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 (4)
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 (2)
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)
February 26, 2008
Rethinking Resumes
I’ve been reviewing resumes of applicants for eSight’s “Online Networking as a Job Search Tool” for two years now.
Resumes are on my mind because this Friday, February 29, is the deadline for completing the application and submitting your resume for eSight’s March 12, 2008, through May 6, 2008, eLearning Program, "Online Networking as a Job Search Tool."
There’s still time to apply for this eLearning Program, but you need to do it now.
And please pass the information about “Online Networking as a Job Search Tool” to friends and acquaintances who can benefit from this unique eLearning experience. Be sure to reference the informational link at http://www.esight.org/view.cfm?x=1968
One of the conclusions I’ve drawn by working with a wide variety of eLearners through eSight’s online networking course is this:
Many of us need to rethink how we want to present ourselves via a resume in the light of how human resources people and hiring managers are using today’s technology to decide who to interview for a job, a course etc.
I’ve found that the resume I wrote for myself four years ago is, at best, out-of-date and, worst of all, not relevant to what decision makers need in today’s job market.
If you are feeling the same way about your resume, then I urge you to apply for one of the few seats we still have open for "Online Networking as a Job Search Tool,” an eight-week eLearning opportunity I’m sure you’ll find helpful.
Here’s why: This course offers you personal coaching to develop not only your resume but also research companies, build contact lists, develop an offering statement, create a JIST Card, create your personal brand, develop an ePortfolio and hone your networking skills.
Those are the key tools you need today to get an interview for the job that’s right for you.
One of the many resources this online class will use is a panel discussion involving with Deb Dib, Megan Fitzgerald and Bernadette Martin -- all career coaches and personal branding specialists.
Deb notes the trend toward one or two page resumes (instead of three or four). Resumes, she says, must:
- 1. Show the value and strategic impact of what you’ve done on previous jobs.
- 2. Be tied to proof you cite in your portfolio through case
studies etc. - 3. Lead off with your branding (offering) statement.
That kind of resume takes work and practice in what Deb calls “career writing” -- a skill I can help you develop in "Online Networking as a Job Search Tool."
You can learn about Deb and each one of the other panelists for the discussion about “Branding Your Resume, Bio or CV: Trends and Tips.”
You can also listen to an audio tape of this panel discussion.
Continue reading "Rethinking Resumes"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 11:57 AM | Comments (1)
February 19, 2008
Tapping the Power of Words, Actions
Last week, I cited Professor MacDougall’s explanation of how people with disabilities have come from the “deaf and dumb” era to today’s focus on “super crips” (extraordinary human beings doing ordinary things which people tend to label “exceptional”).
I think his historical framework shows how complicated tearing down stubborn perceptions about disability (and converting a worn-out language) can be.
I'm encouraged by the personal-experience stories I'm receiving from job seekers with disabilities who are saying, "Goodbye," to a truly prejudiced prospective employer.
Here's another bit of good news. Most of the barriers job seekers with disabilities face in the job market seem to stem from lack of information or knowledge about disability employment issues -- not prejudice. Those who hold onto a belief in spite of overwhelming proof to the opposite are prejudiced.
But, here's the best news of all. Job seekers with disabilities can tackle fear and ignorance among the prospective employers they visit as part of their job searches. Job hunting is a one-on-one game. We don't have to launch a massive campaign to change the myths held by 300 million Americans about disability and how they relate to employment.
It just takes work and insight on a one-to-one basis. It’s no small task, but it's doable.However, your comments during the last few days have made me realize there’s more than one way to gain a better understanding of our disabilities among the people with which we play and work.
Do words count more than actions in this regard?
Here’s a sampling of last week’s comments from people who believe words play a key role in how people with disabilities are perceived.
Liz writes:
“I think words can and do hurt you. I have a friend who is working at a nationally known non-profit in Ontario. Her boss does not call her by her given name but calls her 'Gimpy.'
