[Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment

Thu Oct 4 19:00:39 UTC 2012

Hello Matt, your answers are wonderful and right on. Thank you for sharing 
your perspective. I think your thought are worth of a Blind Missourian 
article. So many people will not see your thoughts beyond this list, please 
consider sharing in other ways.

Debbie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "david hertweck" <david.hertweck at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment

> Super comments.  I agree with you 100%.
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Matt Sievert
> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 11:15 PM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment
>
> Group,
>
> My name is Matthew Sievert, and I am 41 years old and legally blind. I
> currently live in suburban Detroit working for a company writing computer
> applications for the auto industry.
>
> I want to address some of the points that Gary Wunder has mentioned in his
> email regarding "barrier's to blind employment".
>
>
> I have no experience with the first two issues which are as follows.
>
> 1. Lack of good training in assistive technology--there is more to using
> Jaws or WindowEyes than arrow and tab keys.
>
> 2. Some programs, internet or otherwise, will not talk, regardless ones
> level of competence with screen-reading software. This eliminates jobs 
> that
> capable blind people could do.
>
> Here is where I would like to begin my comments.
>
> 3. Some of us place restrictions on potential employment that we might not
> place on it were we not already receiving minimal incomes: I will not ride
> the bus an hour each way; I cannot move to a different city because this 
> is
> where my friends live; I do not want to live in a city, even though I know
> there are no jobs in my community and no transportation for me to get to
> another.
>
> My comments to number 3 are as follows.
> You don't want it enough. You need to have a goal. Perhaps a short-term
> goal. Do you want to live on your own and do what you want, when you want?
> If so, then effort and great sacrifices will need to take place. You will
> ride the bus for an hour. You will work for a very low wage. You will eat 
> a
> lot of ramen noodles and count quarters, hoping you have enough for
> laundry. Eventually you will achieve your short-term goal. You will get
> work experience and find a better job. you will get a raise. You will get 
> a
> better job. The new job will be closer to home. You will get more money,
> and you will no longer dig around the change dish looking for one last
> quarter to dry your clothes. As far moving. If it means a better
> opportunity then do it. Do it while your parent's are young. Eventually 
> you
> will want to be closer to your relatives as they get older. So go 
> exploring
> now. You can always come back home later.
>
> Next comment from Gary Wunder.
>
> 4. I am afraid. School I understand, but what would it be like to work in 
> an
> office and have to learn the location of things, learn the names of new
> people, and figure out how to make accommodations when something changes.
>
> My comments.
> This is called "life". Everyone else deals with this issue, you are not
> special.
> Change and exploration is awesome. School is a foundation. They give you
> some tools and send you on your way. It is up to you to follow your 
> desires
> and do what you want. Change and uncertainty is part of the journey, and
> not an obstacle.
>
> Next comment from Gary Wunder
>
> 5. I am stuck where I am. It has been ten years since I had to get up in 
> the
> morning and meet a schedule. At one level I think I can do it, but at
> another I'm scaredd.
>
> My comments
> This is totally up to you. Look around you. Do you like what you see right
> now? if so then fine. If not, then start making notes and decide the small
> things you can change. From there you can build. What excites you? What
> makes you curious? Is there something you want to know? Even if it has
> nothing to do with your formal education or training. Go exploring. If you
> are single, then you answer to only yourself. Your parent's will love you
> regardless. But it is only your responsibility. You can start small and
> explore areas of interest. You don't need to do this all at once. A
> part-time job. A weekend conference. A meeting with someone who has common
> interests. It all starts with you deciding to do something different. Only
> if YOU REALLY want to.
>
> Here is Gary's final comment.
>
> 6. The earnings cliff means that, no matter how much I want to work,
> economically it just doesn't make sense.
>
> My comments
> Number six is the best one. Since I am single and I took care of this at a
> young age. I will not have the same perspective as someone who might have
> more medical issues or is at an older age, with that said.
>
> The day my part-time employer gave me a raise to the point where I could
> sustain myself month-to-month was the point where I was on my own. I 
> called
> social security and told them I had met my limit and no longer needed 
> their
> help. I went into the social security office and signed some papers and I
> stopped receiving monthly SSI checks. the audits continued for two years 
> as
> expected, and that didn't cause any issues.
>
> I was eating ramen noodle, taco bell, and using window fans instead of my
> air conditioner, but I was supporting myself.
>
> I took a part-time job up at Bass Pro Shops Corporate Headquarters. I 
> spent
> quite a bit of my paycheck on cab fare. I complained about the cost of the
> cab and so forth and a good friend said, "at least you have a job. this is
> only temporary, you will eventually get a raise and it won't be so bad."
> Six months later. I got a raise and also the bus route down Kearney was
> extended. So things got better.
>
