[humanser] Do you know about these?
Ericka
dotwriter1 at gmail.com
Thu Dec 15 18:12:03 UTC 2016
One question. When you're asking for cited help, do you have the headphones on so only you could hear what Jon says or is the rest of the staff able to hear? Perhaps turn down but coming out of the speakers it may explain a lot to sighted people. I know in job settings headphones are necessary, but it's explain more to people by hearing what's read from my experience. You get better help. Just a thought from one person who hates computers and asks for help constantly.
Ericka Short
1750 Fordem Ave. #508
Madison. WI. 53704
608-665-3170
from my iPhone 6s
> On Dec 15, 2016, at 10:37 AM, Cheryl Wade via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Ashley,
>
>
> The interview was the kind where you walk in, shake the person's hand, start the Q&A and realize this is NOT IT! I won't bore you with the details, but one thing the person did that drove me nuts was to ask how I get to work and telling me that walking to her office was "pretty far," with an "I don't know about that one" tone in her voice.
>
>
> I wish there was something we could do to make the JAWS cursor understandable to sighted people. One of my co-workers does get it, but it took her a long time.
>
>
> Sighted people need to understand that our screen is not a rectangle but is linear. Everything is read in an up-down order, and how JAWS decides to read things is not terribly apparent to me.
>
>
> Cheryl Wade
>
>
>> On 12/15/2016 1:09 AM, Ashley Bramlett via HumanSer wrote:
>> Hello Cheryl,
>>
>> I'm considering work in the human services field, tutoring or being an outreach specialist.
>> I'd probably do something like Lisa Irving is doing as a paraprofessional if I ever get hired since I do not have a masters degree although I have not ruled that out and going back to school.
>>
>> Anyways, I empathize with you. I know most EMR systems are not accessible or barely accessible.
>> You said
>> "You almost have to familiarize the sighted co-worker with
>> how your system works before you can get any meaningful help, and that
>> takes a long time."
>> I totally agree!
>> In all internships, I've had difficulty following instructions from sighted people because they use visual terms and instructions such as saying "that yellow arrow" or that "drop down menu on the right" or worse to click on some link which is an image, etc, etc.
>>
>> Oh, and they do not always know where your jaws cursor is because it is invisible.
>>
>> Here is a sad personal story.
>> While I'm still volunteering teaching jaws at the talking book library and a few other things, but I did so badly want to volunteer in a human services capacity on the front lines.
>> I've tried hard to volunteer for experience. I thought a perfect fit for me would be a nonprofit in Vienna, Va not far from me serving women primarily in their career and psychological needs.
>> I applied to volunteer and was accepted. I told them I'd need jaws and surprisingly they agreed. So, it was installed on the office pc by the phone.
>> My position was to be an information and referral specialist. I was glad to have it because I could talk to a variety of people and help them get what they needed.
>> This means that I primarily answered the front office phone, transferred calls to people or departments, answered basic questions, supplied information about the center, looked up information to refer callers to agencies,
>> and was supposed to document the calls. I went through the training fine. They accommodated me by giving me the powerpoint slides. It was mostly lecture based so posed little problems in getting the material I needed.
>>
>> Here was the problem! I got a hang of the extensions with practice and memorized common ones and I was able to remember basic info which was good so I did not have to look it up. The problems arose with, guess what? Documentation!
>> The first month was fine. They had me write down the info and it was put in some book. But, then, someone created an excell form to document calls.
>> In other words, they were moving to an electronic way of tracking.
>> As I tried to do it the new way, my heart sank.
>> I was not able to use the form successfully. Jaws read some of the info, but not enough. I remember tabbing through fields and not hearing anything or arrowing around and getting in wrong boxes.
>>
>> I can see to read large print. I continued to write out info by hand and tried to use the electronic system.
>> Well, I guess it became too much work for my supervisor. She probably did not like having to enter data in after me. I also might have been a little slower as I was navigiting screens with jaws to look up info.
>>
>> I worked hard on that position and felt I was getting the hang of things. Working with the phones and a pc together was new to me. I sometimes had a couple screens open at a time and alt tabbed between them. Most callers got what they needed and some even complemented me and said I was helpful.
>> The main problem was documenting the calls; we were supposed to document when and why they called and if followup was needed.
>> I could do the job except for the documenting. It was not my fault. It did not help matters that the sighted person that created the form did not understand why I was having trouble. She said she had some accessibility checker on it and it said it had no problems found. It was obvious to me that accommodating me was a hastle and sighted staff did not understand the issues.
>> It was not long before I was taken off the position. I was asked not to come in a few weeks due to problems with the phones. While my supervisor had said I might be assigned elsewhere, I did not think she was serious.
>> But one day I called my supervisor and she indicated the phones were fixed. However, she told me I was taken off the position and said they would find me something else to do where I could use my writing skills; she said she wanted to work with me but in a different way that I could contribute.
>> Well, we had ideas for me to interview clients and feature their stories online, but that fell through because she said she was too busy. I followed up with her, and she said that idea would have to wait as she was tied up in things and she never got back to me.
>>
>> Cheryl, I know what you mean about feeling miles behind your other coworkers. Its so rough. There is another office position where you can be a service coordinator as a volunteer. I'm discouraged and afraid to try it because of the electronic forms issue. I can imagine that question arising in the interview and I'm not sure what to say. I have the same question as Lisa; how can you answer those questions without shooting yourself in the foot.
>>
>> Good luck in your job search and how nice you got interviewed. Many people are not selected for those.
