DISABLED REALTORS -- part 8

Overcoming the Odds and Getting the Job Done What challenges does she face in being a Realtor because of her disabilities? Walking up or down stairs means carefully maneuvering while holding tight to the railing. She takes an elevator whenever possible. Because of the damage the accident caused to the frontal part of her brain, numbers are a challenge for her. “I had to re-train myself. I remember one time after the accident going to the grocery store. At the checkout, I was sure the clerk gave me too little change, and I almost made her re-count the entire contents of her drawer,” she said. Frustrated by her difficulty with numbers, Martin said, “I was more upset with myself than anything.” To cope with this challenge, Martin is very organized. “I’m anal about it, truly. I am very file oriented. I work from left to right on my desk. Once I misplace a file, I lose it,” she said, referring to the emotional upset she feels when something occasionally goes missing. “I can’t rest until I find it,” she said. Most of Martin’s clients don’t think of her as having a disability, since the outward manifestations are generally not visible to others. They do notice her fastidious ways, though. “Sometimes they look at me weird because I’m so anal about being organized,” Martin said, with a smile in her voice.