We were lucky to catch up with Cody Bowman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cody, thanks for joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

First of all, as a person with a physical disability, an inclusive workplace is incredibly important to me. I am a full-time wheelchair user due to being born with a congenital birth defect called “Spina Bifida”. However, I choose to live life to the fullest. In addition to being a recent 2023 graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Professional & Technical Communications, I also hold a part-time job at Publix grocery stores. Publix has a reputation for being one of the best companies to work for and I can honestly say that my experience has been nothing but a pleasant one. When I went to interview for the job, I did not think that I would get a call back…BUT I DID! I got called in for a second interview and the store manager just wanted to ask me what accommodations I would need. He was in communication with the HR department because he wanted to hire me. I’ve now been a PT cashier for Publix since January. Corporate even came into the store 4 months later to modify a cash register for me so that I could be able to do my job in my wheelchair and be able to reach the screen. Publix had temporarily ordered me an office chair that could be elevated so that I could transfer out of my wheelchair and into the seat to be able to perform the necessary functions of my job. I know that they were not doing it just to be nice, I am legally entitled to the reasonable accommodations, but it makes all the difference in the world when your employees feel valued, supported, and appreciated.

Another story that comes to mind, previously I worked for Bealls Florida department stores. I was a cashier there for nearly 5 years. I remember interviewing with them 4 years ago. The only retail experience I had was as a sales associate at Goodwill Manasota. I had absolutely No cashier experience. I went to my interview at Bealls, and to be honest I did not take it seriously. I thought there was NO WAY that they would hire me because I had absolutely no cashiering experience. Well, much like Publix, one interview turned into a second interview and before I knew it, I received a job offer. However, I was scared to death. When I was 18 years old, I had a psychologist do a neuropsych eval on me and once she got to the math results of my test, she basically said to me “You’re terrible at math…just stay away from it!” so that kind of put a damper on my confidence. I felt dumb. I guess I was not as confident in my abilities because someone made me feel like I was not smart enough. Although according to everyone else, I am smarter than I give myself credit for. So when I got hired as a cashier at Bealls, again, I was scared but I had managers who believed in me and my abilities. They even modified a table for me and put a mobile cash register on it so that I could do my job. Now here I am almost 5 years later, doing a job that I never thought I could ever do because I was too afraid to try and nobody would give me a chance. I am grateful to Bealls & Publix for believing in me when I haven’t always believed in myself.

The last thing I will say is this, I also interviewed and received a job offer during the Christmas season at Victoria’s Secret. A company that is not known for being diverse, wanted me, of all people, to work for them. I will never forget receiving that offer of employment email. I cried. Although I only worked for them for a short time, it meant the world to me to show that people with disabilities can be beautiful too.

So I guess the moral of the story is to never doubt yourself and your abilities. Know your worth and what you bring to the table. I got these jobs not only because I had experience but because I was confident and I was myself. People will gravitate towards that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Like I said, I was born with a birth defect called “Spina Bifida” which is a congenital birth defect. It basically means that my spine did not form properly. However, I’ve never let that stop me from doing the things I want to do and achieving my dreams. I am the oldest of 3 daughters. I am the first in my family to graduate college, not once but twice. I received my Associate of Arts degree from State College of Florida in 2014. Then I received my Bachelor of Arts in Professional & Technical Communications from the University of South Florida in 2023. My dream job would be to work in digital marketing. I love doing social media management and creating content. I am a creative person so being able to express myself in those ways is a lot of fun. I’m currently pursuing any and all side hustles within the digital marketing sector. I want to expand my skills and show what I can do. I’ve always had a passion for promotion. I love selling a product/idea and getting an audience hyped about it too. I’m great with connecting with people so I have the ability to increase engagement. I just need someone to give me a chance to showcase my talents so if anyone needs any freelance digital marketing work, I’m ready & willing!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As I previously mentioned, being able to showcase my creative side is my favorite part about digital marketing. I have created videos, memes, tik toks, instagram reels, and facebook posts. Given the opportunity to have fun while trying to attract others attention is a great motivator. When you see the analytics from your hard work, it makes it all worth it. When people engage with your content and get just as excited about what you are promoting, that’s the energy I need to continue creating. People will relate to you if you are just yourself and you connect with them on different levels.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being a person with a disability, my main goal is to not only be in a career that I enjoy and look forward to doing, I also want to be financially independent. I currently receive federal benefits for certain things but I was raised to be self-sufficient. I was raised to work hard for the things that you want. Nothing in life should come for free. I love to travel. So being financially independent will afford me the opportunity to pursue that hobby as well as other things I enjoy without having to worry.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelchairdiva/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WheelchairDiva
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-bowman-916b01b7
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wheelchairdiva1986