[nabs-l] Question For Other NFB Training Center Graduates

Sat Nov 19 23:05:16 UTC 2016

Hey,
Depending on the job/volunteer opportunity I am applying for, I do not generally mention my blindness.
There are some cases when it is appropriate. For instants, I interned at a residential facility over the summer and in applying I mentioned my blindness because some of the expectations for the job are visual and I knew I would not be able to accomplish them/provide relevant documentation. For example, driving vehicles.
I highlighted my abilities not related to me being blind such as knowing how to knit, public speaking experience, volunteer experiences with teens etc.

> On Nov 18, 2016, at 20:42, KENNEDY STOMBERG via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I haven't graduated from the training centers either. But I have to agree with what Kaiti said. I would also be curious to know what you learned at the Training Center. If it's related to what you are applying for... Then, maybe you would put it. For example, if you are applying to intern in a Chemistry Lab for the summer, and one of the things you did at  LCB was learn specific lab techniques or helped someone with a research project... You would definitely have an advantage over your piers. If you don't have job-specific skills that you learned, you probably shouldn't put it. Discrimination against people who are blind is alive and well in this country.  
> 
> Hope this helps! 
> 
> Kennedy 
> Kennedy Stomberg 
> (218)295-2391 
> 
>> On Nov 18, 2016, at 7:33 PM, Kaiti Shelton via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi there,
>> 
>> Just to play devil's advocate, I have always been told never to put
>> anything that gives away that I'm blind on my resume in order to
>> ensure that I'm judged fairly by employers, and am at least granted an
>> interview rather than tossed into the trash because of panic or an
>> unwillingness to learn how I can perform the job with some
>> modifications.  This has come from not just high school counselors,
>> but also college career counselors, professors, and employment
>> specialists working with blind people at a summer work experience
>> program I participated in a few summers ago.  I scrubbed all
>> mentioning of the word blind from my resume, with the exceptions of in
>> facility names and when saying I volunteered with blind children in
>> various capacities.  I don't even have my two NFB scholarship awards
>> listed on there per that advice, and the only blindness-related award
>> I have listed is one for being an outstanding youth volunteer from a
>> blindness organization.  I will give the disclaimer that I have not
>> attended a training center, but regardless according to what I've been
>> taught, it is just good rule of thumb to not mention you're disabled
>> in order to rule out discrimination prior to a job interview.  There
>> are some exceptions to the rule, such as when you're going for
>> educational opportunities and might need to have conversations about
>> accessibility up front, but I hope this provides some good food for
>> thought.
>> 
>>> On 11/18/16, Sophie Trist via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> vejas, I can't answer the how-long part, but I definitely put LCB
>>> on my resume. If employers see that you graduated high school in
>>> the spring of 2015 and didn't start college until the fall of
>>> 2016, they're going to wonder what you did during your gap year.
>>> Telling them about LCB shows that you didn't laze around the
>>> house watching Netflix for nine months. If you also put a little
>>> bit about what you did at LCB, employers will see that you've had
>>> some fascinating experiences and that you're self-aware enough to
>>> realize what skills you lack and seek training in those areas.
>>> 
>>> Hope this helps,
>>> Sophie
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Vejas Vasiliauskas via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Fri, 18 Nov 2016 09:22:24 -0800
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Question  For Other NFB Training Center
>>> Graduates
>>> 
>>> Hi All,
>>> I graduated from LCB in June. I am currently attending my first
>>> year of college.
>>> I was wondering how many of you have put your training center
>>> graduation in your resume, and if so, for how long.
>>> Also, how specific are you when mentioning the training center?
>>> For example, do you just say you graduated from the Louisiana
>>> Center for the Blind, or that it is one of the top training
>>> centres in the country?
>>> Thanks,
>>> Vejas
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>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Kaiti Shelton
>> 
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