DISABLED REALTORS -- part 5

Overcoming the Odds and Getting the Job Done It took him a while to develop a system to compensate. He copes by using pocket-size micro-recorders and writing down many things. He also plans out as much of his work as possible, knowing that some things will happen spontaneously anyway. “If I’m going to an unfamiliar location, I go early and survey the situation,” he said. He knows his limitations and works within them. Though he doesn’t mention the stroke and its impairment of his memory to clients, he tells them he has a “poor memory.” For Williams, steps are doable but sometimes difficult. He doesn’t need any accommodation for his labored gait beyond a standard handrail or banister. If he does discuss his limp, he tells clients he had an accident that injured his leg. “People are always much more concerned about me than I am about myself,” said Williams. He’s never encountered an instance of discrimination with a client. “I approach people with the attitude: ‘This is who I am. Accept me or not.’ All of us have our disabilities: some physical, some mental, some spiritual,” Williams said. Ultimately, Williams is a Realtor because he truly enjoys it. “It’s the only thing I know how to do, and am confident doing it.”