[blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers

Thu Jul 30 22:50:41 UTC 2009

I work for the state agency for the blind in Minnesota and we 
regularly pay drivers, and readers for blind persons.  Things have 
changed from the late 70's with the ADA and reasonable accommodations.

Dave

At 10:58 AM 7/29/2009,you
>Unfortunately, I have not heard of drivers being paid for by state 
>agencies. In the late 70's with a bachelor's degree while working 
>for a community agency I was approached by the Michigan Commission 
>for the Blind representative to take a position as a rehab 
>counselor. In that position I would have had to cover a territory 
>consisting of five counties, most of which were rural and would have 
>had to pay a driver myself on a $12,000 per year salary. This salary 
>was only about $2000 more than what I was making in my existing 
>employment. Needless to say I turned down the position for many 
>reasons including not only the economic foolishness of this but the 
>subtle expectation that because I was blind I should be working with 
>blind people since they paid a large of my expenses for college. I 
>have worked in many settings and I have never had the luxury of a 
>driver that was paid for by an employer. In certain instances I was 
>reimbursed somewhat for expenses for transportation.
>Chuck
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Munro" <r.g.munro at gmail.com>
>To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 8:06 AM
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers
>
>
>>Chuck,
>>
>>You're absolutely right; I do want to focus on my attributes as a clerk. I
>>just want to have a concrete answer ready in case the judge raises the
>>driving issue.  I want to be able to say, "Judge, that's not a problem the
>>XYZ program will pay for a driver," rather than falling back on arguments
>>about fairness or simply acknowledging that I can't drive.
>>
>>Thank you again for the reminder about my focus.  It will help me in going
>>over my application materials one more time.
>>
>>
>>Onward!
>>
>>Rob Munro
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:23 PM
>>To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers
>>
>>As you are not the first blind person who has clerked for or considered
>>clerking for a judge perhaps you should focus more on your accomplishments
>>as a law student and your potential attributes as a clerk. You are after all
>>selling yourself and in selling any product or service you don't accentuate
>>the negatives or drawbacks of a product or commodity. Your ability as a
>>clerk here is the product or commodity.
>>Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal
>>1237 P Street
>>Fresno ca 93721
>>559-266-9237
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Robert Munro" <r.g.munro at gmail.com>
>>To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 3:49 AM
>>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers
>>
>>
>>>Keith,
>>>
>>>Thanks for your good wishes.  I hope I can dig up some information
>>>that will help me convince any judge, who is enclined to decide
>>>against me because I can't drive, that there is a simple and
>>>inexpensive way to resolve that issue.
>>>
>>>Whether descrimination against the blind in this context is legal or
>>>not, I'm not the sort of person who wants to sue my way in to a job.
>>>
>>>Thanks again for your thoughts.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Onward!
>>>
>>>Rob Munro
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>On Behalf Of Keith Vick
>>>Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 9:58 PM
>>>To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'; BlindLawStudents at googlegroups.com
>>>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers
>>>
>>>Hi Rob,
>>>
>>>Congratulations on seeking judicial clerkships.  I am envious.  I've
>>>always liked the judges who taught my classes.  Something tells me
>>>that most judges wouldn't let the ability to drive affect their
>>>decision.  Since I have no judicial clerkship experience, I am limited
>>>on the advice I can give you.
>>>
>>>But one thing I can do is put forth a proposition: discrimination the
>>>blind (in hiring) is actually quite legal.  If this proposition turns
>>>out to be true, it may have bearing on the ultimate answer to your
>>>question.
>>>
>>>Being legally blind and unable to drive myself, I don't like the above
>>>proposition - but unfortunately I believe it is a true, if incomplete,
>>>statement.
>>>
>>>Well, I wish you the very best and hope you get exactly the clerkship
>>>you want.
>>>
>>>Warmest regards,
>>>
>>>Keith Vick
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>On Behalf Of Robert Munro
>>>Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 6:43 AM
>>>To: BlindLawStudents at googlegroups.com; 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>>>Subject: [blindlaw] Clerks as Drivers
>>>
>>>Friends and colleagues,
>>>
>>>I'd appreciate some help answering this question.  I'm a rising 3L at UNC.
>>>This summer, I'm applying for judicial clerkships.  In May and June, I
>>>worked for a judge as an intern.  His clerks did his driving when he
>>>had to hold court in cities other than the one where he had his
>>>chambers.
>>>Because
>>>I am blind, I could not perform this duty for a judge.
>>>
>>>Of course, laws prevent an employer from discriminating against a
>>>blind person.  However, practical considerations might cause a judge
>>>to pass me over in favor of a candidate who can drive.  I'd like to
>>>have something to tell judges durring the interview to help prevent this.
>>>
>>>Does any one know what programs the federal government, or the state
>>>governments in Virginia and North Carolina, offer for providing blind
>>>employees with drivers?  It would help if the cost of the program did
>>>not have to come out of the judge's budget.
>>>
>>>Thank you for your help.  I look forward to hearing your replies.
>>>
>>>Onward!
>>>
>>>Rob Munro
>>>
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