Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services
Success
Story
There’s an old Southern saying that seems to fit Rodney
Brown: “The Lord fits the burden to the back.” In July 1988, at
19 years old, he was hit by a drunken driver while riding his
motorcycle to work. He went airborne and landed head first on
concrete, damaging his spinal cord. Learning he probably would
never walk again was quite a blow to the young man. “It was
difficult to accept, but by the grace of God, I realized I could
handle it,” he said.
It was about this time that he met
Anne Stephens, a rehabilitation counselor in the Opelika
Vocational Rehabilitation Service office. “I had told them in
the hospital, ‘Hurry up and fix me, I’m ready to get back to
work,’ ’’ Rodney said.But first he and his counselor had to talk
about the kind of work he wanted to do. His prior job as a
manager at a local grocery store required too much mobility, so
they began considering his options. In the spring of 1989, less
than a year after his accident, he enrolled at Southern Union
Community College. While he was there, VRS provided tuition
assistance, books, transportation, and hand controls for his
vehicle.
He graduated in 1991 with a degree in business
education. Later that same year, thanks to placement assistance
from VRS, he went to work at Tuskegee University. He enjoyed his
job, but in 1995 resigned, under doctor’s orders. “I wanted to
keep working,” he said, “but the doctor said it could kill me.
My body just needed a rest.” And so he left work and spiraled
into depression. “Those were dark times,” he said.
Finally, in late 2001, his physical and emotional health began
to improve, and he was ready to return to work. He contacted VRS,
which again provided employment assistance. He returned in April
2002 to Tuskegee, where he handles tickets and vehicle
registrations for the University Police Department. The new job,
he said, was an answer to prayer. Not only does he work on
campus, he also lives there and attends church nearby. “It’s
been a very good fit,” he said.
In his free time, he
plays piano with Truly Blessed, a gospel group that performs at
local churches. It gives him an opportunity to share his faith,
which has sustained him since his 1988 accident. “I see now that
it’s all been for good.”