“My friend has a problem with her knee. She's not fully disabled. It's a temporary thing. Being called 'Gimpy' in front of not only her fellow workers but also the consumers of this non-profit gives off the impression that it's OK to use disparaging terms about someone who is disabled. It's the old 'Oh, can't you take a joke?' mentality when, in reality, this organization is geared to those with intellectual impairments and those involved should know better.”
Liz adds:
“At the moment, I'm reading Eckhardt Tolle's book, ‘The New Earth,’ and, on pages 50 and 51, he makes a very interesting point that I believe speaks to last week’s observations.
"’Equating the physical-sense … body that is destined to grow old, wither and die with ‘I’ always leads to suffering sooner or later. To refrain from identifying with the body doesn't mean that you neglect, despise or no longer care for it. If it is strong, beautiful or vigorous, you can enjoy and appreciate those attributes while they last. You can also improve the body's condition through right nutrition and exercise.
“’If you don't equate the body with who you are, when beauty fades, vigor diminishes or the body becomes incapacitated, your sense of worth or identity … will not be affected. In fact, as the body begins to weaken, the formless dimension (the light of consciousness) can shine more easily through the fading form.
“’It is not just people with good or near perfect bodies who are likely to equate it with who they are. You can just as easily identify with a ‘problematic’ body and make the body's imperfection, illness or disability into your identity. You may think and speak of yourself as a ‘sufferer’ of this or that chronic illness or disability… You then unconsciously cling to the illness because it has become the most important part of who you perceive yourself to be. It has become another thought from which the ego can identify. Once the ego has found an identity, it does not want to let go.’
“So, in order to not let others give us an identity with words that we do not wish to be, we must confront those who use words that don’t clearly communicate the facts or are demeaning or offensive.”
Kathy notes:
“’Handicap’ conjures up an image of someone on the street corner with 'cap in hand,' begging for handouts and charity. Various disability rights publications like to tie the ‘cap in hand’ image to the word ‘handicap.’ If you consult an authoritative source such as the Oxford English Dictionary, you will find nothing in the derivation to support this association. There is enough misinformation about disability; we don't need to perpetuate this one.”
Unlike Liz and Kathy, however, some believe words are not as relevant as actions in the attempt each one of us launches to gain “equal dignity” in the eyes of others.
Barney, for instance, writes:
“…Our actions and the actions of others speak far louder than any words anyone can ever say about me. I honestly have neither the time nor the energy to engage in a battle over semantics. I am happy to teach folks about the correct way, but, in the end, I am more interested in how I am treated.”
Jim Elekes agrees with Barney:
“The process of language is complex and, quite often, unintentional. What of the terms ‘white space,’ ‘black ice’ and ‘yellow journalism?’ Are we to presume these terms are derived from an attempted distain for specific racial characteristics? I think not…
“Let's not lose focus on the primary issues at hand: enhanced employment opportunity, equitable/fair treatment and one's individual self-worth. Without these, there is no foothold on which to step-up to other incidentals on the sidelines.”
Maybe picking the path to putting your disability into a perspective that works best for you depends on your circumstances, your personality and your temperament.
For a little bit more about how I have personally handled this issue, read “The Backdoor Into Adulthood.”
