[stylist] more on this subject of Working in blindness field

Mon Feb 18 17:49:00 UTC 2013

Excellent if far more desirable than "good."
Good ends up being Plan B or Plan C.
Go for EXCELLENT! You are a very sharp young man - go for EXCELLENCE.

Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] more on this subject of Working in blindness field

> Yeah, I am inclined to agree.  Plan a is usually the best path in the long
> run.  Of course, that changes as you gog through your different stages of
> life.  I would always encourage someone to take your skill set, develop 
> it,
> then put yourself in the best possible chance to succeed.  I firmly 
> believe
> in what Jim Brown said.  "You just got to be good."
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda 
> Lambert
> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 12:24 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] more on this subject of Working in blindness field
>
> I recommend the book, "Cockeyed" - which is available through library of
> congress for the reading machines we have - a teenager who was going 
> blind,
> and became a professor of English - it is super funny - and yet so
> enlightening as to the high goals a person can achieve by never settling 
> for
> Plan B.
> My advice, is, those who plan for Plan B, end up being there instead of at
> Plan A where they really wanted to be.
> I do not believe in settling for anything less than the absolute desire of
> your heart - Plan A is the only acceptable plan in my own life. I am an
> advid believer in being completely outside the comfort level for as long 
> as
> it takes to achieve your goals. And, once you are "there" you continue to
> work your butt off without any excuses.
> Excellence is the only path worth following.
>
> Lynda
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "justin williams" <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 10:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [stylist] more on this subject of Working in blindness field
>
>
>> New Braska is all kinds of awesome.  Some states are better than others.
>> Any field is open, but you may have to move to find it.  Aiwa is another
>> good state.  Leaving out the venders and customer service reps, no
>> disrespect to any of the people in those fields, human service or 
>> computer
>> programming fields followed by professors  and lawyers seem to be where
>> totals or braille users work.  This is by no means cut and dry, and I am
>> not
>> including lo vision applicants, because the better your sight, the more
>> likely you will be to have a job which is outside of that block of fiends
>> that I just mentioned.  I've met braille users in just about every type 
>> of
>> career field, but keep in mind that a person who is blind does develop 
>> and
>> emphasize a slightly different skill set which naturally fits them better
>> to
>> certain fields.  Going outside of those fields generally speaking, will
>> force the person to have to constantly perform at a higher level of skill
>> just to have a chance of success.  Of course, that is possible.  But
>> remember, I am making a basic statement.  Feel free to enlighten me
>> further.  Remember, I am saying this with the caveat  that anything is
>> possible, and I have met Blind teachers, mechanics, business owners who
>> are
>> not venders, cabinent makers, among others.  Not all of the teachers were
>> teachers of the bisually impaired.  Some taught in standard classroom
>> formats.  I have heard of blind electricians, met travel agents, there 
>> you
>> go, travel agent is another field for the blind, and even read the 
>> article
>> on the blind doctor. I think he is somewhere in canada.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert
>> Leslie
>> Newman
>> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 9:14 AM
>> To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
>> Subject: [stylist] more on this subject of Working in blindness field
>>
>> Guys
>> Back when I started working for the commission for the Blind here in
>> Nebraska, back in the seventies, our federation had the mindset (this is 
>> a
>> generalization) that if you as a blind person had one of those jobs, then
>> you were suspect, as in you had gone over to the other side, that of the
>> enemy! (This was the state of relations between the progressive blind and
>> the rehab services.) Boy, back then, in a NFB chapter around here, you
>> mostly weren't encouraged to try and become an officer, because it was
>> feared that you would be a spy for the rehab side, and would be pushing
>> their (the bad guys) agenda. But --- this all changed. Here in Nebraska
>> and
>> in New Mexico and maybe in some other states, the NFB got the bad agency
>> head folks fired and had a hand in who and what changes had to occur ---
>> and
>> so the NFB philosophy got the upper hand. And then, it became respectful
>> for
>> NFB members to be part of the rehab scene. (Here in the Omaha chapter we
>> still have one older member, like in the 80's who doesn't like seeing a
>> rehab professional being in a leadership position.)
>>
>> Think of it, one of the larger and more active NFB Division's is the
>> Rehabilitation Professionals.
>>
>> #2 Taking a serious look at job opportunities for the blind in blind
>> related
>> professions --- count up the number of rehab agencies and/or other
>> services
>> around the country and add up how many blind folks are working within 
>> them
>> and I bet that number is not as great as you think!!! Consider, that in
>> general, the not so good agencies who have low expectations are the ones
>> that will more than likely hire only a few token blind workers. And the
>> better rehab services, which are the minority in this nationwide group
