[Home-on-the-range] .to work in the blindness field or not...

Susan Stanzel slstanzel at kc.rr.com
Sat Feb 13 18:30:35 UTC 2016


Hi Everyone,

I will get this article read. As all of you can imagine I am behind on
reading. Without reading the article I have always believed it is very
important to work out of the blindness field first to prove to yourself you
have what it takes. I am going to forward this to Curtis Chong because he
also has worked on both sides.

Susie

-----Original Message-----
From: Home-on-the-range [mailto:home-on-the-range-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Dianne Hemphill via Home-on-the-range
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2016 8:43 AM
To: NFB of Kansas Internet Mailing List
Cc: Dianne Hemphill
Subject: [Home-on-the-range] .to work in the blindness field or not...

Good morning federationists- I've just listened to a most interesting
article in the January Braille Monitor, "Keeping Some of the Good Oranges",
that I thought  would be   interesting to discuss.  Many of us that have
worked in the blindness field have heard others, both sighted and blind,
opening comment that this is appropriate because of our blindness or, on the
other hand, we just didn't have what it takes to work in the  integrated,
competitive work place.  I've had the good fortune to work in both as well
as running a small business for 10 years and really loved,  most, some more
than others, though enjoyed each opportunity. Some of the jobs I had in the
"integrated" workforce, and those focused on blindness, include:
baby sitter- good practice for my raising 3 daughters YMCA Day Camp
Counselor (my primary group was 2nd grade boys) loved this job where we
daily hiked, climbed trees, build a tree house, raced frogs, etc...
house cleaning - well, not my favorite but still important work Dance Studio
owner/instructor - 10 years community fitness instructor volunteer w/NFB Job
Opportunities for the Blind (JOB) -  - during the  "80"s - my actual first
work focusing on employment for the blind, developing work shops,
conferences and one on one job interviewing development Counselor with KS
Blind Services f/10 years Manager/supervisor for General VR Counselor's for
almost 2 years Administrator for KS Blind Services from 2000-retirement 2008
Though I find people who fit into the  philosophy, that is if you can do
"it" you will, if you can't "teach"...but not because of being blind so much
as not being competent in doing the work wither sighted or blind...how many
sighted folk have gone into the blindness fields and are terrible teachers
but great caretakers, teachers of learned helplessness and tragically "
focused do gooders"? These folks rarely see the consequences of their more
traditional teaching approaches thus our ongoing high unemployment numbers.
I've also known blind folks that were in their positions as tokens...not a
good way to promote the next blind folks to have an opportunity if
judgements are made on the deficiencies of the performance of the blind
worker and the projection of that stereotype. 
I remember one NFB leader saying "fire the blind". When I discussed this
with him he said an employer had to first hire someone thus providing and
opportunity  to succeed. But if it didn't work out, the blind guy should see
"the door" just as anyone would    if their work was unsatisfactory...I
recall an article that Dr. Jernigan wrote on why he was okay when he got
fired from his position at a school for the blind. he was not incompetent
but wouldn't follow the less than minimal expectations that were (still)
common in the education for the blind:  I also recall him saying he would
not hire someone to work for the organization that hadn't worked in the
regular work place...
..
 This article brings to us now in our focus of "live the life you choose"
a avenue for further discussion of "what it means to be blind". 
Hope you will put your 2 cents in - this is an important  topic to
think/talk about. 
I wish each of you a really happy New Year. Dianne
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