June 18, 2008
How Would You Focus This job Search?
Today's eSight Case Study focuses on Edward in New Jersey.
Edward, who is totally blind, says he needs help in figuring out where to look for work.
He says he wants to use his interpersonal and business-oriented technical skills to help an employee-oriented company achieve sustainable growth.
A 1994 cum laude graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Edward has worked as a contract employee through Lift, Inc., for Verizon Wireless.
Lift, Inc., is a non-profit corporation that qualifies, trains, hires, and places information technology professionals (IT) who have physical disabilities through contracts with major corporations which eventually hire them directly.
During his four years (2000 to 2004) with Verizon as an IT programmer analyst, Edward designed, updated, tested, and maintained reports using computer program languages such as Cobol, DB2 SQL statements, JCL, PROC, and Xpediter. He also participated in a large-scale, time-sensitive DYL280 project. Verizon named him Employee of the Month in May 2001.
He’s also done recruitment work for Lift, Inc., and has researched and developed a screen reader for blind computer users.
Edward says he realizes that job leads from working blind professionals in IT would be helpful. He turned to Mike Burks, an eSight member and a seasoned IT professional, for advice. Mike has a great deal of knowledge and experience in making electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.
Mike contacted eSight about Edward’s situation.
Edward has been applying for government jobs through www.USAJobs.gov, but, so far, as he says, he “hasn’t had any luck.”
Continue reading "How Would You Focus This job Search?"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 10:40 AM | Comments (6)
June 11, 2008
Sidestepping Barriers to Connect With First-time Contacts
Today's eSight Employment Tip is how to effectively connect with a key networking contact in a world where most of us are using today’s technology to manage personal contacts with people on our own terms and on our own timetable.
Two weeks ago, eSight member James J. Elekes, M.Ed, MPA, CPM, sent me these observations:
"Over Memorial Day Weekend was speaking with several recent college grads with disabilities. All expressed this same question:
"'I've met many individuals who are likely to be quality contacts when networking as I begin my Employment Search. Unfortunately, they may not always be at their desk or they use voice mail to screen their calls. What can I do to overcome these barriers and connect?'
"I thought about that question for awhile. My suggestions for addressing this issue are along the lines Barbara Safani offers at TheLadders.com:
"The critical key to successful networking follow up is to be persistent without the other party knowing it."When you call a networking contact for the first time and you receive his or her voice mail, leave a message. Make sure to be short but concise and include your name, where you met or who referred you to the contact. State specifically, 'I'd like a few minutes of your time to discuss (a specific topic).'
"If you don't get a call back that day, your follow-up strategy should be to call every day at different times without leaving additional messages. You might call and leave a message on Monday, then follow up at 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning, noon on Wednesday, 3 p.m. on Thursday and 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
"If, at the end of the first week, you don't reach the contact, consider an e-mail. Or early the next week call just prior to the start of his or her business day or slightly after the close of the business day. If you believe this contact is an essential networking contact, be persistent.
"If you send an e-mail, don't keep following up in this manner because you'll likely be labeled 'spam.’ If you get the contact's voice mail, don't leave additional messages. If you vary the timing of the calls, you increase the likelihood of getting the contact in person."
Continue reading "Sidestepping Barriers to Connect With First-time Contacts"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 10:41 AM | Comments (4)
June 03, 2008
Breaking Barriers, Both Legitimate and False
Just two months ago, David Paterson became governor of New York. His blindness became national news.
"The concentration that I have had to engage to make this adjustment sometimes feels overwhelming," Paterson told The Associated Press last Wednesday.
As a visually impaired person who doesn’t use braille or a screen reader, he suddenly found himself outside his comfort zone. He worried that he’d forget the names, the briefings, the facts and figures he had committed to memory.
"That was a little frightening, but I think I’ve gotten past that point," he said.
In his first extensive comments about his disability, Paterson, who took the job March 17, also speaks with pride about how his unlikely ascension has taught him to embrace his disability and may help others be more comfortable with theirs. He rose from the lieutenant governor’s office when Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal.
Another New York governor, fellow Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, once hid his polio by using secret doors and hallways in the Capitol.
But Paterson is up front about being legally blind. Paterson said people with all kinds of disabilities -- those who have to turn to hear people talk or sit in a wheelchair when others are standing -- face daunting "ancillary disabilities."
