[Ohio-Talk] Braille Monitor April 2023: Celebrating 2023 Women's History Month: by Suzanne Turner and Rachel Kuntz

[Suzanne Turner]

Celebrating 2023 Women’s History Month: Two Women Share a Historical
Position on how a Leader in the National Federation of the Blind has Helped
to Shape

their Vision into Reality 

 

by Suzanne Turner and Rachel Kuntz

 

Suzanne Turner

>From the Editor: This is an interesting perspective on celebrating Women’s
History Month, an unexpected thank-you at an unexpected time. What a tribute

to the person they celebrate and we give a tribute to them for doing this.
This article is one in which a man is thanked for his commitment to the
cause

of women in employment:

 

Suzanne Turner is a member of the NFB Employment Committee from the Ohio
affiliate and here are her thoughts.

 

The slogan “behind every great man there's a woman” was adopted in the
1960/70s feminist movement, first having been used in the 1940s. The
implication

behind the saying is that the great woman is often ignored or taken for
granted. Since that time, women have been making enormous strides, and that
motto

today is now a humorous cliché. Although women are continuing to fight for
equality in every aspect, there are men who have aided them in that pinnacle

fight. Those men who help you to raise your expectations, seize your
potential, and help to shape your future are a value to women’s history.
Therefore,

I want to take liberty in turning the tables on the slogan to talk about a
great man behind two blind women.

 

The month of March gives recognition to women across the world who have
achieved significant contributions. The 2023 theme is "Celebrating Women Who
Tell

Our Stories." This theme recognizes "women, past and present, who have been
active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV,
stage,

screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media."

 

As I write this article, it is only fitting that I share with a dear and
honored friend in its creation. She and I respect and are grateful for the
National

Federation of the Blind for supporting our groundbreaking ideas. Although we
reside in affiliates on separate coasts across the country, we serve
together

in spirit. We also share in the love for inspiring, the hope to motivate,
and the determination to make a difference in the lives of the blind.
However,

our greatest privilege is to work within the framework of the Employment
Committee chaired by Dick Davis, who is blind at heart.

 

Dick Davis

In 2011 I met Dick at a national convention by attending my first employment
seminar. I was elated to be in the room with those who were collaborating

on solutions for assisting the blind with employment opportunities. I left
refreshed, reborn, and ready to pull up my sleeves and get to work. As a
benefit

counselor and employment coordinator at a nonprofit, I knew that talking
about sourcing for jobs was cheap. Needless to say, I had a plan and pitched
it

to Dick. He graciously gave me the green light to facilitate a job fair at
the 2012 National Convention. There were twelve employers providing on the
spot

interviews and taking resumes. Although I am not sure if any of the
attendees back then were successful, it was the start of what now is the
National Federation

of the Blind Career Fair. In 2022 over thirty employers were present,
hosting over one hundred job applicants. Consequently, each year there are
three

National Federation of the Blind Career Fairs that are open to all job
seekers within and outside the Federation.

 

Dick Davis is the innovator for creating seminars on resume writing, job
preparation, upper mobility, and more. He has created a network of
successful

blind individuals who are committed and dedicated to assist the blind with
getting, keeping, advancing, and regaining a job. Moreover, his article on
the

“70 Percent Solution” states that, “Employers don’t want to know what they
can do for a blind job applicant; they want to know what the applicant can
do

for them.” This is why the Employment Committee’s focus is driven by
communicating the importance of interpersonal skills, mobility training,
self-care,

self-work, tolerance, and work direction, which mirrors a vocational
prospective.

 

Dick gave me an ability to share a dream that had been festering within for
years. I am an African-American blind female who was a victim of Section
14(c)

who found herself packing spoons and forks in a box for less than the
minimum wage in 1985. I was told that I would never be a competitive
employee and

this by someone who should have provided me with an informed choice. After
all, I graduated at the top of my class in high school and was accepted into

the University of Alabama. Despite those setbacks in the workshop, I
obtained a graduate degree, retired twice from the federal sector, and now
am living

the life I want. Dick took a chance on me, giving me an opportunity to prove
that my talents and energy were valued. Without the man behind this woman,

I would not be completely invested in the Federation. His confidence in my
abilities has not waivered. I have known Dick over a decade, and his
leadership

is a treasure. His manners and civility should be taught since it is such an
important life skill in how we relate to one another. He has the ability to

disagree without disrespecting the opposing side, then offering a
resolution. Dick truly cares about people.

