Stawski: Follow Your Dreams and There Is No One Way to Make Employment Successful

In October we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month by spotlighting people with disabilities who are out in the workforce.

Robyn Stawski is a Membership Experience Advisor at the New Tampa YMCA

Robyn Stawski was raised in Orlando and now lives in Tampa, where she works at the YMCA. She began as a volunteer but now works full-time with members, ensuring they are satisfied with their services.

When she is not working, Robyn enjoys ministry, as faith is a big part of her life. She also enjoys traveling, adaptive sports, continuing her education, giving back to the community, and spending time with friends and family.

Employer: New Tampa YMCA

Current Position: Membership Experience Advisor

Duties & Responsibilities: I'd like to say that I tried to make the YMCA the happiest place on earth, and one of my biggest things is making members' days. I facilitate communication, registration, and membership sales. I promote programs and activities as well as overall family engagement, getting them involved, and ensuring membership satisfaction is at the forefront of my job.

Years on the job: 19

What is the best advice or encouragement you’d give to a fellow self-advocate about accessing or keeping employment? I would say it is to follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Where there is a will, there is a way. There's no right way of getting something done, whether it is to pursue higher education or to get that job that you want. Also, know there is a job out there for everybody. You may have to find it or have help finding it but be transparent and be honest with people.

What advice would you give employers about hiring a person with a disability? Having a person with a disability brings diversity to the workplace. People are people first, and disabilities are secondary. I think just having the right mindset and knowing that there's something in your organization or in your workplace for everybody and that everybody can contribute to and become an equal and productive member of society is important. As we grow, as the employer grows, and as the organization grows, it helps them better relate to everybody as a community. We can all learn from one another.

In your opinion, how does employing a person with a disability help their quality of life? It allows them to be a productive member of society. It also gives me a sense of equality with other employees, even when society tries to make me feel less. I walk in with purpose and walk out with satisfaction that I fulfilled my duties.

What’s the most important employment-related challenge you face as a person with a disability? The most challenging employment-related experience I've encountered has to do with people making assumptions. People often think that, although I have a disability that does not affect me cognitively, I still have limited ability to adhere to my job duties and job descriptions. I often feel like I get the short end of the stick. This is why I decided to go through the mentorship program and do courses through the YMCA, because I felt like I needed to prove myself by advancing my professional education. In the meantime, while proving myself to others gave me a greater opportunity to work full time, I also realized that the hardships I was facing were just mindsets that needed to be broken.

Which agency (VR, APD, CIL, etc.) was the most helpful to you in accessing and maintaining employment? I found my own job, but I would say Vocational Rehabilitation has helped significantly by getting me an office chair that locks, so it does not move every time I try to sit down. They have helped with paying for continuing education classes. They have paid for orthotics for me many times that enable me to keep going at the pace that I'm going. When I worked with kids, they paid for an alternate wheelchair so that I could get to every place in the building and outside.

How should we be advocating for better employment opportunities and practices in Florida? In the state of Florida, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is pretty high. I think as advocates, it is our duty to change that. In the state of Florida, we have many programs, such as the Working People with Disabilities program. We also have the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). We never know when the unpredictable could happen. There are unpredictable things such as surgeries, procedures, and doctors’ appointments. The FMLA program allows you not to be penalized for taking that time off for your disability needs. I also think disability education in the workplace is big.

Florida Self-Advocacy Central would like to thank Robyn for her time and thoughtful answers.