[nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks

[Judy Jones]

Hello, Min,

Part of my job is that of being an administrative assistant.   The most 
important thing I do is to use a Perkins brailler to braille on the bottom 
of any paper that comes across my desk, since I am responsible for all 
office communications and ordering, filing, billing etc.  One of my 
colleagues in Lewiston said it, every hard-copy the office deals with lands 
on our desks, and we make the final decision what happens to that paper and 
where it goes and how quickly.

I use a typewriter to address envelopes, make individual labels as needed, 
write sticky-notes to colleagues, and fill in occasional text on a hard-copy 
document.  I use an Optacon to help with this, about the Optacon in a 
minute.

Most definitely I use a computer with Jaws that is totally accessible with 
the work sites.  I could use the computer to print labels, but is time 
consuming for the individual label.  I also use the typewriter to write 
deposit slips, since I am in charge of our supplies store.  I had a reader 
for the first month on the job to help me get set up in the office and 
store, and she helped me map out how many lines down from the top, spaces 
from the left, backspaces from the right, lines down, etc.

I have a scanner with OpenBook, plus I use Epson Scan to create image docs 
for colleagues if they are needed.  Our agency is not yet scanning directly 
into any online database yet, but are getting there.

Now for the Optacon.  It is a piece of older technology that is still around 
that allows the blind person to directly read printed material through use 
of a hand camera and a display that raises the print letter.  As you scan 
the camera across the page, you can read what is on that page.  It will 
tackle things that a camera and app can't touch.  If I need to sign my name, 
I mark the signature line with a stylus dot, make a crease straight on the 
line, and know where to sign or use my signature stamp.  I also make this 
crease so I know where to fill out with typewriter when I need to.

I use the Optacon for spot-checking and disseminating mail, paying bills, 
proofing layout of a newly created document, and sometimes have used it on 
my computer screen when Jaws hasn't been working properly.  If it were not 
for the Optacon, I would be needing reader hours.  I can even read cursive 
as long as it is neat and not over anything else on the document.

I have my own case load but manage a second case load as well, and all those 
files have braille labels on the back of each folder tab.

The first thing I would say is that braille skills are essential!  I could 
find ways of doing the job if I didn't know braille, but my productivity 
would be way down.  It has been said that although 70% of blind people are 
unemployed, approximately 90% of those employed use braille.  Those stats 
speak for themselves.

You must also have good written and communication skills.

About scanning.  You will want to investigate whether or not the office uses 
image scanning, or if their system will be accessible to you.  As you need 
to scan in, you will also more than likely be needing to retrieve documents 
as well.

You will also want to make sure your screen reader interfaces properly with 
their system.

One part of the issue is having the skills to do the job.  The other part is 
having the systems and software in place that will allow you to do the job. 
One thing that can help is job trading.  For instance, if there is a certain 
task that is not accessible to you, maybe you can take on someone elses work 
that is accessible, freeing them up to do your inaccessible task.

My productivity equals that of my sighted counterparts, and this is what you 
will want to strive for.

Let me know if you have any further questions, and best wishes.

Judy

-----Original Message----- 
From: minh ha via nabop
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 10:12 PM
To: nabop at nfbnet.org
Cc: minh ha
Subject: [nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I subscribed to this list in order to
get some tips and tricks on how you all perform office tasks as a
totally blind person. A little bit about me: I am currently a junior
at Boston College double majoring in Applied Psychology and Sociology.
I am also from the Central Massachusetts area. I have an interview for
an administrative assistant position in my university's Corporate and
Foundations Relations office coming up this week and I want to be
prepared to answer questions they might have regarding how I can
perform the outlined tasks. I've pasted the job description below:

And a basic job description for our position is: Provide
administrative support to the Corporate and Foundation Relations team
in University Advancement.
Responsibilities will include updating alumni database; uploading and
indexing electronic filing system; scanning and copying; online
research/projects;
monitoring and reporting on CFR twitter account; working with
Development Assistants for data reports and clean-up; conducting
on-campus errands, proofreading documents,
and other general office projects. The position is 15 hours a week.

Most of the tasks described I can do with ease, but stuff like
scanning, copying, indexing electronic files and general office tasks,
I've never had any experience with. If I could get some suggestions on
how you all go about doing these jobs, I would greatly appreciate it.

Best,
Minh


-- 
Minh Ha
Boston College | Lynch School of Education '16
minh.ha927 at gmail.com

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on
their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T. E. Lawrence

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