[Nfbmo] employment question

Mon Sep 26 15:54:06 UTC 2011

Good morning all.  First thank you for all of your responses, they have
given me much to think about.  I guess I should say that at this point I am
not worried that I might get fired or anything like that.  I am concerned
that since the job requirements are changing that I will get the appropriate
accomodations.  Also that I will be able to use what ever technology will
help me on the work computers.  At this point I think I will ask my
opthamologist to write a letter, but I will not turn it into my employer
unless they request some documentation.
Gary the company I work for is a Head Start federally funded, but we are
small only about 13 total employees on site.   I don't want to take things
further than they need to go, but I want to make sure that I can do my job
comfortably.
Thanks  Jenny

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Gary Wunder <GWunder at earthlink.net> wrote:

> I think declaring ones disability is important and is sometimes suspect if
> mentioned only after some action has been taken and one wants to claim
> discrimination on the basis of it.
>
> How is this agency funded? How many employees does it have? Were previous
> supervisors aware of your blindness?
>
> Warmly,
>
> Gary
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Randy Carmack
> Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 2:12 PM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] employment question
>
>  All, I have been under the impression that in order for the ADA to
> protect
> you that you must declare your disability with your employer and when you
> do
> most employers are going to require documentation of that disability.  Are
> these impressions not correct?  What if Jenny's employer wants her to go to
> their doctor for an evaluation?  I know they did with another employee that
> they just fired.
>
> I have already been working with Jenny to find an acceptable low vision aid
> but honestly while my computer skills are top notch, my knowledge of low
> vision aids are not and I agree with Susan, I am too emotionally involved
> to
> be any type of official technological  expert.
>
> Thanks,
> Randy Carmack
>
> On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 9:47 AM, Susan Ford
> <johnsusanford at earthlink.net>wrote:
>
> > Jenny:
> >
> > Hello.  It's been a long time, seems like.  Debbie and Dan have started
> you
> > on the right track.  I think it is important for you to know exactly what
> > programs you are required to use on the computer at work.  Some programs
> may
> > work better with certain speech programs.  I know that you use Jaws, but
> > what word processor does your work use?  What email do they use?  Do you
> > fill out forms and if so, do you access them through a special program?
> You
> > may want RSB to ask for a rehab engineering eval to make sure that
> > everything is compatible.  Your vision may be stable right now, but since
> > with glaucoma your chance of losing vision may be higher, I would make
> sure
> > everything is in place; the sooner the better.  That may mean those
> Braille
> > skills too.  I think you know that large print is usable too, so perhaps
> > Zoomtext plus or something that can be used with large print and speech
> is
> > what you need.  You need to talk to someone like Gary, Denny Huff or Greg
> > Mark to make sure everything is in order for you.  Your rehab counselor
> > might help with discussing the situation with your supervisor, but you
> might
> > choose to talk to someone like Dan, who has some of the same experiences
> > with vision loss that you do.  Cari and Chris are both pretty
> knowledgable
> > about computers too, and Bryan Schulz--all of whom live in St. Louis.
>  Oh,
> > and Diana, Nancy Lynn and Fred.  And you know what Randy knows, but I
> think
> > it would be better to keep him out of the situation, other than as your
> > sounding board.  And probably a letter in your file from your rehab
> > counselor would be good.  Don't turn in anything like that till you have
> > read it.  If you have any questions about such a letter (how things are
> > phrased) talk to Gary before you give it to your supervisor.  Sometimes
> > doctors and counselors try to help and their comments are more damaging
> that
> > it would have been if they said nothing.
> >
> > Sorry to go on, but your question stimulates lots of others questions.
> >
> > Susan Ford
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Carmack" <
> jcarmack314 at gmail.com>
> > To: "NFB Listserv" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 9:18 PM
> > Subject: [Nfbmo] employment question
> >
> >
> >  Hi everyone.  I have never posted on here before, although I read what
> >> everyone posts regualarly.  Anyway I have a question that I am pretty
> sure
> >> someone can answer.  First let me give you a little background
> >> information.
> >> I am a mentor teacher for an early head start program in St. Louis city.
> >> In
> >> this position I have many job duties from working as a teacher to
> training
> >> teachers to supervising teachers.  This program serves children who are
> >> six
> >> weeks to three years old.  I have worked in this program for eight
> years.
> >> During this time I have worked under several different supervisors, most
> >> of
> >> who have been supportive of me and worked with accomadations that I may
> >> need.  Two weeks ago a new director started and she wants us to move to
> >> using the computers more.  She does not seem very happy to hear that I
> >> will
> >> have some trouble with this as none of the computers at my job have any
> >> speech or enlarging programs on them.  I can use a computer without any
> >> adaptation for a short while.  The new director has not said anything to
> >> me
> >> about this, but her sighs and body language that come out when I try to
> >> talk
> >> to her are making me uneasy. My eyesight has not changed over the past
> >> eight
> >> years, but my job requirements have.   Several people have suggested
> that
> >> I
> >> get my eye doctor to write a litter which would declare my disability to
> >> give to my employer to be placed on file.  My questions are,  Should I
> get
> >> this letter and what should this letter should be included in this
> letter
> >> and is there anything that should not be mentioned in this letter?
> Thanks
> >> for your help.  Jenny Carmack
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> >>
> >
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