Air Force disabled employees vital to mission

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Gina Vaccaro
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Raymond Jenks is a busy man. He is the flight chief of instructional technology for the 37th Training Support Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. His office is responsible for designing and developing computer based training, programs, and technology solutions for the 37th Training Group and all of Air Education and Training Command.

A 14-year veteran in the office, Mr. Jenks is an active mentor, problem-solver and often the go-to guy for the toughest projects.

"Ray Jenks is a great guy and his expertise is invaluable," said Lt. Col. Stephen Landry, the 37th Training Support Squadron commander. "As a testament, he was recognized by the Department of Defense in 2003 for his exemplary service."

What one may not gather from his outstanding credentials is that Mr. Jenks has a spinal injury and is paralyzed from the neck down.

All types of Airmen come together to accomplish the Air Force mission. October was National Disabilities Employment Awareness month, and the Air Force continues to raise awareness of programs for people with disabilities.

Mr. Jenks is just one of the exceptional Airmen doing amazing things while overcoming challenges related to a disability.

Mr. Jenks is one of the 9,614 employees with disabilities working for the Air Force. The Air Force employs people with disabilities in a variety of career fields. Kathleen Rogers is an administrative assistant at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Heather Williams works for the Air Force as a military pay technician at Keesler AFB, Miss.; Joanne Jordan is a lead information manager at Hanscom AFB, Mass.; and Larry Hammer works at Lackland AFB, Texas, as an inventory management specialist for Cryptology Systems Group.

Susan Boyd, a senior engineer for Advanced Geospatial Intelligence at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is another outstanding Airman. Ms. Boyd does not let the multiple sclerosis that prevents her from walking and affects the dexterity of her hands, slow her down. She is frequently seen zipping through the office on her scooter or wheelchair, always hard at work.

"I've found that persistence and a positive attitude are the keys to success and happiness in both your career and personal life," said Ms. Boyd. "My MS has changed the way I work only in that I have a lot more difficulty with mobility. Before, I could just run around to meetings. Now, I'm in a scooter or a wheelchair. It just makes the general logistics of the job more difficult. I have to do a lot more planning for things I'm going to attend."

While Ms. Boyd purchased her scooter on her own, her initiative opened the door for several other employees at her office. After doing some research, they found that the Client Assistance Program, a federal program established to aid people with disabilities, could provide scooters, special chairs, computer and teleconferencing equipment and other aids.

The office recently installed a dedicated scooter room inside the building where individuals can park their scooters. This shortens the distance they have to walk from the handicap parking lot to the scooter parking area.

"The Air Force has gone out of its way in a lot of ways," she said. "When another co-worker and I had trouble accessing our boss' office with our scooter and wheelchair, they redesigned the doorway."

Ms. Boyd added that when another colleague had a condition that required special thermostat control, they built a temperature-controlled office with the necessary ventilation.

The office utilized CAP and their People with Disabilities program manager to get required computer equipment and a specialized cubicle setup for another co-worker.

The Air Force provides reasonable accommodations for all its employees with disabilities. The accommodations include ensuring work areas are handicap-accessible, providing licensed practical nurses or assistants for employees, offering Braille or large print documents and others.

Mr. Jenks is an advocate of these accommodations and is a mentor for other people with disabilities. He hopes to empower them to fully realize their potential.

"There are so many [disabled] people out there who are so smart," he said. "They are just not very assertive. Frankly, a lot of people are scared and don't know how to move forward when something like this happens."

Mr. Jenks says the fight is worth it. That there is always a way to overcome any challenge. He is appreciative of the many resources available to the disabled community and the opportunities the Air Force provides.

"In every case that I know of there has been some sort of adjustment made. The Air Force has been excellent," he said. "There are a lot of things available that help not only the individual, but also those people who are around the individual," he said. "The Air Force is a great place to be."

For more information on programs for people with disabilities and the many resources available to them, contact the people with disabilities program manager, affirmative employment program manager, or equal opportunity office at your base. 

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