Potato Chip Theory

As a fan of both economics and human behavior I have developed a theory, which I believe has a strong correlation to employment and people with disabilities. My theory, like any that involves human behavior, depends on stereotypes. My observation is that people who are poor, or are of a lower economic status, tend to buy potato chips from vending machines while people of higher economic status tend to buy chips from grocery stores. One may ask, “Why is that?” My theory is that poor people give in to immediate gratification while people who are better off financially understand and appreciate the value of deferred gratification.

So what does this have to do with employment and people with disabilities? The relationship is less than obvious so I’ll break it down for you. More than ever, people with disabilities need to update and improve their information technology skills to be competitive in the job market. By delaying the immediate gratification of relaxation or leisurely pursuits and instead learning another software application or web trick, people can improve their value on the job and possibly be on the fast track for a promotion and / or pay raise – deferred gratification.

Nowadays even to STAY employed it makes sense to improve IT skills. It is critical we improve our computer skills on a regular basis. Here is one way to do it. You can Google “IT tutorials” but will end up chasing many ‘red herrings’, so I narrowed the list down considerably. First, become a frequent visitor at CNET (http://www.cnet.com). They have great high tech stories and product reviews but, more importantly, they have a link to IT tips and tricks. That’s where you’ll want to spend your time.

Atomic Learning (http://www.atomiclearning.com) is one of the best sources for IT tutorials. It is a subscription based service that warrants review. In addition to Curriculum Resources and Classroom Tools, they have plenty of IT tutorials categorized for use on Windows and Apple platforms. Although many of the tutorials are supposedly available with closed captions, I couldn’t get this feature to work in either Flash or Quicktime mode. You can preview the overviews but will need to “pay the piper’ if you want full access to the tutorials. Still, they have a plethora of tutorials and should be bookmarked for frequent visits.

Another source that will help you learn more IT is eSchool News (http://www.eschoolnews.com). They have a link to a Technology Solutions Center that can give you all sorts of great information and tips. Learn about products, providers, and IT training.

Now put down that TV remote control and take a tutorial. Know more each week than you did the previous week. Learn a new web trick. Pass on immediate gratification and keep your eye on the prize and embrace deferred gratification. It pays off in the long run.

About the author

Gene Rodgers Photo Gene Rodgers has been a quadriplegic since age 17. Since then he has earned several college degrees, worked in several states, earned a Switzer Fellowship, and now works as a private contractor.