Wounded Warriors: Living With Disabilities in America
- Hilary Valdez
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
With a graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, I worked in Seattle, at the University of Washington’s Medical Center. One of my first clients was a 15-year-old female who broke her spine when she fell through a skylight on the roof. After surgery, we met and she began her journey in rehabilitation adjusting to her new life confined to a wheelchair. She was the first of many clients whose handicapping condition would challenge even the smallest of everyday physical activities, that able-bodied people take for granted.
Working at U.S. Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-Nine Palms California, I noticed many Veteran’s fail to report common disabilities and are reluctant to ask for help due to the bureaucracy of Veterans Administration (VA) claims. However, veterans are entitled to compensation by law. The VA uses the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) to assign diagnostic codes and disability ratings from 0 to 100 percent. Generally, the more severe a disability, the higher the disability rating. If a veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, VA combines the multiple ratings together.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted to make accessibility more possible. Yet, daily life for handicapped Americans is still filled with obstacles. One of my clients had a prosthetic leg, so the option was to either put on his leg or crawl to the bathroom when he needed to go at 2 or 3 a.m. I often had to escort patients to determine feasibility of returning-to-work and functioning independently. Taking a disabled person to the dentist was a challenge to get into and out of the exam chair. This can be painful depending on the persons physical condition as well as from just sitting in the exam chair.
I would often go to a person’s home to conduct an assessment of the general environmental condition. In many communities, public transportation is limited, sidewalks are uneven, and older buildings remain inaccessible. A simple trip to the store or a visit to a friend’s house can require careful planning or even become impossible.
When it snows in Seattle, the question is how much snow fell overnight? Does a person need a walking stick or crutches to walk? And what if no one has shoveled the street or sidewalk. If a disabled person can’t see any curbs, markers, ice, holes, uneven spots, this becomes a problem, especially if a person is wheelchair bound. The start of the day has just been delayed by two to four hours. The same happens when it gets dark. A lot of parking lots do not have enough lighting to see if there are icy patches or uneven ground. Wounded Warriors.
According to the Veterans Administrations Annual Benefits Report for FY23, there are approximately 5.7 million disabled veterans receiving compensation. Some examples include one or more of the following: Post-traumatic stress disorder. Particularly intrusive injuries such as paralysis, blindness, or loss of limbs, often bilateral receiving compensation as of 2023: Tinnitus: 2,944,093; Limitation of flexion, knee: 1,853,161; Paralysis of the sciatic nerve: 1,502,56; Hearing loss: 1,491,093; Lumbosacral or cervical strain: 1,453,400; Post-traumatic stress disorder: 1,451,153; Limitation of motion of the arm: 1,034,311; Limitation of motion of the ankle: 1,028,010; Migraine: 954,038; Scars, general: 937,680.
Care providers, mobility devices and service animals are expensive. Driving and public transportation, for some disabled, especially physical, getting around is problematic. Even when there’s a public bus system, it may not always be accessible or well organized. Taxi expenses add up. Many disabled people are on a small budget: transportation is expensive. Physically disabled people using use public transportation pay a high price.
To live with a physical handicap in America is to navigate two worlds at once. On the one hand, modern technology, medical care, and social awareness have provided opportunities and accommodations that were not available a century ago. On the other hand, daily life is still shaped by barriers, both physical and social, that can limit participation, dignity, and independence. The experience of being physically handicapped in America today is complex: it involves resilience, adaptation, and often a quiet determination to claim one’s place in society.
Doorways and any threshold is near impossible if a wheelchair bound person is alone and has no help. Curb cuts, while they do exist, are often far apart and frequently people will use the access for signage or other things. Healthcare is often a struggle. Medical treatments, therapy, and equipment like wheelchairs or prosthetics are costly. Access to quality care depends heavily on insurance and financial resources. For some, the greatest hardship is not the disability itself but the difficulty of affording necessary support.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) began steps to accommodate the handicapped. Ramps, elevators, accessible restrooms, and workplace protections have made participation in society more possible than ever before. Technology, wheelchairs, prosthetics, voice-to-text systems, has expanded independence. People with disabilities often face stereotypes or exclusion. In the end, how a nation treats its most vulnerable citizens is the truest measure of its commitment to equality. Don’t be shy to ask a person: “Do you need assistance?”
About the Author:
Hilary Valdez is a freelancer living in Tokyo, Japan. He is an experienced Mental Health professional and Resiliency Trainer. Valdez is a former Marine and has worked with the military most of his career and most recently worked at Camp Zama as a Master Resiliency Trainer. Valdez now has a private practice and publishes books on social and psychological issues. His books are available on Amazon and for Kindle. Learn more about Valdez and contact him at his website or email (InstantInsights@hotmail.com). Follow his YouTube channel Hilary’s Quick Talk for more insights.
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