[nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars, What Would You Do To help blind People Get a Job?

[Tonya Smith]

Well, first of all I would teach the employees that the blind people who want to work for. I would teach them how to deal with blind people for one thing and how to work with them. And what kind of equipment they would need and I would pay for it. And then I would have the staff get better job coaches that way they would at least **** with the employees. And they would help educate as well.

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> Original Message:
> ---------------------------------
> 
> From: Fred wurtzel <f.wurtzel at comcast.net> 
> Sent: February 27, 2011 6:01:50 PM
> To: 'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List' <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars, What Would You Do To help blind People Get a Job?
> 
> Hi,
> 
> So Tonya, you told me all the problems, the question is if you had $20
> million and 100 people to work for you, what would you do to make things
> better?
> 
> Warm Regards,
> 
> Fred
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Tonya Smith
> Sent: None
> To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars, What Would You Do
> To help blind People Get a Job?
> 
> Hi Fred, this is Tanya.  You know actually I've been in a situation where, I
> have been, well, and I guess that I had a rehab counselor, actually it was a
> job coach.  She told me that not many companies will hire blind people and I
> say "Why?"  and she said because they don't know how to deal with them.  And
> they don't want them to become a safety hazard or having to watch out for
> them and most work places are not laid out in a way where the blind person
> could easily get around successfully.  You know, because I used to work in
> two jobs and it was pretty easy for me to get around, but she said well
> that's because your mom helped you and she used to work at one of those
> places in Bangor, Michigan and so she was a big help to me, but I guess the
> job coach is right that most places are not geared towards blindness and how
> to deal and the lay out and the patience for that matter.
> 
> Tonya Smith sent you this voice-to-text generated email using Voice on the
> Go.
> To listen, click on the voice message link or open the attachment.
> http://vemail2.whitelabelapp.net:8080/enterprise/Recordings/eAqGFIVQ-2011022
> 7-1714.wav
> 
> 
> > Original Message:
> > ---------------------------------
> > 
> > From: Fred Wurtzel <f.wurtzel at att.net>
> > Sent: February 27, 2011 4:47:13 PM
> > To: 'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List' <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Subject: [nfbmi-talk] If you Had 20 million Dollars, What Would You Do To
> help blind People Get a Job?
> > 
> > hello,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > There is a MCB meeting com9ing up march 18.  What would happen if we 
> > all showed up and gave our ideas of ways to spend $20 million, the 
> > Commission Budget, to help blind people go to work.  If you live in 
> > Detroit or kalamazoo, or Traverse City or Allpena or Ishpeming, what 
> > would you do?  if you had 100 people on your staff what would you have 
> > them do?  Where would you send them.  What would you have them say to
> blind people?
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Just think of it.  $20 million dollars.  To me, that is a lot of 
> > money.  100 people or so, that is a large staff.  The possibilities 
> > seem very bigg.  If those 100 people called 1 employer a week and 
> > asked if they were willing to hire a blind person, how many job 
> > openings could we find?  If we created a competition to create an 
> > accessible way to use Facebook with a chas prize and publicity how much
> would that help blind people find work?
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > If we turned counselors into mentors what difference would that make.  
> > What would happen if we had brainstorming groups meet around the state 
> > to think up ideas of ways to make their communities more accessible 
> > what woudld happen to those communities?  What if the Commission 
> > actually collaborated with consumer groups to solve problems slowing 
> > down blind people from getting good jobs?
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > I encourage you to put march 18 on your calendars and go to lansing to 
> > the ottawa building at pine and ottawa to use your public comment to 
> > let the Coommission how you think $20 million dollars could help blind 
> > people in Michigan.  This is a lot of money, despite the constant 
> > complaining that
> > MCB- is broke.  it is not broke, it has 20 million dollars generously 
> > appropriated by congres and the Michigan legislature to help blind 
> > people go to work.  We can make a difference.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Warmest Regards,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Fred
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
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> > 
> 
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