[BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind

Tue Jan 15 17:23:57 UTC 2019

Thanks for this, Garry. I’m currently doing an internship at the state adult education center for those with disabilities, called Gentry Technical Facility. Some folks that I work with here have tried to get an opening for me, but it looks like there will be no job in Assistive Tech here any time soon. There are positions for those who do work at a consumer’s home, but the benefit of having a job is offset by having to have transportation at a moment’s notice, having to travel all the time, stay in hotels, and all that. I was trained to teach some one in a classroom setting, and that’s ideally what I’d love to do. But I was young back then and didn’t ask the right questions of my VR counsellor, like how likely would it be for me to even get such a job at AIDB or anywhere else in Alabama. But such are the decisions of youth: made in haste and of good faith for those who guide me.

> On Jan 15, 2019, at 11:02 AM, Gary Wunder via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I do not live in Alabama, but in most rehab programs, they aren't done until they're done. If the world requires a degree and tech school no longer cuts the mustard, you should not be the victim. Perhaps the agency should be challenged. There is a difference between those who want to stay in school forever and those who simply do not have the right amount of schooling or the right certification.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Devin Prater via BlindTlk
> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 10:53 AM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Cc: Devin Prater
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind
> 
> I went to World Services for the Blind and got my Assistive Technology Instructor certification. Little that does me in Alabama, though. I really should’ve gone to college, but now that I went to World Services for the Blind, my counsellor can’t pay for college, so its tech support and remote customer service I’m looking for now.
> 
>> On Jan 15, 2019, at 10:44 AM, Jude DaShiell via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> One thing it is really good to do if working in software
>> development/computer programming is to work a job for five years then
>> put your paper on the street and find your next job.  That's if the work
>> environment is good, if not be out of there before five years is up.
>> 
>> On Tue, 15 Jan 2019, Judy Jones via BlindTlk wrote:
>> 
>>> Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2019 10:57:52
>>> From: Judy Jones via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind
>>> 
>>> Very true, we have a sighted friend I was talking to at church, and he is
>>> having the same trouble.
>>> 
>>> Judy
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Wunder
>>> via BlindTlk
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 7:26 AM
>>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>>> Cc: Gary Wunder
>>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind
>>> 
>>> Here are a couple of thoughts. Alan Harris said that he wrote over 200
>>> letters and had almost 100 interviews before finding a job. That says a
>>> great deal about his persistence. The second observation is that my daughter
>>> is fully sighted, has a college degree, and has been looking for jobs for
>>> more than a year. She is in finding them. So blindness certainly doesn't
>>> help, but my daughter will be the first to tell you that you are not alone.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna
>>> Bacchus via BlindTlk
>>> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 2:12 PM
>>> To: Judy Jones via BlindTlk
>>> Cc: Roanna Bacchus
>>> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind
>>> 
>>> Hi Judy thanks for your message. I have been job hunting for three years. In
>>> 2017 I applied fol eight jobs and got rejected from every one of them. I
>>> applied to be a Communications Specialist with the Seminole County
>>> Sherriff's office. They determined that even with the use of Jaws I could
>>> not do the job.
>>> 
>>> On Jan 14, 2019 3:03 PM, Judy Jones via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Yes, this has been proven years ago, and it is a day by day education
>>> process.  The reason this is, that there are so few blind in comparison to
>>> other minority or disability groups, so we're some of the least understood.
>>> This has always been the case.  Over the years, I have seen great strides in
>>> some areas, and technology has certainly helped this, but we still have a
>>> long way to go.
>>>> 
>>>> Back in the day, we didn't have to worry about competitive technology.
>>> For example, any blind person who had learned touch typing could use a
>>> typewriter and correcting tape to fix mistakes.
>>>> 
>>>> Blind mechanics could do their job without having to deal with a computer
>>> diagnostic screen they might not have access to.
>>>> 
>>>> We didn't have quiet cars, e-scooters, or obstructive vehicle-share issues
>>> or pop-up bus stops to deal with.
>>>> 
>>>> On the other hand, back then, the only way to get at printed material was
>>> to have it brailled, read, or recorded, once recordings were possible.
>>>> 
>>>> So, I think, now, in some ways, it is easier for blind people to make it,
>>> in other ways, harder.  The big plus now, is that we have all kinds of
>>> information available to us, just as our sighted counterparts, but we still
>>> are trying to figure out competitive ways of getting at and using this
>>> information, whether it's classroom access, or job site access.
>>>> 
>>>> What concerns me is that over the years, unemployment among the blind
>>> hasn't seemed to go down, so the problem hasn't really been solved yet, in
>>> spite of our efforts.
>>>> 
>>>> The way I look at it, though, is, there is always going to be that first
>>> day of discovery, whether small or great, that will further aid us in
>>> successful employment.
>>>> 
>>>> Judy
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna
>>> Bacchus via BlindTlk
>>>> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 11:35 AM
>>>> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>> Cc: Roanna Bacchus
>>>> Subject: [BlindTlk] The Unemployment Rate of The Blind
>>>> 
>>>> Dear Members,
>>>> 
>>>> Today I was reading a report about the employment outcome for the blind
>>> and the Vocational Rehabilitation system. Factors such as assistive
>>> technology, braille, Orientation and mobility, and independent living all
>>> contribute to the blind being able to attain employment. Vocational
>>> Rehabilitation counselors work tirelessly to provide employment
>>> opportunities for their clients. Employment Placement Specialists also
>>> provide job opportunities for blind clients who receive Vocational
>>> Rehabilitation services. I think that the low expectations of others have
>>> contributed to the low unemployment rate of the blind. What are your
>>> thoughts on this topic?
>>>> 
>>>> Roanna Bacchus
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>> 
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