"It’s how it makes you feel as a human being, and that’s the reason that a lot of people try to hide that," he said.
"I had been, on occasion, accused of trying to hide my own disability," the governor said.
"But now, to be able to be myself and have it known ... I think there are a lot of people who have a lot of different problems who feel more empowered."
He said, "If that’s the case, I’m feeling pretty good about that aspect of the job."
See the Associated Press interview with Gov. Paterson.
Paterson’s comments remind me of the four key points Michael T. Bailey, Portland, OR, made at the 30th anniversary celebration of Disability Rights Wisconsin, a protection and advocacy agency, in Madison Saturday night.
Bailey is a national leader in the parent and self-advocacy movements, civil rights attorney and author on empowerment, self-determination, self-advocacy and institution closure. He has a daughter, Jill, who has Down’s Syndrome.
Bailey pointed out that Jill has helped him become aware of four realities:
The first reality is that disability is a normal part of every-day life – and has been throughout history. About 14 percent of the U.S. population has some type of disability; that increases to 41 percent in people who are 65 years old and older.
The second reality is that American culture has tended to hide and shun those with disabilities. That tendency has gradually fallen by the wayside during the last 30 years. In 1978, Wisconsin had 30 “special” schools for kids with disabilities. I attended one of them. Now Wisconsin has two.
The third reality is that the abilities of individuals with disabilities are often underestimated by others -- even those close to them. Bailey accidently discovered recently that Jill could tie her shoes, a surprise for him because her teachers had set that as a goal year after year during grade school with no apparent success. Jill finally admitted to her Dad: “That was a dumb goal.”
And the fourth reality is that accommodations for those of us with disabilities are not unusual because we, as vulnerable human beings, all require some form of accommodation. At no small expense, for example, hotels routinely provide chairs, as an accommodation, for those who attend conferences without wheelchairs or scooters. Offices provide extensive lighting for those who can see, when it is not needed for those who are blind.
Both Paterson and Bailey are helping change perceptions in government and business. Over the years, our eSight members have echoed, within a disability employment context, what they are saying: Among decision makers, false perceptions, not prejudice, are our real barriers.
Continue reading "Breaking Barriers, Both Legitimate and False"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:16 PM | Comments (3)
May 21, 2008
Needed: Advice for Mandy
This eSight Case Study focuses on Mandy in Oregon.
Mandy has her B.A. degree and has worked part-time for the past 15 years so she could be available for her three children and support her husband as he moved up the ladder in his career. She figured her time would come.
But, after a divorce, she is now struggling to get back full time in the work force with a livable wage.
Mandy does public speaking and has an impressive volunteer history. She has highly developed office, bookkeeping and computer skills. But she can't seem to land the job.
During job interviews, she is repeatedly asked these same two questions: "Why have you not worked full time in so long? Do you think you could handle full-time work now?”
Mandy thinks those questions are really directed at her visual impairment and her guide dog. She’s in her early 40s, vital, strong, and healthy. She asks, “Why else would interviewers ask these two questions?”
Some people have suggested not to bring her guide dog to job interviews; others say don't deceive. Still others tell her not to discuss her disability. But she feels that doing so seems to put the interviewers more at ease.
Continue reading "Needed: Advice for Mandy"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 09:28 AM | Comments (14)
May 14, 2008
How to Remember Names
One of the most valuable business skills is the
ability to remember people's names, says Nicholas
Aretakis, author of "No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide" (Next Stage Press, 2006).
Name recall will boost your image, earn you respect
and differentiate you, he explains.
After all, your name is your badge of individuality.
Hearing your name is the sweetest sound in any language.
Aretakis suggests making names visual, oral and
tactile. When you're introduced to someone, picture
his or her name spelled out in print, he says.
Also, he advizes, ask for a business card and record
where and when you met the person.
That’s easier said than done –- especially if you have
a visual impairment or other physical disability.
But, I think Aretakis would agree with Dale Carnegie.
Remembering names is more of a mental exercise
than a physical one.
In 1960, Carnegie wrote:
"We must keep in mind that what we really want to do
is remember people -- their names are secondary. So it
is important to give people your total attention,
become genuinely interested in them and want to
remember them. Remembering names is only an offshoot of the desire to remember the people behind the names."