 

As I stated, there are two women that have been affected by Dick’s
influence, discipline, and dedication. In 2016 during the Ohio annual state
convention,

I invited him to participate in a panel discussion called “Career Building
Exchange Symposium” where he and six experienced professionals in blindness

discussed topics on career exploration, sourcing and networking, and the
importance of the first impression to name a few. Dick also spoke to the
general

assembly, introducing programs and services at BLIND Inc. His dialog
captured the imagination of a young woman who was newly blind and exploring
her vocational

options. Rachel Kuntz was captivated by his presentation and soon enrolled
as a student at BLIND Inc. She was so impressive that the organization made

her a job offer. After accepting, Rachel is thriving professionally and
fulfilling her purpose as a confident and successful blind woman.

 

So, the great man behind the two women from Ohio has extended greatness
within us by providing equality, security, and opportunity, yes to Rachel
and me,

but also to the Employment Committee and blind job seekers everywhere. It is
Dick’s passion for the blind that binds us together because he has shown us

that we are part of something bigger than ourselves; we are colleagues
determined to help transform dreams into reality.

 

Rachel Kuntz

Rachel Kuntz is also a member of the Employment Committee from the Arizona
Affiliate and here is her tribute.

 

As Suzanne has thoughtfully noted, Dick Davis has been instrumental in
changing the course of my life. At the 2016 Ohio affiliate convention, I was
carefully

reviewing my list of things to do, and I was interrupted by a man who wanted
to tell me a joke. I cannot remember the joke now, but I do remember that

I was so busy and focused that the joke went over like a lead balloon. Who
was this ill-timed jokester? I am sure that you could guess that it was none

other than Dick Davis.

 

Since our first meeting, Dick has never wavered in his support of me and
wholeheartedly encourages my ambitions. I am privileged to call him a mentor
and

friend. I will never forget how Dick cared for me during those early days of
COVID quarantine while my family lived states away. His occasional visits

bringing me dinner made it possible to endure the isolation. I can never
repay him for his acts of kindness. He and his wife Pat have been an
important

part of my life now for eight years.

 

Suzanne mentioned some of Dick’s many accomplishments that have been a key
component to the success of the Employment Committee and job seekers. I am
going

to take a moment to enlighten readers to lesser known work he does behind
the scenes. On any given day Dick will receive dozens of phone calls, text
messages,

and hundreds of emails that will ask him for help with their resume, job
search, or job interview. No matter what he is doing at any given moment,
Dick

will stop to give a job seeker a few words of encouragement and helpful
advice. If you have ever reviewed the jobs list, you will no doubt note the
volume

of work this has entailed over the years.

 

Dick has taken many road trips to visit with an employer or business
interested in hiring a blind person for the first time. He has a
straightforward way

about him that makes the employer feel as though they have known him
forever. Dick is tremendous at creating opportunities at places like FedEx
and elsewhere,

assuring them that with the appropriate accommodations blind people are
capable of working on the same level as their sighted employees. This action
alone

has opened more doors than could be counted in our community.

 

Dick, who came to the organization by working for Kenneth Jernigan in Iowa,
holds a steadfast belief in the limitless potential of blind people. I can

only imagine that throughout his tenure as the Employment Committee chair,
he has helped thousands of people gain the knowledge and courage to land
that

first job. This year, he is at last passing the torch to a new Employment
Committee chair. Because of his legacy of success, we know that he has left
every

aspect of the committee strong and prepared for the next generation of
leadership. Thank you, Dick, for all that you have done for our community
and for

continuing to be the great man behind great women like Suzanne and me.