fuonlyknew

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Welcome to Laura @ FUONLYKNEW, Lisa Toth!

• Where did you get the inspiration for your stories? 

The inspiration for my stories came directly from my lived experiences and the lived experiences of the people I work with. They came from the many hats I’ve worn in my career working to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live, work, and become thriving citizens within their communities. What I do, serving this community in this way is my life’s art and passion.

• In your book you create a small guide-like explanation on how an entity could create a path for someone with a disability to get a job, what inspired you to come up with this idea? 

Not everyone has access to or the opportunity to receive services from a vocational agency like Rise Staffing. This guide can serve as a blueprint for a family to help their loved one who lives with a disability find a job and build positive habits for the workforce, or for someone who has the same life art and passion as I do the steps for them to take in building a career in this field. This also came naturally for me to develop because I share stories behind the steps through different interviews on my Radio show and podcast, The Hidden Workforce. Breaking everything down and explaining how employers can be more inclusive is one of my specialties.

• Did you have a special place where you would write? 

I did most of my writing in a brown recliner in the living room of my beautiful home. I like to call my home “The Unicorn Resort” because just as a unicorn is a one-of-a-kind creature, my home is one-of-a-kind as well. It was everything my family and I dreamt it would be and more. I have worked hard my whole life in the field of serving people with different abilities— so to be able to sit in the space that came from decades of hard work from me and my family, as I’m putting the stories that shaped me and the people I work with to paper, it was a very special full-circle moment for me.

• Was there a story in your book that was difficult for you to write about? 

One story that was emotionally difficult for me to revisit and write about was about one of the patients I served early in my career, Violet. I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed tears when writing about her story and experiences. It was also my encounters and working with her that shaped the direct care worker I was then and the leader in this field that I grew to be. I also knew though difficult to share, people needed to read and know her story. Her story and many others like her’s happened and still happen to this day, so I believe it’s important to shed light on that to prevent the same mistakes from happening again in the present. The section about sexuality also comes to mind. This is unfortunately a very taboo topic in the world of people who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but it’s very important to discuss. I made sure to write this section respectfully while also maintaining integrity within the truth. I also had a certified professional who specializes in this field of focus, Judy Myers, contribute to this section as well.

• Do you have a favorite story in your book? 

That is always such a tough question. Every story is so special and important to me for different reasons and in different ways. My story isn’t a novel that explores someone else’s experiences and truths— they explore my experiences and truths as well as the world of people who live with disabilities’ experiences and truths, which although can be scary/vulnerable to bring forth, was also very liberating to share.

A part of my book, not so much a story but it means a lot to me, is the forward my dear friend and mentor for over three decades, John Depaula wrote for me. What he wrote highlights the dedication and passion we have for our work and a friendship that has lasted since the late 1980s. From the beginning of my journey to what my career is today has entailed tremendous amounts of hard work and relentless advocacy. John’s forward represents a special sentiment to me, and I’m honored he wrote it.

• What are the secrets of the hidden workforce? 

You’ll have to read it all to capture the whole truth of this answer. But the secrets unveil themselves as readers encounter people within the hidden workforce— to be clear, people who live with disabilities— and witness the stereotypes they break and the glass ceilings they shatter as they accomplish achievements some of us could only dream of accomplishing. They do it overcoming obstacles and barriers we could only imagine having to face on a daily basis which makes them even more remarkable than they already innately are.

If you don’t have the chance to meet people in this community in person, you are introduced to many in my book, which is a great place to start. This also further emphasizes that it’s ok to be different and do things differently than others. Sometimes, the way things are done differently is the better way. There are many secrets within the hidden workforce— the most important being our workforce of ready workers who live with different abilities— but there are many truths that come to the surface as we explore these secrets as well. We learn lessons like we don’t have to be afraid to interact with someone who lives with a different ability, we simply need respect and patience as we learn to communicate with each other. You don’t need a special tool or degree to help a person who lives with a disability at work or in the community, you just need to be willing to step up to the plate and advocate. It’s ok to ask questions when you don’t understand because it’s better to ask questions than to act on assumptions. The hidden workforce surrounds and affects all of us. My book discusses all of it and activates a greater conversation on how we can all be more inclusive.

• Do you have a next project in mind? 

Many exciting projects are in the works! My Staffing agency, Rise Staffing, is joining forces with my Radio Show and Podcast, The Hidden Workforce, to develop a not-for-profit vocational training program for our customers interested in the field of radio and reporting. We understand that many have technical and creative skills they would like to use to work in the field of radio and broadcasting or to start their own show or podcast, and we want to help provide training opportunities for them to accomplish this. We are also expanding our show and podcast to YouTube as well as employing more remote reporters who live with different abilities to share their stories, voices, and capabilities.

• What advice would you give someone new to the field you have served in for over three decades? 

First and foremost, you have to be in this field for the right reasons.

This is a job that happens in people’s homes, work, and personal spaces so it can become routine, familiar, and familial. Remember, in everything you are doing to stay professional and that you are there to provide a therapeutic training service that will help your client succeed throughout their life. You can’t be in this field for any self-indulging, self-serving ulterior motive— if this isn’t your passion or calling it will be a very difficult career to maintain. Sometimes, people choose a career in this field to feel good about themselves or to enjoy feeling appreciated, but a majority of the time you will be challenged in all you do to go above and beyond after you have already gone the extra mile for your client without any sort of acknowledgment or outcome. Pace yourself and set boundaries. There will be times you go the extra mile and then some for your client who won’t respond with appreciation for those extra efforts. It is very often that these experiences change the dynamic of this work for the vocational staff, and they leave the field with a bad experience. Do the work to teach the person how to do what they can, don’t do it for them, teach them and watch them grow and flourish. As much as I advise on boundaries and precautions to protect yourself— I also want to emphasize that when you’ve been in this field as long as I have, you will have your share of tribulations, but you will have just as many if not more wonderful experiences and victories. This is a field unlike any other. It’s special, and when you see what these incredible people can do and when their dream comes true, it is truly a feeling unlike any other! Don’t give up, you can do it.