Carnegie maintained there are three concrete ways to
remember a person's name: by getting a clear, vivid
impression of the name and the person; by memorizing
the name through repetition; and by associating the
name with some aspect of the person which will trigger
your memory.
I'll give you some examples of each of these three
methods.
First, to get a vivid, clear impression of a name,
listen. When you're first introduced to a person,
concentrate on getting the name right. If you don't
get it the first time, ask for the name to be repeated or even have it spelled for you. Tell yourself, "I want to remember this person's name, and I will."
You also need to get a clear, vivid impression of the
person. If you can't see the facial characteristics or
size of the person, concentrate on listening carefully
to the voice. Is it deep, high, low, resonant or clear?
Second, to memorize the person's name through
repetition, repeat it often. When you're first
introduced, repeat the name immediately. Use it
several timees in your conversation. Repeat it
silently to yourself while the other person is
speaking.
If you are introduced to a group of people at one
time, concentrate on each name as you hear it. Between introductions, repeat the name to yourself rapidly. And, then, go back and review by person (to yourself) after the introductions have been completed.
Review the names of the people you met today before you go to bed tonight.
And refresh your memeory of people's names immediately before you are to see them.
If you are working with a large group of names, work
with only a few at a time in short bursts of
memorizing.
I read about a principal in a high school of 1,000
students who used this technique. He knew the name of every student in the high school and was recognized nationally for his leadership in bringing an "at risk" educatioal institution in Wisconsin to a level of excellence.
Carnegie's third recommendation: Make an association
between some aspect of the person and the person's
name.
He writes:
"The strongest bond you can form in remembering names is to have an association between the facial impression (or general appearance) and some picture the name suggests."
Again, that may be a little tough when you have a visual impairment, but consider these options: associate the person's name with his or her business, occupation or location; make a person's name rhyme with some charactersitic of that person; divide a complicated name into exaggerated word pictures; and associate people with similar names (the Smiths who both like to fish).
Continue reading "How to Remember Names"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 11:12 AM | Comments (3)
May 06, 2008
How Do We Show We Are Capable?
eSight member Pam MacNeill writes:
"As a blind woman in a third-tier management role
looking to take the next step into tier two and on to
a Chief Executive role within the next five years, I
think the issue is one of belief (or rather the lack
of belief in our capabilities demonstrated by
employers -- time after time).
and use a guide dog in my resume, so those ‘short
listing’ for the role are not surprised to meet me, if
I am interviewed.
of 10, and often it's pretty obvious I'm being
interviewed to satisfy EEO principles or because of
down-right curiosity to meet this blind woman who
manages staff and a multi-million dollar budget.
that's fine because I then have the opportunity to
demonstrate my communication and lateral-thinking
skills etc.
answer the standard interview questions posed to me.
Then I usually advise the panel that I am happy to
discuss my blindness, thus putting them at their ease
regarding their curiosity about this.
blindness is on top for these people because their
questions usually come in rapid bursts.
heard any of my presentation and/or answers to the
standard interview questions.
Continue reading "How Do We Show We Are Capable?"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:27 PM | Comments (6)
April 29, 2008
Tell Others What Has Worked for You in Getting Things Done
As a person with low vision, what are your favorite tips or solutions for getting things done at school, on the computer, during your job search or at work?
Posted by Lori A. Lofstrom at 01:24 PM | Comments (5)
April 25, 2008
Working to Return to Work
Today we welcome Michelle Clark, guest facilitator. JRH
Vision loss as a working professional comes differently. As in my situation, it came after putting in 25 years of work. Although I had sufficient time and title to retire, I simply believe, "I am too young not to be working."
After floundering several years with diagnosis and rehabilitation, I believe I am now on a track in which the destination point is marked "Return to Employment".
Here is the path I found that is working for me:
- Determine if you really want to return to work. Full, part time or other variations may fulfill your needs.
- Obtain a small portable tape recorder and use it until better skills emerge.
- Join and become active in area and national blindness disability organizations.
- Volunteer your services in some manner when possible.
- Contact city and state rehabilitation departments to assist with needs assessments, training, and adaptive equipment.