>>
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message----- From: Cheryl Wade via HumanSer
>> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 10:05 PM
>> To: Human Services Division Mailing List
>> Cc: Cheryl Wade
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] Do you know about these?
>>
>> My state agency for the blind actually worked with me for several months
>> to devise the system I now use for CDT. All of the visual items had to
>> be turned into a menu. My consultant determined the pixol points on the
>> screen and then plotted them using JAWS scripts. I also had to write
>> down sequences of things that did not speak, such as choices to check on
>> some of the menus.
>>
>>
>> For a time, you might need to call on your co-workers to get you out of
>> what I call sight gags -- problems that must be remedied with a mouse. I
>> had to learn not to use many of the keystrokes I have taken for granted
>> for my orientation on the screen. For example, I cannot use the up-arrow
>> to go back and correct mistakes, or else I will make the system snarl.
>>
>>
>> Another problem, folks, is this: So you get a job and you get the names
>> of the software products the agency uses. You don't get a JAWS
>> consultant to come to your work place until about three weeks after you
>> start. So, you're already miles and miles behind, and your supervisors
>> are reluctant to assign you certain kinds of jobs because they know you
>> don't know enough about the system to perform them right. In adition,
>> it's hard to have a sighted person explain to a blind consultant what
>> the system does, because the JAWS cursor isn't the one the sighted
>> person sees. You almost have to familiarize the sighted co-worker with
>> how your system works before you can get any meaningful help, and that
>> takes a long time.
>>
>>
>> I hate to be such a naysayer, but it's been eight months and I'm still
>> not allowed to perform assessments. For the last two weeks I earned a
>> total of $150 for counseling sessions. I was a writer for 33 years, and
>> I helped people understand and thrive in their communities by writing
>> for my local paper full time. What I'm doing is barely, barely treading
>> water. My ability to help people is minimal. I don't know what to do
>> except maybe file a complaint with the EEOC. I feel largely without help
>> and without support.
>>
>>
>> Cheryl Wade
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 12/12/2016 9:07 PM, Lisa Irving via HumanSer wrote:
>>> Is anyone out there using net smart avatar? I am not a licensed clinician and therefore do not have as many electronic medical record's requirements however our company, are I international is switching to this system. Recently I met a Blind social worker here in California. She is a clinician and she has to use net smart avatar. Much of it is not accessible.
>>>
>>> What does one do when one has to document however incidental when an electronic medical record system is not accessible?
>>>
>>> My current job is in the realm of paraprofessional, peer support. Mental health America is trying to set national standards that is national certification standards for our growing profession. Some states such as New York to have certification requirements for peer specialist as you may have guessed this is due to the ability to bill Medicaid. Additionally this has something to do with the integration of medical care and mental health care.
>>>
>>> On a similar note, what do many of you do as clinicians when going for interviews and the issue of electronic medical records comes up? How do you handle this conversation without shooting yourself in the foot? From Lisa Irving
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Dec 12, 2016, at 5:30 PM, Ginny Duff via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> JD is right. It is all worth it even if it is frustrating. Yes it takes more time but if you make it work, its such an honour to be able to make this contribution to people's lives.
>>>>
>>>> Ginny
>>>>
>>>> Dr. V. Duff
>>>> Clinical Director
>>>> West End Assertive Community Treatment Team
>>>> St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto
>>>> Psychiatrist,
>>>> Extended Forensic Out-patient Services
>>>> Centre For Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
>>>> Lecturer, University of Toronto
>>>>
>>>>> On Dec 12, 2016, at 7:40 PM, JD Townsend via HumanSer <humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Hello:
>>>>>
>>>>> Unfortunately Electronic Medical Records are, well almost, universal in hospitals and in most larger agencies. The programs are rarely easily accessible for blind folks and do take more time for light-dependent folks as well.
>>>>>
>>>>> So, is it worth it? Yes, speaking for myself, it is. Always the documentation takes more time and effort than we would like to spend, but the insurance companies demand it. If these documents were developed to be of clinical importance, they would look very different.
>>>>>
>>>>> The ability to provide psychotherapy is a great honor and challenge. Always there will be paperwork. The EMR programs are many and, unfortunately, do not meet ADA or Rehab Act requirements. At some time, soon I hope, the NFB will challenge them in court. Until then, we have to wade through a migraine of adjustment.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JD
>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Cheryl Wade via HumanSer
>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 5:23 PM
>>>>> To: Human Services Division Mailing List
>>>>> Cc: Cheryl Wade
>>>>> Subject: [humanser] Do you know about these?
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi, listers,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I took part in a job interview today at a counseling center that is
>>>>> under the umbrella of a hospital.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The interviewer said the company uses Intelligence Medical Software,
>>>>> part of HealthTech, and Phoenix software.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Have any of you used either of these software types? Is any research
>>>>> available?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I suppose my broader question is, Why bother being a counselor if the
>>>>> act of paperwork is so time-consuming that a person who is blind never
>>>>> can keep up? It took me weeks even to feel comfortable with the software
>>>>> I'm using. What was the learning process for you folks? How can you ever
>>>>> make a living at this when it's so much work and such a drag to do?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Please tell me if all this is worth the effort, and why.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheryl Wade, Outpatient Therapist
>>>>>
>>>>> Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> HumanSer mailing list
>>>>> HumanSer at nfbnet.org
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>>>>>
>>>>> JD Townsend LCSW
>>>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>>>> Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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