Continue reading "Tapping the Power of Words, Actions"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 01:04 PM | Comments (3)
February 13, 2008
Tearing Down Disability Language Barriers
Liz Seger writes:
“Recently in the Toronto Star newspaper the public
education editor wrote an editorial asking why terms
like ‘blind alley’ or ‘falling on deaf ears’ in
reporters' pieces are considered discriminatory
after a complaint by a member of the Canadian
Hearing Society.“The editor considered it more of a 'style'
discussion for the editorial staff rather than
something about inclusion and discrimination around
the words people use that may be demeaning to those
of us with disabilities…
“What is frustrating to me is that most of society has evolved enough to not call people derogatory names when it relates to race, religion, ethnicity and they get pretty upset about it, but it still seems OK to talk about and to people with disabilities like they are invisible and not mentally competent.”Glenda Watson Hyatt puts this issue of disability
language in perspective in a 2005 article, “What Is in
a Word?” for SPARC BC News. In that article, she
writes:“An indicator of a society’s regard for the disabled
lays in the terms used to label them."For example, in English, invalid means 'not valid'
or 'not acceptable.' Handicap conjures up an image
of someone on the street corner with 'cap in hand,'
begging for handouts and charity."These labels degrade individuals by focusing on
their differences or incapabilities rather than on
the individuals themselves.“Until recently, the prevalent model of disability
has been the medical model in which the disabled
person is seen as the problem. In the late 1980’s,
largely influenced by people with disabilities
themselves who argued that disability is a socially
constructed concept and society itself creates the
disability, there was a shift from the medical model
to the social model. In this model, prejudice,
discrimination, and inaccessible environments are
the disabling factors -- not the medical
conditions."Glenda points out that the medical model, however, is
still alive and there is still some distance to go
before people with disabilities are acknowledged as
equals in society.For example, she writes, “Able-bodied individuals
exercise, workout, and have personal fitness trainers,
while individuals with disabilities get rehab,
therapy, and have physiotherapists."Why is disability language, especially in the
workplace, so important?According to the Harvard psychologist, Steven Pinker,
in his book, “The Stuff of Thought: Language as a
Window into Human Nature,” people are "verbivores, a
species that lives on words."He continues:
“If you want to understand how the brain works, how
it thinks about space and causation and time, how it
processes emotions and engages in social
interactions, then you need to plunge ‘down the
rabbit hole’ of language. The quirks of our
sentences are merely a portal to the mind.”In short, “Words and their rules don't tell us about the world; they tell us about ourselves,” writes Jonah Lehrer in the Washington Post’s Book World. Words show us how we feel.
Below is an explanation that I find interesting about how words work by Jamie C. MacDougall, associate professor, Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal:
"Until very recently, philosophers, psychologists and
others concerned with epistemology (the theory of
knowledge) held a standard view concerning how we
perceive reality. The basic idea is that we know the
world mainly through sight and touch. When we see
something, we expect to be able to touch it. Unless
you are a bat using echolocation, hearing was mainly
reserved for communication."This point of view led to the powerful illusion that
our eyes were not only involved in sensory
processes but perception and higher order cognitive
processes as well. Similarly, the ear not only
processed sound waves but was also involved in
understanding language and thinking. This view is
considered 'common sense' even today."However, intensive research –- particularly in the
area of cognitive neuroscience -- has shown this view
to be completely false. We now know that it is the
brain that does the heavy lifting as far as higher
order processing involving perception of reality,
linguistic processing and thinking. The eyes and
ears and our other senses, while complex, are but
the messengers bringing information to the brain for
processing. There the information undergoes many
transformations arousing complex memories, feelings
and emotions..."What does all this mean for the problem of
disability metaphors? The answer is simple. A large
part of why blind and deaf people were so
misunderstood in the past can be related directly to
our misunderstanding of what the eyes and ears
actually do. If you think with conviction that the
eye is the only window to reality then, if you can’t
see, you will be hopelessly confused and have little
capacity for understanding even the simplest things.
"Similarly, for the deaf, lack of hearing meant lack
of understanding language. Since language was
thought to be intimately related to thought, it was
only a short leap of logic to declare that the deaf
were mentally deficient -- a mental state nicely
captured by the now outmoded term ‘deaf and dumb.’"No one should be surprised, therefore, that language
reflected this misunderstanding for about two
thousand years. The Bible is full of metaphors like
the “blind leading the blind,” and Shakespeare and
other literacy giants are close behind. Margaret
Atwood has a book called "The Blind Assassin," and I
don’t know anyone who thinks she is prejudiced
against blind people. She is just following a well-
worn literary path with no intention of malice."Probably the first major assault on this failed line
of thought was the appearance of Helen Keller, who
was, of course, both deaf and blind. Such was her
accomplishment that, according to all reports, her
global fame was rivaled only by Albert Einstein.
