[nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity

[David Andrews]

There have been some good suggestions in this thread.  It isn't easy, 
and one of the deep dark secrets of blindness is that in some 
specific tasks, we may not be as efficient.  At least this is my 
opinion.  However, in the balance of things, with most jobs, which 
have a variety of tasks, things tend to even out.  However, a person 
needs to pay attention, may need to employ tactics like task sharing 
or task trading, with colleagues to even up things.

Also, most blind people working today need to be good with their 
assistive technology, and need a variety of skills to survive.

Unfortunately school systems, and rehab agencies often don't 
adequately prepare their students for college and/or the real world.

A person needs a way to take notes and keep up with lectures, 
meetings, teleconferences etc.  This is not something you should 
request an accomodation for.  It is a fundamental skill that others 
master if they survive.  At least this is how I see it.

Dave

At 02:19 PM 8/22/2014, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I often find it hard to maintain the same level of productivity as 
>my sighted colleagues. I guess this can primarily be attributed to 
>the fact that I have so far been merely a casual user of assistive 
>technology which is perhaps why I am not able to use it as 
>expeditiously as I should be able to in a professional setting.
>That being said, my uniform experience has taught me that jaws is 
>often unresponsive and unreliable. This makes it virtually 
>impossible to work with the same level of efficiency as a sighted person.
>Most blind students get double the time that their sighted 
>counterparts get for writing exams. However, this is not really a 
>feasible option in the private sector where you are not only 
>required to do your work well but are also expected to complete your 
>tasks expeditiously.
>My inability to meet the latter requirement has often been a source 
>of frustration for me during my internships. My employers have never 
>raised any objections about my inability to complete the same amount 
>of work as my sighted counterparts within a given time period. I 
>guess this is reflective of the low expectations that society has 
>from blind people.
>Be that as it may, this has greatly reduced my job satisfaction and 
>has been a major cause of concern.
>I'd like to know what you guys think about this. Has anyone here had 
>a similar experience?
>What strategies would you recommend for effectively grappling with 
>this challenge?
>
>Best,
>Rahul

         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org