[nabop] Advice on performing general office tasks

Thu May 7 22:42:14 UTC 2015

Judy,

Good advice.
I would use accomodations such as jaws as well with openbook.
I agree with the perkins too so you can write notes on the spot and  label. 
slate and stylus works as well if you are efficient at it.

But its unlikely Min's school has openbook. I hope they are willing to buy 
it for her if she needs it.
These accomodations are expensive. Her school likely has jaws already for 
students to use on school computers such as the library or computer labs. So 
it’s a matter of getting a copy to place on the office pc, but openbook, 
well, is another ball game.
Its also unlikely
that Min can get an optican because they are not manufactured anymore; so 
unless a nfb member has one she can borrow, this idea will not work.

Can you expand more on how you file?
How can you identify what the papers are to file?
Is the optican so useful and accurate?
I've known older nfb members who use them.
Wouldn't you need a reader for that so you can label it first?
Are you labeling the papers as well as the files?

Sure we can do many tasks such as  database cleanup, faxing and printing, 
answering phones, routing calls to personnel, and
organizing tasks like booking meeting rooms and ordering supplies. All tasks 
are common to admin assistant jobs.

That said, I think there are a number of significant challenges to being an 
admin assistant in this increasing digital touch screen world.

I also fail to see how we can electronically index and file documents. I 
wanted a volunteer position in a county office requiring me
to do just that! They said I would not know what the files were once 
scanned. So how on earth could I file or index them?
How could I properly scan them as well? They did not think the software was 
compatible.
I was not even allowed to try because I was told they had enough admin 
volunteers in that job by the time they got back to me.
I understand their concerns, and I honestly had the same ones.

Administrative assistant jobs strike me as visual.
I've been seeking such a job as an entry level  job and cannot even find a 
volunteer position to practice.
I need experience before someone will hire me!

My barrier is that many office volunteer jobs require you to
scan, copy, file, and most of all data entry and more data entry.
I cannot see the papers to perform data entry.

My concern with copying is we cannot put the copies in order or visually 
check if everything copied.
Sure someone can show us the copier and what buttons to press, but it copies 
in print, and wouldn't you get copies mixed up  if you had a lot of them?

Anyway, more ideas would be welcome.
I have a  bit of central vision but cannot see standard print. I'm thinking 
maybe different colors of file folders would assist me in organization.

Thanks.
Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: 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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