Networking Forum

First off I think my love of accessible computing and the fact that I am a "people person" lead me to both my past and current nonprofit jobs. At the first of these nonprofit organizations I typed out memos and various other things for the staff, and I also answered phones and would sometimes make business-related phone calls. At my current job outside the home I mainly make phone calls or answer the phone, and there is a list of people to call which I navigate with the Non-Visual Desktop Access free screen reader. My interest in computers is also what lead me to the volunteer job I have, where I telecommute for a local senior center. I had previously transcribed a book about a family friend who is a Holocaust survivor, and he paid me for it. I found that particularly enjoyable and at times rather depressing due to the nature of the material. I even received feedback from him upon completion of the book. I think my keen interest in disability issues was another contributing factor which lead me to both nonprofit organizations. This one in particular I think has meaning because Illinois--the state in which I reside--has such a lousy record of providing services to people with disabilities that it's a joke. Someday I'd really like to become an advocate for people with disabilities. However, with our current political situation the way it is I think I'd be better off doing what I'm doing. Things have honestly gotten so out of hand that one can't help but be rather skeptical of the future for PWD's.

Once again wonderful insight! I've read "Parachute" many times since its first edition, everytime gaining valuable knowledge and insight. I have long had a passion to observe the inner workings of government, be it on the local, State or Federal levels. As an observer, you often must take a step back, focusing on the tree rather than the entire forest. I believe in the dignity of all humanity and, expressing my opinion when unfair treatment is focused at a particular segment of the community. Professionally, I am systematic and structured when analyzing an issue.

As a result, "Volunteer/Community Service" has focused on how to improve the service delivery to the disability community whether it be in serving on an Advisory Body, focusing efforts on expanding resources to bridge a gap in service funding or opening options for disabled individuals to participate in a heretofore unavailable experience.

It is ironic but, I do not look at what the activity can do for me but what I can contribute to the community to make it better. To this end, it is the life experience gained that is the reward. It is this experience that fills the picture of me out and, time and time again, it is the view of the value added I can bring to a perspective employer that is that entangible that was the difference in being the successful candidate when compared to others vieing for the same employment goal.

Incidentally, my present "Volunteer/Community Service" Project is as a Coordinator for a local grass-roots group focused on insuring disabled community members are registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential Election and, insuring the individual has an understanding of the new voting technology purchased by the State in order they may cast their vote privately, independently and, secure in the knowledge their vote will count. Once Voter Registration is concluded, I've been asked by the group to aide in establishing transportation to/from the Polling place for Election Day.

During the 1980s, I had a passion for developing my skills in disability advocacy and strategic planning, two functions which did not always jive with my job responsibilities at work in a Fortune 500 company.

However, I did find opportunities to grow in both areas by making myself visible and available to state agencies, where those skills were particularly valued.

As a member of the education/information committee of the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities, I helped plan a state-wide inclusion initiative.

The knowledge I gained by working on that inclusion initiative prompted me to write an op/ed piece for a daily newspaper in Madison, WI.

That op/ed piece paved the way for my nomination to the board of Disability Rights Wisconsin, where I had a chance to learn about the John Carver principles of governance for non-profits.

I then found myself applying the new strategic planning and governance skills I learned by volunteering to my own corporate communication job. Those skills helped me become vice president of communication for the company where I had been employed for 18 years.

I was a member of senior management for that company for another 10 years and then jumped from the corporate to the non-profit world -- partly because I had become comfortable with the non-profit sector through productive and rewarding volunteer experiences.

I've now worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 10 years.

So, volunteering has definitely had a great influence on the direction of my career.

I just got another volunteer offer. Awhile back I had filled out a survey online at my paying job. This survey was regarding a website that is being created for people with special needs, and I was approached by someone who works at Center for Independent Futures and she wanted to know if I would be willing to sit down with her and the person creating the website. I told her I'd be glad to do this, so sometime within the next few days or so we're going to meet and discuss how to make the website accessible. This will be a Craigslist for the disability community and I'm really looking forward to giving my input. Having seen a lot of rather inaccessible websites I think this is very much within my realm. One nagging issue I'm going to bring up is that of visual verification, a.k.a., CAPTCHA. Even the audio CAPTCHA schemes aren't perfect because (1) they only seem to work with certain web browsers and even then it's a toss-up, and (2) they lock out people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. I truly believe that, if one really feels the need to use CAPTCHA on their site, text-based alternatives are the way to go.