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

[Dianne Hemphill]

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