In our Unreserved video series, we invite community members to ask honest questions about disability and receive honest answers in return. In a recent video, Jason Peterson, Operations Coordinator for the Community Employment Alliance, shared his experiences navigating work, relationships, and everyday life as a person with a disability as well as what person first means to him. His answers were insightful, funny, and deeply revealing thanks to his unique perspective.
What stands out most about Jason’s responses is how often they point back to a simple truth: people with disabilities want the same things as everyone else. Purpose. Independence. Connection. Respect. Yet assumptions, especially around work and capability, can quietly undermine those things.
“Oh, you work?”
When asked about a common question he wishes people would stop asking, Jason described a scenario many people with disabilities know all too well. He’ll casually mention getting off work or heading to a movie, only to be met with surprise: “Oh, you work?”
That reaction may seem harmless at first, but it carries a deeper message. In a society where work is closely tied to identity and success, expressing shock that someone with a disability has a job implies lowered expectations. It suggests that employment is an exception rather than a norm.
For employers, this is an important moment of reflection. Bias isn’t always loud or intentional. Sometimes it shows up as expressing surprise that someone is capable, productive, or ambitious. Challenging that reflex is a crucial step toward building truly inclusive workplaces.
Disability Isn’t a Personality Trait
Another theme Jason returned to throughout the conversation was the tendency to reduce people with disabilities to their disability alone. When asked about his favorite movie, book, or TV show featuring a character with a disability, his response was blunt:
Why should his preferences revolve around disability at all?
Jason’s favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. His favorite TV show is Game of Thrones (specifically seasons one through five). His favorite book is The Call of the Wild. None of these choices have anything to do with his cerebral palsy, and that’s exactly the point.
Person First: Language, Labels, and What Really Matters
When asked about terminology, disability versus differently abled or other phrases, Jason was clear: the language changes depending on context, culture, and environment, but the meaning is largely the same.
At its core, disability is simply a way of describing someone who interacts with the world differently than most people. While respectful language matters, Jason’s perspective reminds us that words alone don’t create inclusion, actions do. Respect shows up in access, opportunity, and the willingness to listen rather than assume.
What Jason Wishes People Could See
If Jason could have any superpower, it wouldn’t be mind control or super strength. It would be something much simpler. He would want the wheelchair to disappear from people’s minds when they first meet him.
Not physically disappear forever. Just disappear long enough for people to see him first.
Too often, disability enters the room before the person does. When that happens, assumptions rush in to fill the gaps about competence, independence, and potential. Inclusion begins when we pause long enough to let the individual define themselves.
Moving Forward, Together
Jason’s message is about dignity and belonging. People with disabilities aren’t asking to be put on a pedestal. They’re asking to be included, in workplaces, in conversations, and in communities, without surprise or skepticism.
At HireAbility Spokane, we believe that employment is a key pathway to independence and connection. Jason’s story reminds us that when we remove assumptions and invest in access, everyone benefits.
We invite you to learn more, ask questions, and join the conversation. Leave a comment on one of our YouTube videos to ask Jason a question for the next episode.