Challenges of People with Spina Bifida and Spinal Cord Injuries

Question: Discuss about theChallenges of People with Spina Bifida and Spinal Cord Injuries. Answer: Introduction People with disability (PWD) face challenges as far as the job market and economy is concerned. Currently, they have a very limited prospects of getting employed compared to other people who are non-disabled (Derose, 2014). Most organizations employ disabled people just to satisfy the part of the law that requires them to do so due to the fear of being branded negatively. This study will help to highlight the challenges that people who suffer from spina bifida and brain or spinal cord injury face in the job market. Spina bifida is a permanent birth defect where the spinal cord juts out of the spine. It is a type of the neural tube defect in which a part of the neural tube does not develop fully hence leading to complications in the spinal cord as well as the spinal bones that are also known as the vertebrae. Spina bifida exposes the spinal cord and other nerves hence making them vulnerable to adverse damages and other possible infections. These infections are the main reason for medical problems that are associated with individuals that suffer this defect (FoN, 2017). There are several types of spina bifida that comprise of myelomeningocele, meningocele, and spina bifida occulta (CareersPortal, 2017). Myelomeningocele is where the infants spinal cord remains open although along the back vertebrae. The opening allows the spinal cord and its surrounding protective membrane to protrude and forms a sac on the infants back. Myelomeningocele is the most severe type of spina bifida. Meningocele is a type of spina bifida where the protective membrane of the spinal cord pushes out through the spine. The spinal cord develops normally hence a surgery can be used to eliminate the protruding membranes without affecting the nerves. Finally, spina bifida occulta is one of the most common and minor types compare to the above. It is where one or more vertebrae of the baby do not develop properly leaving a very small gap in the spine. This type of birth defect does not cause any problems hence most people may not even realize that they have it (CareersPortal, 2017) . Injuries to the central nervous system normally lead to brain injuries or injuries on the spinal cord. People who suffer from a traumatic brain injury can also sustain spinal cord injuries. In the United States, about 12,000 spinal cord injuries are reported each year (Burns OConnell, 2013). These injuries are categorized into four types namely; incomplete tetraplegia, complete tetraplegia, incomplete paraplegia and complete paraplegia. People with tetraplegia are considered to have suffered injuries to one of the existing eight cervical spinal cord segments. Those with paraplegia have wounds or injuries in the lumbar, sacral or thoracic regions of their spinal cord (Stone, 2015). Spinal cord injuries are as a result of a sudden traumatic blow on the spine that causes a fracture, dislocation, crushing or compression of one or more vertebrae on the back. It can also be caused by a wound that penetrates into the spinal cord. Other complications that cause spinal cord injury include swelling, inflammation, bleeding and fluid accumulation around the spinal cord (Burns et al, 2013). Findings People with spina bifida face a lot of challenges and limitations in their workplace. However, since each individual finds the urge to fend for themselves and their families, these individuals ought to be encouraged to follow their vision and dreams to become who they aspire to be. The best job duties for people who suffer from this birth defect include clerical positions, administrative office assistants, secretaries, and receptionists. These duties do not demand a lot of movements and an individual can execute his or her duties at the comfort of their seats (Best, 2012). According to Dufton (2017), people with spina bifida tend to forget easily compared to non-disabled individuals. This problem often contributes to poor performance in their fields hence leading to stress and even can contribute to job quitting. Fortunately, this problem can be easily avoided by the affected individuals since they can note down their instructions so as to work on them in a certain specific order. Employers can also assist these individuals by giving them instructions on a written format so as limit the instances of forgetfulness (Dufton, 2017). Additionally, people who have these defects often look down upon themselves due to adverse mistakes they make in their workplace. These mistakes may be as a result of fatigue, stress or any other mobility limitation (NHS, 2017). If this stress is unchecked, the affected individual may end up losing interest in their duty due to demoralization. To avoid this, employers should give some lighter duties to the disabled individuals as well as giving room for a certain free time specifically meant for rest. Moreover, allowing the people with disability time to visit a counselor once or twice a month helps to build their self-esteem hence giving them the ability to forgive themselves when they make mistakes instead of beating up their inner beings. Most people with spina bifida have mobility challenges on their lower limbs. Since the brain uses nerves that run through the spinal cord to control body muscles, any harm of these nerves causes major problems as far as muscle movements are concerned (WHO, 2013). Due to a defect in their spinal cord, individuals with spina bifida find it hard to move their legs or other parts of their abdomen. Therefore, they live with a certain degree of paralysis that demand ankle supports to enable them to move around. This can be achieved b use of crutches or wheelchairs in case of severe paralysis (CDC, 2017). At the workplace, people with spina bifida ought to be free space for movement and their workstations should be near to a washroom. This will help to minimize the time used for movements. Additionally, their work desks should be modified to conform to their wheelchairs since most them find it straining to use other desks and chairs similar to people without a disability. Organizations and employers also must restructure and rearrange the offices meant for people with spina bifida so as to address some of the mobility challenges that the face. For instance, people with this physical disability may not be able to stretch to pick