[il-talk] Fw: Fwd: NFB Live presents Working Blind

[Robert Gardner]

Note that one of our Illinois own, Jonathan Brayfield, will be part of the 
panel on 3/15.

Bob Gardner


-----Original Message----- 
From: Gregory Chang Patti via il-talk
Sent: Sunday, March 01, 2015 4:24 PM
To: il-talk il-talk
Subject: [il-talk] Fwd: NFB Live presents Working Blind

Our Illinois affiliate sponsors this system along with other affiliates in 
groups. I urge everyone to learn to use it. These kind of events can be very 
helpful.

"The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the 
characteristic that defines you or your future."

Patti S. Gregory-Chang
NFBI Treasurer
NFB Scholarship Comm. Chair
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: NFB Live <support at nfblive.com>
Date: March 1, 2015 at 10:42:47 AM CST
To: NFB Live <support at nfblive.com>
Subject: NFB Live presents Working Blind
Reply-To: NFB Live <support at nfblive.com>

Working Blind

A discussion panel on employment and blindness

Join us on NFB Live on Sunday March 15, at 3:00 PM Eastern in the Events 
Center for an inspirational discussion panel on blindness and employment 
titled, working blind.

People with vision loss experience a rate of unemployment that far exceeds 
that of the general population. The American Foundation of the Blind reports 
that in September 2010, the most recent period for which there is data, 75 
percent of the estimated 4 million adults in the U.S. who are completely or 
partially blind are not in the labor force. A number of factors contribute 
to this high rate of unemployment among the blind, and the exact rate of 
unemployment itself is difficult to determine.

Our presentation, Working Blind, will introduce you to four blind or 
visually impaired individuals who are currently employed. We will talk with 
them about their careers, their lives and the satisfaction their jobs give 
them. Our four presenters are a varried group. We will begin with Shelley 
Gagnier, who works in Customer Service for Hi-Vee Foods Inc, Ray Wayne, who 
is a supervising attorney at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, 
Jonathan Brayfield, who is the manager of Southern Pride Vending, and 
Charlie Richardson, who works as a Telesales Agent for AT&T.

Each of our guests will talk to us about their road to employment, how they 
got their job, what they do, and the challenges and rewards of their chosen 
professions.

Shelley Gagnier:

Shelley has been employed for the past six and a half years by the Hy-Vee 
Inc. grocery chain. As of February, 2014, Hy-Vee had 236 stores located in 8 
states, with more opening each month. Hy-Vee employs over 60,000 individuals 
and is the largest employer in the state of Iowa. Shelley works in Customer 
Service, answering the phones and responding to the many questions that are 
asked by the shoppers stopping by the Customer Service counter during her 
shifts. Shelley also prepares the many ad signs which reflect pricing 
changes each week.

Shelley graduated from Mount Mercy College in 1980 with degrees in Sociology 
and Criminal Justice Administration. She is married with two sons, Scott and 
Matt.

Ray Wayne:

Ray is a supervising attorney at the New York City Commission on Human 
Rights, where he has worked for over twenty years. He investigates and 
prosecutes complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public 
accommodation. Before moving to the Commission, Ray was a litigation 
attorney at the New York City Law Department.

Ray is a 1985 graduate of Harvard Law School.

Jonathan Brayfield:

Jonathan Brayfield is a pastor in his church and is involved with multiple 
church activities. He is the manager of Southern Pride Vending and has a 
rout and one facility with several satellites. These include a few 
facilities that are not state agencies and are more community based. He is a 
part of the RSA Illinois Business Enterprize program for the Blind. He runs 
one main Facility with several lesser facilities attached for a total of 
approximately 30 facilities and 140 vending machines.

Charlie Richardson:

Charlie works for AT&T in one of their national call centers in the wireless 
department as a Telesales Agent. His main duties are to sell new lines of 
cell phone service and set up new accounts, but can help customers with 
general requests. He also cross sells home services. He has been doing this 
for almost a year.

We hope that this forum will serve as a springboard to promote discussion 
and create interest in employment for the blind.

The blind are not psychologically or mentally different from the sighted. We 
are neither especially blessed nor especially cursed. We need jobs, 
opportunity, social acceptance, and equal treatment-not pity and custody.
I believe that blindness has no more importance than any of a hundred other 
characteristics and that the average blind person is able to perform the 
average job in the average place of business, and do it as effectively as 
the average sighted person similarly situated.
The above quotes from Dr. Jernigan are found in: KENNETH JERNIGAN, THE 
MASTER, THE MISSION, THE MOVEMENT; Compiled writings of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan 
with editorial introduction and notes on the text. A publication of the 
National Federation of the Blind.
If you require more information on our presentation, Feel free to contact 
Julie at:

julie at nfblive.com



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