- Seek to learn at least uncontracted Braille reading and writing. This will help with taking short notes, managing labeling of items and food.
- Reach out to community activities who service blind and visually impaired persons. Local libraries can be good resources.
- Some manner of rehabilitation is a must if one wants to return to an office situation or do work such as on a computer and take notes. Mobility is also encouraged as to maintain independence in work life.
- In all, as skills are being acquired, it is good to maintain a schedule similar to that of the type of job one is looking toward.
- Maintaining daily practice regiments will help speed the journey and sharpen skills as time progresses.
- NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK.
Continue reading "Working to Return to Work"
Posted by Michelle Clark at 05:44 PM | Comments (3)
April 23, 2008
Do I Still Need to Be Better Than Everyone Else?
Two eSight members, long experienced in the mainstream work world, brought up an interesting issue two weeks ago on this forum.
Darrell writes:
“I'd put myself up against any similarly qualified
sighted person in my field any time and I'm quite
sure that, most of the time, I'd come up on top.
“I work on a small team of three associates who work
on our company's knowledge base. On a regular basis,
I produce three or four times more work than the
other two associates, and the quality of the work I
produce is objectively considered far superior.
“So, hmm, let's see. Blind guy utilizes reasonable
accommodations to produce more work at a higher
quality than his sighted peers. Doesn't that seem to
be a win-win for everyone?
“I'd put *any* competent, qualified blind person who knows her stuff up against a similar sighted guy or gal anytime. Bring it on!”
Lori, on the other hand, simply asks:
“Why do we always have to be better than everyone
else?”
At some moments, I feel like we’re living in an age in
which lack of competency, even in the legal, medical
and accounting fields, can be unchallenged, rewarded
and even expected.
A judge gets elected to my state supreme court
despite apparent violations of her code of ethics.
My CPA makes a mistake on my tax return, leading to a federal tax audit.
My physician, apparently stressed and with a frown
on his forehead, hurries superficially through my
annual physical exam after announcing he’s behind
schedule in meeting his morning appointments.
I grew up with cerebral palsy in the 60s, and, like
Darrell and Lori, I’ve worked hard to develop skills and
do superior work on the job, thinking I had to be “better than next person” to obtain, keep and justify my job. I had to “do better” to compensate for my disability.
Continue reading "Do I Still Need to Be Better Than Everyone Else?"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 01:35 PM | Comments (15)
Sheltered?
A first glance, shelter workshops seem to be a positive solution to combat the staggering unemployment rate among working age people who are blind. For many years, the sheltered workshop has been the only alternative to staying at home for many people who are blind. Moreover, many people who are blind like sheltered workshops because of their security, safe or risk-free environment in which to work, earn a livelihood, develop friendships and sometimes even the chance to obtain other help such as transportation and health care.
That being said, with the explosive advancement in adaptive technology, which has vastly leveled the playingfield for people who are blind, the question to be asked is are sheltered workshops still necessary? Shelter workshops often do not promote skills that are transferable to the general workplace and often become the community expert on what kinds of jobs people who are blind can do and how best to train them.
What is your opinion regarding sheltered workshops? Do sheltered workshops do more harm than good?
Posted by J at 12:13 PM | Comments (2)
April 16, 2008
What Career Tips Would You Give Joe?
Today's eSight Case Study focuses on Joe in New Jersey. He's been a pediatric dentist for the last 45 years, but he's now gradually losing his sight.
He recently gave up his private practice because he felt he could no longer perform his job responsibilities at a level he has had always maintained.
Joe is considering his career options. He knows how to set up a small business; was a member of a dental school faculty for 15 years; edited a monthly dental publication; has many articles published in dental literature; and has had experience in meeting the dental needs of children with disabilities.
He has a genuine desire to help other people.
He enjoyed being a dental consultant and staff motivator. And he's been a public speaker in dental associations.
Continue reading "What Career Tips Would You Give Joe?"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:09 PM | Comments (16)
April 15, 2008
Change agent: a real challenge
By either design or temperament, it is possible to find oneself acting as a change agent or contrarian in a job. More often than not, rather than seasoned and well respected employees, new employees are in these change agent situations. That was common in the US Forest Service of the late 70’s and 80’s. Many minorities and women entered employment with the agency as professionals that were outside the main mission of the outfit i.e., employees concerned about protection of wildlife and soil, rather than just timber volume. I was part of that wave of hiring. Some organizations hire people with disabilities in the same way.
