[humanser] Counselors perceptions of blind people

[Carmella D Broome]

I'm very behind on  mail here.  I know this thread has simmerred down, but had a lot of thoughts while reading it. I'll only share a few, and will say upfront that some of my thoughts are  pretty cynical.

There are some great VR counselors out there.  I have a friend who works for the VA and is passionate about helping blinded veterans. She is blind herself.  My boss got her degree through a VR counseling program and that may be part of why she was so open to hiring me. I know there are many  VR counselors, both disabled and nondisabled, who love their work, really want to help each person on their caseload, and are passionate about their jobs.   

Having said that, I do think  some VR counselors have very  condescending attitudes  towards the disabled folks they work with.  They remind me somewhat of some high school guidance counselors for several reasons. One is that they often wind up  having caseloads that prevent them from getting to  know each person and what they  truly might need.  Secondly, there is likely a fair bit of paperwork, due to VR being a state agency.  Third, they have a few "pet suggestions" they  try to fit each person into one way or another.  Fourth,   a lot of people experience burn out but stay within state systems to keep being able to add years towards eventual retirement benefits, so are not necessarily passionate about their work anymore but have  job security. Same for those who take such jobs in the first place. They might not be all that enthusiastic about the population, but  see  it as a job with decent benefits and security.  Not  everyone works with certain populations because they are passionate about doing so. 

With  VR or high school  guidance counselors, I think there is less of a sense of colaboration a lot of times, than we would find in some other types of counseling. Some of these counselors often think they know what is best and are working with people who are vulnerable in the sense of  not really knowing much about options or resources and  who are seeking guidance and direction. Maybe some VR or SG counselors actually kind of like the power trip.  I'd hate to say that, but it is true of  some in any  profession where there is a power differential, so I suspect it here, too.   The unspoken philosophy could very well be, "You're just a kid, or a disabled person, or whatever. What do you know?  You need to listen to me because I know what's best."      

I've worked with VR counselors who  wanted to push me towards certain professions. I have talked to numerous other VR clients who have had the same happen to them, as far as being told what    was reasonable for them to want to do or what would be supported or feeling badgered into studying certain things in school. A lot of VR counselors mostly see what a lot of folks in society see,  people with disabilities who seek services but still don't wind up living lives of independence, finding meaningful employment, or other ongoing negative stereotypes.  It can be good to have a VR  counselor who also has a disability because they might have better attitudes and more of a passion for the work, but not always. Some  wanted to do something different and wound up in their positions  due to needing a job and not being able to get one outside of the disability community. Others may have  their own unresolved disability related issues on a personal level that can interfere with them doing their jobs objectively.        

Those are some of my thoughts on why even the folks designated to help people with disabilities may not have positive attitudes about those they are assigned to help.

Carmella Broome, Ed.S., LPC, LMFT/I
Crossroads Counseling Center
www.solutionsforlife.org