equipment from higher shelves. Therefore, the shelves should be lowered and arranged in a manner that is easier for these people to pick items at ease. Designing shelves in a cylindrical manner that is adjacent to the desk is highly recommended since reaching items will be just as a result of torching their wheelchairs around instead of moving (SBH, 2017). People who suffer from spinal cord injury face almost similar challenges with those who suffer from spina bifida. Most people with spinal cord injury face a lot of psychological challenges in relation to their return to work after rehabilitation. Their major concerns range from being able to retain their job with the pressure that comes from it to be able to sustain themselves financially. These sorts of aspirations, existing needs and anxieties plunge these individuals to severe stress due to uncertainties. Most of them may be forced to change their social lifestyle at their workplace since they can socialize and have fun with other workmates as before (Noe, Bjerrum Angel, 2014). Moreover, most of the people who suffer from spinal cord injuries take time to accept that the cannot do things that they used to do before. Therefore, readjusting to their way life is a challenge (TBI, 2016). To address this socialization and low self-esteem problem, employers and organizations should seek consultancy and counseling services to enable their employee to cope with their duties easily. People with this disability ought to be taught how to perform their duties as far as they could irrespective of their disability. Additionally, they should be involved in the process of rearranging their workplace to improve their adaptability since the may be forced to stick to the use of wheelchairs due to the injury (Noe et al, 2014). Discussions of Solutions For many reasons, relationships and socialization with friends, colleagues and other people may be affected be affected by physical impairments and cognitive disabilities. People with spina bifida and spinal cord injuries depend on a mobility assistive technology like wheelchairs or crutches. This, therefore, restricts these disabled individuals from accessing other places due to restricted mobility compares to people without a disability. These challenges are directly linked to poor social integration that people with a disability suffer from (Chan Dicianno, 2012). There are other communication disorders that are as a result of low intelligence quotient (IQ), slow learning and ineffective brain executive function and memory. They affect how an individual communicates when articulating their conversation as well as the contents of their phrases. Therefore, these communication disorders mainly seen in people with spina bifida can lead to peer rejection hence risking psychological and social adjustment (Lee, 2017). With this in mind, it is evident that social integration is reduced in people with spina bifida and those who suffer from spinal cord injuries as compared their able-bodied bodied colleagues. To address this challenge, employers ought to identify the job duties that do not demand man interactions. This will help protect the disabled individuals from discouragements that can lower their self-esteem (Chan Dicianno, 2012). Additionally, these individuals may be encouraged and also provided with an immersive technology that offers virtual socialization opportunities that are targeted at improving the quality of life of people and improve social integration of disabled people. The use of text and voice chatting programs will allow the users to interact with their peers in real time. This will help to eliminate certain delays and pauses in the speeches of people with spina bifida. Main barriers of employment in people with spinal cord injuries are more of environmental rather than biomedical, demographic or psychological. In their report, WHO (2013) ranks inaccessibility to workplace and discrimination as the most negative factors that people with spinal cord injuries face (Chan et al, 2012). They point out that these people have a functioning inability to execute their duties due to lack of endurance or lack of stamina. Therefore, the best way to address this is to modify the place of work to enable them to perform their preferred job successfully (WHO, 2013). Moreover, people with disability are normally prevented from working due to their inability to access effective transportation to and from work. This problem is experienced worldwide especially in the rural areas (OMahony, 2017). Recommendations An improvement of the health sector response is a prerequisite as far as the livelihood of people with spina bifida and those with spinal cord injuries are concerned. The health sector should be equipped in a manner that it will be able to strengthen prevention and early responses to spina bifida and spinal cord injuries respectively. They should also be able to provide effective rehabilitation services so as to improve the livelihood of the disabled in their workplace and homes. Assistive technology should also be made available in time and also be redesigned to help the patients execute their duties easier. Additionally, people with spina bifida and spinal cord injuries should be empowered so that they can take responsibility for their own health. This will help a great deal in enabling them to be independent. By doing this, their self-esteem will be improved dramatically hence improving their socialization. Finally, organizations and employers must give these people flexible working hours that will enable them to relax if need be. Social protection schemes also must be made available to these individuals especially on their economic status and their return to work formula. Conclusion In conclusion, incidences of traumatic spinal cord injuries and cases spina bifida in newborns should be reduced at all costs. However, this aspiration and need may not be effective as thought, therefore, the effects of these disabilities should be addressed professionally so as not to impact negatively on the lives of these individuals. Improved health care services, socialization management, rehabilitation and protection against discrimination will help steer the disabled individuals to achieve whatever they aspire. Accessible environments, care, and other supportive services should be provided to these individuals with the aim of minimizing disruptions in their way of life. 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