Continue reading "Change agent: a real challenge"
Posted by FST at 05:43 PM | Comments (9)
April 01, 2008
Will Technology Accessibility Issues be the Make or Break Factor for Your Current or Next Job?
As an accessibility evangelist, a major overall goal of mine is to ensure that technology is made reasonably accessible to us so that we may be afforded equal opportunities to participate in education and employment alongside our sighted peers. While I have found improving social attitudes regarding blindness in the human resources process, it has become crystal clear that a new barrier is threatening our ability to claim our qualifications for continued or new employment.
In February 2006, I learned that the customer support project on which I worked would be switching to an inaccessible Siebel CRM implementation. Though the problems could have been fixed by spending approximately an hour of developer time in order to make a "standard mode" implementation available for me, without affecting other employees, the client ignored all requests to do so and my employer was not in a position to compel action by the client due to the outsourcing arrangements in place. I was to have been laid off in two weeks. Obviously, I did not find this eventuality to be something I was just going to lie down and quietly accept without a fight, if necessary.
Time went by while all of us investigated other possibilities for my continued employment on another project and I began the job search process once again. At the same time, I also began a relatively quiet process of advocacy utilizing the contacts I had established directly with the client as a result of the high quality of service I provided their customers. The client in question has thus far done absolutely nothing to address the accessibility of its products, while conducting tens of millions of dollars worth of business with the United States Federal Government. It ultimately took me writing a professional yet rather strongly worded letter to a person in the company's senior management team, making references to obligations under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the accompanying potential loss of government business in order to turn my situation around in a dramatic fashion. Two days later, I learned that I would be reassigned to their knowledge base team, where I continue to succeed today as the employee creating both the highest quality and quantity of new content. Two years later, I continue to enjoy gainful employment I would have certainly lost had I not chosen to advocate.
A close friend is experiencing a similar issue. He is a totally blind database developer for a major state university. The entire development environment is about to be switched to an Oracle PeopleSoft implementation that is known to be inaccessible with all currently available screen reading solutions. He has a wife and two children. Unfortunately, he does not quite seem to view advocacy in the same light as do I. Instead, he appears to be looking into a couple of other possibilities outside the university without taking a more proactive stance.
As I evangelize accessibility through the Blind Access Journal, I hear from others who are dealing with similar barriers they feel are holding back the advancement of their careers. In all such cases, advocacy is always highly encouraged. If you find yourself in a position where you believe you may lose your job over an accessibility issue outside your control, consider taking one or more of the following steps:
- Ask the company's information technology (IT) department or other appropriate staff to provide as much detail as possible about the new "inaccessible" hardware or software. Relevant details include manufacturers, model numbers, operating systems, versions, etc. Sometimes, that which appears to be inaccessible might turn out to work with a form of assistive technology about which you may not yet be aware.
- If the issue persists or the worst has happened, contact your friends and colleagues in the blind community for additional assistance.
- Communicate with your supervisor and others in management as appropriate, letting them know that you do not feel it is acceptable to suffer the consequence of job loss due to a factor completely outside your control. Follow up all verbal communication with written correspondence. Save copies of all relevant e-mail.
- Escalate your concerns to higher levels of management when you feel you are being ignored or the relevant parties are failing to take you seriously. Don't be afraid to directly ask for written follow up to all communication.
- If the work environment can't be made directly accessible, open your mind to the possibility of reassignment to another job in the company where the barriers are eliminated or sufficiently reduced to make it possible for you to execute the duties. Consider job swapping some tasks with another co-worker. Job swapping and reassignment are classified as "reasonable accomodations" under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other similar legislation around the world.
We must all ask ourselves one critical question: Is it acceptable for blind and visually impaired people to lose their jobs due to a circumstance completely beyond their control? Should someone lose their health insurance and their house over a piece of technology that can't be made to function with a screen reader? Let's all make sure we're doing our best with self-advocacy, so that we do not accept a situation that places us at an undue disadvantage or financial hardship through no fault of our own due to an accessibility barrier that may be eliminated or otherwise reasonably accomodated to meet the needs of all concerned.
