[humanser] Drivers license requirement for employment

[Sandy]

What I did was to put the forms in to my Pac Mate, which did make them 
accessible to me.  I then had to sync them back to the desktop and reformat 
them.  Finally I was told that it was hard to know what I had checked, and I 
did agree one couldn't skim quickly through the forms.  The forms I speak of 
are known as Mass. Standarized Documentation Program and developed by a 
nonprofit in Central Massachusetts.  Unfortunately, my agency elected to 
begin using their forms.  The Mass. Commission for the Blind recent director 
and others, myself included, had discussions with the developer and other 
social workers in my area of the state, working at agencies using these 
documents, had the same inaceessibility issues.  Then my office spent one 
million on ProFiler, which was inaccessible to the point I couldn't find 
where to enter information.  Well, the sighted found the ProFiler hard to 
learn, "stupid," and recently switched to Ehana.  Ehana appears to be 
accessible and made for mental health people, and it helps you find the DSM 
codes for your Axis diagnoses.  The other forms developed in Central 
Massachusetts have recently become usable.  Anyway, never thought of 
typewriter, but wouldn't help me find edit fields.


Thanks,


Sandy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Karen Rose" <rosekm at earthlink.net>
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2013 7:09 PM
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [humanser] Drivers license requirement for employment

> Sandy – I do not know your specific technology but I wonder – would it be 
> possible to type your notes on an old-fashioned typewriter and then scan 
> them into the inaccessible program
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Dec 27, 2013, at 4:03 PM, Sandy <sandraburgess at msn.com> wrote:
>>
>> Justin,
>>
>> Accessibility is the bigest hurdle I have encountered.  For some time I 
>> made copies of agency forms I adapted to use with Microsoft.  When we 
>> went to electronic records, I was not permitted to dictate notes and the 
>> records, as well as forms we used put out by another vendor, they and the 
>> health records were both inaccessible.  After a few years of me and 
>> others dealing with the agency, they got their forms accessible.  I am 
>> confusing you, but this set of forms became accessible whilst the agency 
>> went to some quite inaccessible forms.  So I did not work at all as 
>> couldn't dictate, couldn't do paperwork completely.
>> I took action that, iventually, we reached an agreement.  However, this 
>> whole experience makes me less confident about successful employment 
>> anywhere.  Apparently, we need to stay strong and keep advocating for our 
>> right to be in the world.
>>
>>
>> Sandy
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Friday, December 27, 2013 3:19 PM
>> To: "'Human Services Mailing List'" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] Drivers license requirement for employment
>>
>>> You have had some terrific employers. Outstanding.  The wisdom you just
>>> offered is greatly appreciated.
>>> What do you do about accessibility?  How do you ensure that everything 
>>> si
>>> accessible?
>>>
>>> Thanks Justin.
>>> Thanks Justin.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of JD 
>>> Townsend
>>> Sent: Friday, December 27, 2013 3:09 PM
>>> To: Human Services Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [humanser] Drivers license requirement for employment
>>>
>>> I have never met or read of anyone who got a job after bringing in 
>>> adaptive
>>> electronics. I have never had an employer who cared to learn about my
>>> electronics. They may see or hear it, but they have not the time or 
>>> interest
>>> in learning what it allows me to do or what it's limitations are.  Even 
>>> in
>>> my present position, 13 years there now and not one supervisor or 
>>> manager
>>> has expressed the slightest interest.
>>>
>>> What job interviewers are interested in are my talents and abilities. 
>>> When
>>> paperwork is brought up I generally say that I don't like it, but that I
>>> feel much better when it is completed. Completed in a timely manner too.
>>>
>>> Except for the very rare interviewer the details of my adaptive 
>>> techniques
>>> have been of no importance -- I've been hired in many positions in the 
>>> past
>>> 30+ years and this has always been my experience in successful 
>>> interviews:
>>> keep the focus on what you have to offer, not on how you will deliver 
>>> the
>>> services.   Should they ask about your blindness treat it as you would a
>>> question from a patient and answer the underlying question.  For 
>>> example:
>>> "I don't know how a person who can't see our  forms could do this 
>>> stressful
>>> job."  I might answer, "I take pride in completing all of my paperwork 
>>> on
>>> time and have a track record to back me up."  That track record might be
>>> your graduate school assignments and internships or other places where 
>>> you
>>> have proven your talents.  Most interviewers will not go back to the
>>> blindness issue, assuming that you have already mastered those 
>>> roadblocks.
>>> To bring out a voice or braille device simply does not answer their real
>>> question which, simply is, "Can you do the job?"
>>>
>>>
>>> JD Townsend LCSW
>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>
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