>> that
>> we are looking at --- sure, they may have more blind guys on staff.
>> (Nebraska at present has 1 blind related rehab service only. They have a
>> total staff at the commission that numbers around 55 and 17 are blind. 
>> All
>> other employed blind people work in a variety of other jobs; Nebraska is
>> one
>> of the better states for employment of the blind and there are a bunch of
>> folks that are doing all kinds of jobs.) So watch that thought of yours,
>> that there are a big number of blind folks working in blind related
>> jobs ---
>> for either reason of- A. That is where they are accepted. Or B. That it 
>> is
>> the job that the blind think of first as to what they can do.
>>
>> (Just my rambling for this morning.)
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
>> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 7:08 AM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Working in blindness field
>>
>> Bridget,
>>
>> Could it be that more of the state board members and generally more 
>> really
>> active members of the NFB are working in the blindness field because
>> blindness is their passion?It makes sense to me that if promoting
>> opportunities for blind people was your life's mission that you'd work in
>> that field and be more active within an organization that supported you.
>> I
>> do think all blind people have an interest in achieving true equality for
>> blind people. However I think for some it is their major life's work,
>> while
>> for others of us it is something we do when we can around our other main
>> pursuits. So it makes sense to me that there would be a large number of
>> people within the NFB that do or want to work in the blindness field.
>>
>> I've been blind for around 20 years now.  While I do know quite a few
>> blind
>> people who work in the blindness field, I'd say I know a larger number 
>> who
>> don't.  Perhaps that's because I have never been very involved in
>> leadership
>> within the NFB.  It does seem that those in leadership positions do work
>> in
>> the blindness field much more frequently.  Again that makes sense to me
>> due
>> to their strong interest and commitment to the cause.
>>
>> Julie
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2/17/2013 11:13 PM, Bridgit Pollpeter wrote:
>>> Ashley,
>>>
>>> Without actual stats, we can't really debate this, but that being
>>> said, I beg to differ, at least to a degree.
>>>
>>> I don't think anyone here is trying to make generalizations seeing as
>>> we all are blind, but we are all speaking from our experiences and
>>> personal observations.
>>>
>>> In the ten years I've been blind, which isn't long compared to some,
>>> I've met more blind people working in a blindness-related field or
>>> hoping to be employed in a blindness related field. For every lawyer,
>>> teacher and computer programmer I've met, I've met ten who worked in a
>>> job relating to blindness.
>>>
>>> There's nothing wrong with this, and most of us would agree that blind
>>> people need to be working in these fields, but I also think it can
>>> become a safety net for some; not all, but many.
>>>
>>> I've been to NFB conventions, and yes, there are people employed in
>>> various fields, and many scholarship winners plan to, or are, pursuing
>>> a myriad of career paths, but again, for every one of these people
>>> I've met, I've met a dozen working in the blindness field. Or many of
>>> these people end up in a blindness field despite their choice of degree.
>>>
>>> And having heard several scholarship winners speak at conventions, a
>>> good number of them hope to work in some way in a blindness field or
>>> teaching the blind. Again, nothing wrong with this, and we do need
>>> blind people doing this, but, for me, it shows how many blind people
>>> go into a blindness related field.
>>>
>>> And in our affiliate, most of the leadership either works in the
>>> blindness field or hopes too. Of our eleven state board members, only
>>> two are employed outside of a blindness field, and one is working
>>> towards a degree so they can work in a blindness job.
>>>
>>> More and more blind people are seeking opportunities outside of a
>>> blindness related career, but many are still drawn to the field for
>>> whatever reason. Again, we need strong, competent blind people in this
>>> field, but we also need to consider what we truly want as a person and
>>> not a blind person.
>>>
>>> And a side note, I don't think Lynda meant anything negative by her
>>> comments nor was she implying all blind people work in a blindness
>>> related field. She was merely detailing her experience and speaking to
>>> that experience alone.
>>>
>>> Bridgit
>>>
>>> Message: 11
>>> Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:28:29 -0500
>>> From: "Ashley Bramlett"<bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List"<stylist at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] Sending this again: Article
>>> showingwhatparentsofblindkids are facing
>>> Message-ID:<D073072BEB3F4E1F938EB6B7A6FF190A at OwnerPC>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>>> reply-type=response
>>>
>>> Lynda,
>>> I beg to differ. Have you been to a nfb convention?
>>> There are people employed in all walks of life and most scholarship
>>> winners have a career aspiration in a non blindness field; they
>>> include future teachers, therapists, researchers,  counselors, and
>>> doctors.
>>> Most blind people I know work either in the IT field as computer
>>> programmers or in the government, far from the blindness fields! Read
>>> the braille monitor and you will see the wide variety of fields too!
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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