Review the following short list of organizations and other online resources you may find helpful should you encounter a job related technology access challenge:
- American Council of the Blind
- Blind Access Journal
- Blind Community E-mail Discussion Lists
- Job Accomodation Network
- National Federation of the Blind
- Tenacity, Inc. - Accessible Digital PBX and Telephone Systems
Posted by Darrell Shandrow at 11:57 PM | Comments (17)
Discover the Attributes Which Make You Exceptional
There is a 2000-year-old maxim that says, "A good reputation is more valuable than money."
In today’s highly competitive world, in which personal branding is becoming a common career-building strategy, that maxim is surprisingly still on target.
It’s especially true for individuals with disabilities -- as two eSight members recently pointed out on the eSight Networking Forum.
Ameenah Lippold wrote:
"I have worked for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) since 2005 as an IT Specialist, and my work is not disability related in any way, shape or form. I work in an acquisition program, which is replacing legacy command and control systems. As such, we are changing how the DoD does software development and associated processes.
"My job requires me to coordinate interaction among organizational entities and negotiate agreements between said organizations with respect to IT. I am the project lead for standing up a virtual help desk for the soldier/warfighter. As such, this has taken me into the field of Knowledge Management.
"On top of all of that, I am part of a three-year program that trains new government employees for leadership and management positions.
"I would say that I have taken the general attributes and the skills which I have learned associated with being totally blind and apply them to my job: problem solving, advocacy and negotiating.
"Before coming to DISA, I worked at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, and that was my first full-time job. While there, I began developing my skills, but I always knew that I wouldn't be working there forever.
"Granted, I can appreciate the fact that I didn't have to deal with colleagues questioning my abilities or thinking that I was amazing because I was blind. Even so, I made a conscious decision to get out of blindness related jobs. Up until DISA, I had always worked in the field of blindness (specifically, access technology).
"I think that it would be imprudent of one to consider their disability as being irrelevant when searching for a job. During my interview for DISA, one of the first things I did was talk about my blindness and how I would perform job tasks at DISA such as e-mail, PowerPoint, and word processing.
"I talked about how I would travel (my current job requires travel to conferences and field sites around the world), and explained that I am capable of independent travel. Over the course of three years, I have had two different supervisors, and each boss has given me positive performance appraisals.
"My supervisor gives me assignments which fellow teammates are unable to complete. I have been recognized for the quality of my work via cash awards.
"In short, it is possible for a disabled person to compete in nondisability-related fields. However, it requires a lot of patience, motivation, and confidence on the part of the individual. Everyday, people will question your ability -- that comes with the territory -- but one must learn to handle these situations with diplomacy."
Barney Mayse, a second eSight member, wrote:
"Tell me what you think I cannot do and watch how I do it. I am not here to inspire but rather to educate myself on how far I can go. I am here to make a contribution with my unique gifts in the way that I am able.
"I am able to do many things but finding the environment which will allow me to make that contribution is a process. If the world understood, none of this would be necessary. So we have an opportunity to educate the world and tell the stories of success, accomplishment and marvels.
"People with disabilities need to stand up and speak out. Life is a challenge for each person -- whether they have a disability or not. Are you competent, confident and skilled in your area of employment? If so, get in the game and do what you do."
Those are two interesting comments. Notice how their individual attributes pop out at you.
Through your actions, you, too, can follow in the footsteps of Ameenah and Barney and develop a reputation for being forthright, attentive, patient, motivated, confident, diplomatic, persistent, flexible and adaptable as well as a problem solver, an effective advocate, an adroit negotiator and a show-and-tell educator.
These are all attributes and skills which you’ve probably worked for years to develop but which also grew from your personal experiences of learning to live well with a disability.
Continue reading "Discover the Attributes Which Make You Exceptional"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:20 PM | Comments (3)
March 19, 2008
A Learning Moment for Employers
After thinking about all the media coverage I've read
and seen about David Paterson becoming governor of New York and watching his swearing-in ceremony, I've learned some things about him I didn't know at first.
I hope employers remember these 10 points about the man who happens to have a visual impairment and to be an African-American. They may tell us what kind of chief executive he'll be for the Empire State.