Why? Because she was living proof that it was the
brain, not the eyes and ears, that was important."In view of this, one would have thought the standard
view of the primacy of the senses would have been
thoroughly smashed, but what seemed to happen was
that her astonishing abilities were seen as super
human -- even miraculous (not of this world). An
unfortunate aspect of this view is the lingering
idea that people with a disability should strive to
reach this unworldly level and somehow 'overcome'
their disability against all odds."To summarize, the standard view is that the senses
do all the perceiving and thinking. If you lose the
sense -- well, you have diminished capacity, but, if
you try real hard, you will find other ways to
compensate."(The) language that incorporates this outmoded view
has been around for so long and is so thoroughly
embedded in all our everyday thinking and great
literature that there is no reason to give it up."In fact, we would be giving up a substantial part
of our literary heritage and collective identity.
Those involved in the long struggle to eliminate
sexist language will find this a familiar refrain..."(But), if science can convince us that the earth is not
the center of the universe -- something the Catholic
Church only recently grudgingly admitted 300 years
after Galileo’s passing, then why not that our
senses, while important, are not the real story. It
is the magnificent brain. That’s where all the real
action is. Blind people, deaf people, people who use
wheelchairs and all others with a disability,
whether physical or mental, have functioning brains
-- that’s what makes them human."Continue reading "Tearing Down Disability Language Barriers"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 09:47 AM | Comments (5)
February 06, 2008
Take Advantage of These Unique Opportunities
Thanks to all of you who completed our January survey
about which new content on eSight during 2008 would be most useful to you in finding meaningful employment.See a summary of what you told us.
These survey results tell me you’re most interested in
learning how to do these things (in priority order):1. Identify your accomplishments for employers.
2. Conduct an effective job search.
3. Do well in job interviews.
You have five additional interests, which you consider
secondary but still very important (again in priority
order):4. Learning how to network effectively.
5. Writing an effective resume.
6. Gaining inclusion in the workplace.
7. Developing confidence so you can reach out.
8. Dealing with a difficult boss.
If you did not complete the January survey or have
additional ideas about how eSight can best serve you
this year, please post your preferences for eSight content/services in the form at the end of this entry.The first three interests identified by our January
survey takers are fundamental for navigating today’s
job market, and eSight will be emphasizing those
during the coming months, using a variety of learning
methods.For a start, see this week’s featured article, “eSight
Quick Step: Identifying Accomplishments,” in Career
Management Resources.That feature leads you through a series of articles for
examining your experience and identifying your key
success factors, which can serve as a foundation for
presenting yourself effectively during your job search
and during job interviews.For those who feel confident about how to use basic
job search tools but who are looking for new ways to
develop a more effective resume and to network within
the online environment, I have an additional
suggestion: apply for eSight’s spring 2008 course
about “Online Networking as a Job Search tool.”This eight-week course actually addresses most of the
eight topics you have identified in the January
survey. It’s an opportunity to learn how to create
your personal brand, build your e-Portfolio, and
cultivate your contacts to find the internship or job
that's right for you.It’s all hands-on and competency-based, and I
facilitate it, giving each eLearner eSight selects as
a participant lots of individual attention.And you can do it all without leaving your keyboard.
But you need to act fast. Applications are due now for
the spring class, which runs March 5, 2008 through
April 29, 2008. The deadline for submitting all
application material is February 11, 2008.Check the course details and the online application form.
Space for this course is very limited. And the
selection process is rigorous. But you may be at just
the right stage in your career where you’ll benefit
the most from this training. The only way to find out
is to apply right now.Continue reading "Take Advantage of These Unique Opportunities"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2008
Making an Apparent Barrier Irrelevant
In December, 2007, James J. Elekes, M.Ed, MPA, CPM, completed a five-year term as a Presidential Appointee/Public Member of the U.S. Access Board in Washington D.C. and was looking for a job.
Look at one of his job-interviewing experiences on this forum.
James now has a new position, which he says he “really enjoys.” Here is his account of one of his first duties on his new job:
“... One of my first assignments was to look over the crop of undergraduates applying for a spring internship and select four out of the 15 applicants.
