[Nfbmo] employment question

Tue Sep 27 12:49:23 UTC 2011

Hi Jenny.  I agree with your strategy.  It is good not to make a mountain
out of a mole hill.  I think it is good that you are looking at what
technology you may need.  In coming up with your request, I urge you to
consider training as part of it.  Some of the assistive technology we have
can do far more than we make it do because we are trained to use it to its
full potential or even to the extent that it performs all of the functions
we needed to.  This will very some from job to job.  I find that I need Jaws
for Windows to do things for me now that I am editing that weren't terribly
important to me as a programmer.  Likewise, there are things I'm not doing
now that I would have to relearn were I to return to that field.  Please let
us know how we can help.

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jenny Carmack
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 10:54 AM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] employment question

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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