First, Gov. Paterson is not a "super crip," an exception. Like all of us, he’s not perfect.During the 1990s, we began to hear stories about "super crips," those of us with disabilities who surprised others with what we could do at work.
Those surprises or even smidgens of success in a mainstream job sometimes yielded "super crip" stories about us at work -- a context others perhaps used to reconcile our apparent physical disabilities with our abilities to meet common expectations for properly applying mainstream work skills.
Thanks to technology and education and diversity efforts, there are many "super crips" nowadays in all walks of life, so the term has become irrelevant.
Second, Gov. Paterson learned to live in the mainstream by attending regular public schools in the '60s.
Learning how to adopt to the world the way it is instead of asking the world to always make an exception for yourself is an important early lesson to learn for us all. But, for those of us with disabilities, it is a particularly important milestone.
Third, as a person with a visual impairment, Gov. Paterson has learned that he can't afford to forget or overlook details.
That’s just one of the side benefits of having a visual impairment in a sighted world.
Fourth, Gov. Paterson's a listener and has learned how to ask questions as a means to gather information sometimes missed by others.
Fifth, Gov. Paterson addresses myths and fears about visual impairment with self-deprecating humor –- as you could see in his swearing-in speech.
Six, Gov. Paterson has learned how to be patient and use persistence.
Seventh, Gov. Paterson has had to develop his problem-solving skills to find ways that work best for him.
Eighth, Gov. Paterson realizes, like anyone else, he's one of a kind, remarking, "I never met anyone who is kind of like me." And, he takes that for granted.
During his swearing-in speech, he said: "To many of you, I am an unknown quantity. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is what we are able to accomplish today, tomorrow and all the days ahead. It's Monday and there's work to be done."
Ninth, Gov. Paterson knows his limits. He has lived with personal vulnerability, but that may not mean, as one commentator said, he's "not tough enough" to bring reform to the State Capitol.
Tenth, Gov. Patterson is inclusive, realizing the importance of bringing together people of differing races, abilities, income, and religions.
Many of these qualities have grown out of Gov. Paterson's experience of learning how to live well with a disability. They are attributes employers may want to seek in other individuals with disabilities as a way to diversify their work forces.
Through his personal experience, Gov. Paterson can continue to demonstrate the value of diversity to workplaces in particular and to society in general.
I hope employers, by watching Gov. Paterson during his administration, will realize our individual vulnerabilities are valuable -- to our society as well as individual organizations, companies and governmental agencies -- because they stretch our ability to be adaptable as human beings.
In the competitive business world, that kind of reasoning is often lost. An all able-bodied workforce, for instance, can become flabby in terms of creativity and problem-solving, precisely because it lacks diversity and does not include individuals who look at opportunities just a little bit differently than the rest of us.
Continue reading "A Learning Moment for Employers"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 03:47 PM | Comments (8)
Different Services for Those in Different Career Stages
My name is Cheryl Cumings. I currently run Our space Our Place, Inc. a Boston based non profit which provides a year round after school and career exploration program for blind youth.
Prior to this, I worked at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. While there I created a Summer Internship Program for blind college students. It soon became evident that in order to successfully implement this program, we would have to make a few changes to the way the agency operated. Working with the Director of Technology we were able to shorten the time for a technology assessment and to ensure that a student had the equipment he/she needed to do the tasks for the Internship. I have always wondered if there is a disconnect between the assistance a blind job seeker would like to receive from his/her state agency and the type of services the state agency provides.
Continue reading "Different Services for Those in Different Career Stages"
Posted by Cheryl Cumings at 10:56 AM | Comments (11)
March 12, 2008
Options for Positioning Your Disability
In referring to the employment rate among people with
disabilities, which hasn't shown much improvement
since 1990 when the ADA was enacted, Elaine writes:
on putting people with disabilities into jobs at
disability agencies. The needle of full employment
for persons with disabilities is never going to
start moving unless the (career) counselors, rehab
counselors, and government workers begin to look at
all aspects of the labor force as potential
locations of work for people with disabilities.
and am on e-mail lists from the Dept. of Labor and
other lists. ALL of them are focused on putting
persons with disabilities into work settings related
to disability.
The assumption that all individuals with a
disability would necessarily have the skill set,
knowledge base, desire and internal capacity optimal
for doing this is itself partly misguided thinking."
