[nabs-l] Update on meeting with a job placement specialist

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi Jim,

If you were wanting to work as a truck driver, then I could understand
your rehab counselor's recommendation, but you're not. It's entirely
possible to work jobs that require periodic driving--and to hire a
driver. By all means fight for the resources you need to be able to do
the job of your choice.

Arielle

On 5/9/09, Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> This is quite disturbing.  What was your educational background and what job
> did you want?
> I know it has to do with parks and
> "field work".  It may be too visual, but we don't know without more
> information.  I know there are blind people working outside.  They have been
> farmers and gardeners.  Some jobs we can't do such as jobs where driving is
> done all day.  These include being a pizza driver, truck driver for
> deliveries, fireman, and policeman.  But for some jobs where driving is just
> one aspect of the job, you can work around that.  Some blind employees hire
> their own driver; others have it provided as a reasonable accomodation.  Is
> your vision stable?
> It sounds like your vr counselor is trying to pigeonhole you into a job
> before considering other alternatives or related fields that use your field
> of study.
>
> Could you explain more on this?
> "Seeing that all of my work experience has been outside of an office, they
> think the place to start is to get me an office job."
> What work experience do you have outside?
> I think some outdoor work can be done with alternative techniques.  Just
> because you can't do it visually now, does not mean you cannot do it at all.
> What sort of office jobs did they have in mind?
>
> Jim also secretary jobs are disappearing.  Before managers wrote documents
> by hand and put them on a recording and then the secretary using a
> dictaphone would type the documents.  Now everyone has computers eliminating
> the need for most secretaries.  There is little need for dictation.
> So I don't think you have to worry about  being shoved into secretarial
> work.
>
> Interesting this comes up about outdoor work.  I am going to try and
> volunteer at a county  park.  I will mainly work indoors answering phones,
> registering people for programs  and more office
> work but also wanted to do some outdoor work such as gardening and trail
> maintenance if I can.  I want to learn gardening so I can plant when I have
> my own home.  I want to assist outdoors to clean up and prevent pollution.
> The Potomac River here in VA is quite polluted unfortunately.  I'll see what
> I can come up with.
>
> Hope it works out Jim.
> Ashley
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Reed" <jim275_2 at yahoo.com>
> To: "NABS mail list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 9:08 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] Update on meeting with a job placement specialist
>
>
> Hey all,
> I met with the job placement person today; my VR councilor was there as
> well. The general consensus was, and I agree (grumbleing and muttering under
> breath), that my days of being capable to work out in the field are
> numbered, and that the task is made much harder by not being able to drive.
> So, my visual prognosis being what it is, it seems prudent to begin
> prepairing me for an office job, rather than continuing my pursuit of a
> field-based experience.
>
> I tried to argue that I should continue pursuit of field work because there
> is no real difference between an office job, and going to school (the same
> skills are used, just different application of those skills, thus my time
> would be better spent in the field), but they did not buy it.
>
> Seeing that all of my work experience has been outside of an office, they
> think the place to start is to get me an office job. I grudgingly agreed,
> but I made a clear distinction that there are administrative jobs, and there
> are clerical/secretary jobs, and that I have not the skills or desire to be
> a secretary.
>
> Who knows? Maybe the office won't be so bad.
>
> Jim
>
> "Ignorance killed the cat; curiosity was framed."
>
>
>
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