> The longest job I have ever had was a minimum wage usher job at Missouri
> State University. I worked as an usher there for over sixteen years. That
> is the BEST job I have ever had. I learned so much from that position. I
> learned how to interact with strangers. How to build confidence on what 
> you
> know. How to deal with change. I also learned how to be honest with
> yourself. I learned to ask questions, and I learned to listen to people.
> Simply stand there and listen to someone.
>
> This is not a story of success, because I am not there yet. I have had 
> many
> challenges, a lot of them self-inflicted. There have been many pity
> parties, and some very awkward situations.
>
> I can tell you that this is hard. Every day is very hard. It is a 
> challenge
> to live, work and socialize in what is essentially a sighted world.
>
> Like I have said in the past to anyone who will listen. You have to
> 1. Want whatever you desire. I mean really want it.
> 2. You have to work three to four times as hard as a sighted person to
> obtain the same goals
> 3. You have to have a plan of attack. It is a big ol chess game. Be ready
> for whatever comes next. Even if it is unexpected.
> 4. Money, Money goes a long ways to equalize. It buys you freedom. It gets
> you tech. It takes you places where sighted people can go with a lot less
> effort.
>
> I can go on and on and on, but the the hardest part of succeeding as a
> visually impaired adult, is overcoming the daily obstacles. The actual job
> for me is not my greatest challenge. Getting to work safely, getting to 
> the
> hardware store to buy improvement items, Having a social life, building a
> future family, and obtaining my dreams. Those are the really difficult
> things.
>
> One final note.
> A local Social Security case worker called me up a few years ago and told
> me they think they underpaid me for a portion of the time I was on SSI.
> They wanted me to come down to their office and talk with them about
> reopening my case. I told them "no". They said, "not even if it means you
> might get more money?". My response was, "I have worked so hard to get to
> where I am now. There is no reason for me to go back to that part of my
> life." She seemed very taken aback and I wished her a good day.
>
> Thank you for your time and I wish everyone the best of luck. It is a
> really really really hard journey, but the successes are really awesome.
>
> Matthew Sievert
>
> On Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 5:37 PM, Gary Wunder <gwunder at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi Matt. I think this is what Jim wants--none of us are writing the truth
>> but trying to find it.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Matt Sievert
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 3:56 PM
>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment
>>
>> I have very strong feelings on 4,5,6.
>>
>> I will send my feelings and how I deal with them in another email.
>>
>> I will also make sure I indicate at the top of the email. So those who
>> don't
>> want to, won't have to read very far before deciding to delete the 
>> message.
>>
>> I don't mean to "push" my ideas on others. I just want to provide
>> observations on those areas.
>>
>> Matt
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: "Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
>> Sender: "Nfbmo" <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org>
>> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 15:30:56
>> To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>> Reply-To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment
>>
>> Here are the things I've observed and heard. We need to get solid
>> information from those who are unemployed and not rely much on 
>> second-hand
>> accounts such as the one I am about to give.
>>
>> 1. Lack of good training in assistive technology--there is more to using
>> Jaws or WindowEyes than arrow and tab keys.
>>
>> 2. Some programs, internet or otherwise, will not talk, regardless ones
>> level of competence with screen-reading software. This eliminates jobs 
>> that
>> capable blind people could do.
>>
>> 3. Some of us place restrictions on potential employment that we might 
>> not
>> place on it were we not already receiving minimal incomes: I will not 
>> ride
>> the bus an hour each way; I cannot move to a different city because this 
>> is
>> where my friends live; I do not want to live in a city, even though I 
>> know
>> there are no jobs in my community and no transportation for me to get to
>> another.
>>
>> 4. I am afraid. School I understand, but what would it be like to work in
>> an
>> office and have to learn the location of things, learn the names of new
>> people, and figure out how to make accommodations when something changes.
>>
>> 5. I am stuck where I am. It has been ten years since I had to get up in
>> the
>> morning and meet a schedule. At one level I think I can do it, but at
>> another I'm scaredd.
>>
>> 6. The earnings cliff means that, no matter how much I want to work,
>> economically it just doesn't make sense.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of James Moynihan
>> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 10:36 AM
>> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
>> Subject: [Nfbmo] Barriers to Blind Employment
>>
>> Fellow Federationists
>>
>> The rate of unemployment for the blind is between %70 and %80.  The
>> Employment Research Committee (ERC) is working on identifying the 
>> barriers
>> to employment of the blind and possible solutions.  Pleas state the
>> barriers
>> that you believe contribute to blind unemployment and possible solutions.
>> Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Cordially,
>>
>> Jim Moynihan
>>
>> ERC Chair
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>>
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