Elaine brings up some interesting choices those of
us with disabilities have in deciding how to focus
our job marketing campaigns.
Do we tap our disability experience as an attribute
and use it to find jobs in sectors which have a
disability connection?
Or, do we extract more general attributes (such as
problem solving skills) from our disability
experience and position them to match job
qualifications outside the disability field?
Or, do we consider our disability experience as
irrelevant and compete in the job market without
reference to our disability?
Or, do we combine all three options in a mix that
changes continually, based on the job and employer
we are currently targeting?
Continue reading "Options for Positioning Your Disability"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:56 PM | Comments (16)
March 05, 2008
Creative Ways to Level the Playing Field
eSight member Barney Mayse, disability advocate, The
Whole Person, Inc., sent me a note Monday, highlighting some of his comments that Diversity World has recently published.
Here is some of what Barney told Diversity World:
"What I find most interesting as a person with a
disability and as an advocate is that, with all of
the agencies, vocational rehab counselors and other
folks out there, the needle for employment of people
with disabilities is not moving. From what I can
tell, and numbers are a moving target, and employment
among people with disabilities has remained
consistent since the ADA was passed. Is there
anything wrong with this picture?
"…Many employers assume (we know what that does)
that they know what a disabled person can
accomplish. I challenge them to tell me what they
want to have done and watch me figure out how to do
it.
"I realize that the transformative change which I
would like to see will not occur with a single
article, but I personally believe that all of the
studies and conferences and other irrelevant
activities are not truly helping people with
disabilities take back their financial independence,
get them off the benefit roles and permit them the
self-esteem which goes with work.
"There is too much time spent telling everyone at
what level the water is in the glass. Analyzing the
problem is not solving the problem. If the time
spent in analysis were spent in solving individual
problems and getting people back to work, the number
of starfish remaining on the beach would be smaller.
"The disabled community needs proactive people who
will not accept the answers we so frequently get.
The American business sector needs to understand
that the risk in not hiring people with disabilities
is greater than the risk of hiring them. The
disabled community needs to understand that the
world does not owe them and they will have to
compete. Permit the competition to occur on a level
playing field…"
Barney's comments prompted me to review the links I've bookmarked recently which show creativity in helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful work -- six initiatives that I find interesting.
Here's my quick list:
First, the U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce
Recruitment Program (WRP) connects federal and
private sector employers with highly motivated
post-secondary students with disabilities who are
eager to prove their abilities in the workplace
through summer or permanent jobs.
Read stories about Amanda, Jessica and the WRP.
Second, the Oregon Business Leadership Network (OBLN) and the Oregon Business Plan are co-sponsors of "Look at my Ability," a new two-minute video about the work ethic and skills employers can find among job seekers with disabilities.
Select one of a variety of links to the video, with or without captions.
Third, in another video, "Talk," The UK's Disability Rights Commission turns the tables on non-disabled
people, who experience first hand what those of us
with disabilities frequently experience as job
seekers.
Note that this video is highly visual with little
dialogue and no description.
Fourth, in a FederalTimes.com article, Karen M. Czarnecki, acting assistant secretary of Labor for disability employment policy, urges agencies of the U.S. federal government to increase the employment, retention and promotion of people with disabilities through use of a new recruiting database, customized employment, and Schedule A hiring authority.
Fifth, Pricewaterhouse Coopers is promoting disability
equality in the workplace. This is example of an
industry taking the initiative to promote awareness
training about how to add individuals with disabilities to the accounting field (and preparing for upcoming labor shortages in some job sectors due to baby boomer retirements).
Check an article about the leadership role Pricewaterhouse Coopers is takling.
Sixth, HirePotential says it helps the best companies hire the best people.
"We can help you expand your diversity initiatives by
enhancing your recruitment and retention efforts
within the Untapped Workforce," it explains.
Also see information about HirePotenntial's quest to "accommodate the changing face of today's workforce."
Those of us at eSight picked up most of these six
resources just by browsing the Net during the last few
weeks.
Like Barney, I think our main challenge is gaining an
understanding of key disability employment issues
among hiring decision makers.
Continue reading "Creative Ways to Level the Playing Field"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:19 PM | Comments (3)