“This would be a 24-hours-a-week commitment with significant field work visiting client sites to conduct 'barrier-free facility assessments.' In every case, I advised those to be interviewed to dress 'business casual,' provided them a copy of what constitutes 'business casual' for the organization and waited.
“(All the organization’s ‘field personnel’ are directed to dress 'business casual' because of the duties of their respective positions. While at the office, I'm a ‘suiter,’ but, for field appointments, I'm business casual as well.)
“Of the 15 candidates, 10 came in business suits, upscale dresses or inappropriate office wear (sneakers, flip flops, low-slung jeans etc). Immediately, it was a strike against them. If they can't follow simple instructions for the interview, how will they follow more complex instructions when doing a site assessment?
“The remaining group of five was my cadre from which to select the four interns. They paid attention to detail, asked clear and concise questions when appropriate, and they displayed confidence in themselves and their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).
“In preparing for a job interview, they had taken the time to research our organization’s culture in terms of dress. They knew how to match the ‘uniform’ of our organization.
“Incidentally, I'm totally blind. You may wonder how I knew the dress of each candidate. Simple. I asked my secretary to make note of each candidate as each arrived. One of the observations to record: dress (whether it conformed to our organization’s ’business casual’ guidelines as well as hair style, jewelry and all the other factors that would make a first impression on a client).
“This may sound extreme, but, even as interns, they are our points of contact with specific clients. Their KSAs as well as how they present themselves need the culture of our organization.”
As a person with hiring authority, James gives us some insight about how dress and appearance can influence a job candidate’s chances in being chosen for a particular job.
But, what struck me as equally astute was his use of a “work around” in gaining a picture of each interviewee’s personal appearance, even though he’s totally blind.
Continue reading "Making an Apparent Barrier Irrelevant"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 01:23 PM | Comments (10)
January 15, 2008
Protecting Your Online Privacy
Michele Glaser recently sent us an article about using your LinkedIn profile as a resume.
The article's author, Alison Doyle, who is a job search expert with more than 20 years experience in human resources, career development, and job searching, writes that hiring managers and recruiters are using LinkedIn as a tool to find job candidates.
If that's the case, those of us who have profiles on LinkedIn or other venues need to decide what information to include -- and not include -- in them to protect our privacy.
Three questions come to my mind.
What rules do I follow to protect my privacy so I don't become vulnerable to stalkers, marketing scams etc.?
What information do I want a prospective employer to know about me?
What type of articles do I self-publish to enhance my career?
An eSight member recently e-mailed us about her concerns in these matters. She writes:
"...My concern (is) about allowing lots of info about oneself out on the Internet in a random fashion.
"(Consider this) example. I am a person living in a small town. By 'small town,'I mean a town which has few blind people in it. I write info about myself into some kind of service such as Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn.
"I write in my profile that I am proud of the fact that I live alone and can do so well as a blind person. I give my name and my town, 'Anywhereville.'
"Now let's say there is a kid who is good at using the Internet. He knows how to use Google.
"He has a history of petty crime -- break-ins to houses where he steals stereos. He is not violent. He is good at technology and thinks of the whole thing as a challenge.
"He lives in Anywhereville.
"One day he is wandering through Facebook or MySpace. He sees my profile.
"Guess whose stereo goes missing? If I am lucky, I am not home. If I am unlucky, I get tied up or worse while he steals my stereo.
"Like it or not, blind and disabled people stand out in a community. Giving out contact info over the Net means all kinds of people can see it.
"The concern may be amplified if the person who is disabled is young, immature, mentally less careful than I am, female, or desperate for work and careless of risks being taken.
"I suggest you may want to make people aware of when it is appropriate to post material and what material is appropriate to post to what audience.
"Material I personally avoid includes my name (since it is unusual), my address, and my phone number. I post an e-mail address..."
Continue reading "Protecting Your Online Privacy"
Posted by Jim Hasse at 01:30 PM | Comments (2)