[nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks
Judy Jones
jtj1 at cableone.net
Thu May 7 14:12:11 UTC 2015
Yes, regarding the clear tape, I have either used Dymo tape or clear
laminate sheets purchased from E-bay. The sheets I use as braille store
inventory labels mostly, but have used them for other purposes.
Typewriters are still very easy to maintain, as you can still get parts and
ribbons and have them serviced. This one is a Brothers that was purchased
by the office before I came on board, and all our regional offices still
each have one in the front office. Each colleague has their own computer of
course.
Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: Brown, Debbie via nabop
Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2015 6:57 AM
To: 'National Association of Blind Office Professionals'
Cc: Brown, Debbie
Subject: Re: [nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks
Judy, your post proves that older technology is reliable. I am curious
about how you are keeping your optacon--and even your typewriter-maintained.
Also, if you put labels on anything sighted people use, make sure to use
clear material. I made enemies around here putting black tape on the
microwave, and I have to help the sightlings find the buttons. Serves them
right, but it might be diplomatic to avoid that.
Debbie Brown
-----Original Message-----
From: nabop [mailto:nabop-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy Jones via
nabop
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2015 9:54 PM
To: National Association of Blind Office Professionals
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks
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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