I think I finally understand what she meant.

The other difference between the two periods of attendance lies in the fact that this visit was suggested to me by one of my doctors. She provided the address, and the meeting time, and suggested that I go. The prior visit was undertaken on my own initiative. I had somehow learned about this particular resource for persons with brain injury. I remember discussing my attendance with my doctor. She had been non-committal about the project. Today, I have this hunch that she understood my condition much better than I did at the time of the first visit.

The group was a very positive one. I was uncertain and unsure at the beginning, but by the end I was glad that I had followed through on the decision to attend. I had almost avoided going.

Occupational Concerns

One issue that came up was the question of suitable occupation. Many of the persons attending faced a problem similar to my own. Their injury had made it difficult, or impossible, to continue in their present line of work. They were now searching for work that appealed to their interests and offered additional income and personal development while remaining compatible with the limitations imposed by the injury.

I count myself to be very fortunate to have found a business run by a person with experience of brain injury. The onset of fatigue and headaches is a fact of life that we both understand. This makes it possible to adapt the work routine to our limitations. Unfortunately, this is not the case in most employment situations. I have worked as a recruiter and devising ways to adapt the organization to the needs of the individual is not the accepted practice. The approach is the opposite. The hiring decision frequently comes down to the issue of organizational “fit.” The person who constitutes an excellent fit will at times take precedence over a person with more experience, or better credentials, but worse fit. That is how the world works.

Organizational Solution

The solution to this problem lies in the creation of an organization expressly designed to accept and accommodate persons with brain injury. In this case the organization works to adapt itself to the needs of the individual rather than the other way around. I believe it possible to develop this form of adaptive organization. I have helped develop a variety of other organizations with vastly different needs; I see no reason not to build an organization targeted toward this specific need. There is also evidence that such a situation has positive rehabilitative benefit.

This started as a post unrelated to the Daffodil Network. It has since returned to that theme. One caution – I handed out some business cards at the support group. I just wish to advise that this website is public and if you intend to leave a comment you should use an alias to maintain anonymity. I do not wish to disclose any personal information due to the fact this may prejudice employment prospects and / or other social acceptance.

—————————————

This post is part of a series which seeks to describe the functions of the Daffodil Network. Other posts in this series are the following:

Daffodil Network – Introduction
Daffodil Network – Research Need
Daffodil Network – The Internet of Things
Daffodil Network – Shared Experience