HireAbility Spokane is committed to elevating the voices of people with disabilities and celebrating the perspectives they bring to our community and workplaces. In our featured video above, we hear from Jason Peterson, Operations Coordinator for the Community Employment Alliance, who shares what life with a disability actually looks like — beyond stereotypes, beyond assumptions, and far beyond the way disability is often portrayed in the media.
Jason’s honesty, humor, and storytelling offer important lessons for employers, coworkers, and anyone wanting to build a more inclusive community.
How Media Shapes (and Misshapes) Disability
Jason opens the conversation by addressing how disability is portrayed in movies, TV, and advertising. Too often, people with disabilities are portrayed as less than or as objects of pity. These portrayals don’t reflect real life — and they influence how people interact with disabled individuals in everyday situations, including in the workplace. Authentic representation matters. When we expand the stories we tell, we expand the opportunities we create.
We’ve All Been There: The Awkward Moments
At one point in the video, Jason recalls the “most ridiculous way someone avoided an awkward moment” with him — the kind of story that makes you laugh and cringe at the same time. Jason says he once drove his wheelchair five or six blocks out of the way to avoid going through a group of people and dealing with a potentially awkward situation.
What Society Gets Wrong — and How We Can Do Better
Jason calls out a major misconception: the idea that people with disabilities need to be “fixed.” Disability is not a flaw or a sign that something is missing — it’s a part of human diversity. What actually needs fixing are the systems, environments, and attitudes that create barriers to participation. Jason emphasizes that we’re all just human beings who want to experience life to the fullest. Whether it’s inaccessible workplaces, assumptions about capability, or a lack of representation in decision-making spaces, the solution begins with inclusion and redesign — not “repair.”
Rethinking Success and Self-Worth
Around the three-minute mark, Jason talks about the importance of defining success for yourself. For him, his disability doesn’t necessarily make him unique. He just has to approach things a little differently, but nearly everyone has to approach things differently and define success for themselves.Â
The Dream Gadget Every Wheelchair User Needs
Jason adds humor to the heavy topics by sharing the “dream gadget” he wishes existed for wheelchair users. He would love a van that is completely capable of autopilot driving. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about having adaptive equipment or relying on someone else to drive him around.Â
The best accessibility solutions often start with listening to the people who use them.
What Real Allyship Looks Like
At the five-minute mark, the conversation shifts to allyship. Jason explains that after years of experience, he feels like it will really depend on the motivations of the ally. He wants allies that are ready to help him achieve success, not trying to achieve it for him. There’s also an element of performative allyship that Jason wants to avoid. Â
Real allyship is:
- Asking what support someone needs instead of assuming
- Advocating when you notice barriers
- Making space — in conversations, opportunities, and leadership
- Being consistent, not just symbolic
Describing His Disability
Always one for humor, when Jason is asked about how he’d describe his disability, he turns to a joke. He says he wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but all his patients would have to be terminal first. This kind of humor is one of many things we love about Jason, but he also says that how he describes his disability will depend on the day and the audience.Â
Accessibility Fails — and How to Fix Them
We’ve all seen them: the ramp blocked by a sign, the “accessible” door that doesn’t actually open, the stalls that aren’t large enough for real mobility devices.
Jason’s examples are both funny and frustrating, but they highlight an important truth:
Accessibility is only meaningful when it’s functional.
If we want inclusive communities and workplaces, accessibility can’t be an afterthought — it must be part of the design.
Representation in Leadership Matters
Jason closes with a critical point: representation. People with disabilities need to be in leadership positions — not only to advocate for accessible systems, but because their perspectives strengthen organizations. Lived experience is expertise. When leadership reflects the diversity of the community, workplaces become more innovative, equitable, and resilient.
Join the Conversation
If you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask about life with a disability, let us know in the comments of one of our videos. We’ll have Jason answer it in the future.Â
If you’re an employer or job seeker interested in creating a more inclusive workplace, HireAbility Spokane is here to help.