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January 26, 2005
Summary for January: Breaking Accessibility Barriers
Thank you all for generating some interesting insights about breaking accessibility barriers – insights that can be helpful for prospective employers.
An outgrowth of our discussion is a new article, which
eSight is highlighting this week in Employer Resources. Take a look at "‘Swimming in the Mainstream’ Insight: Breaking Accessibility Barriers."
"‘Swimming in the Mainstream" Insight: Breaking Accessibility Barriers" illustrates three unique benefits you gain by joining the discussion on eSight’s "Swimming in the Mainstream" (SiM) blog.
First, by sharing your experiences with others on eSight’s SIM blog, you grow personally and help other eSight members find meaningful work.
Second, through eSight’s online collaboration, you generate insights which can be transformed into resources, such as this week’s featured article, for helping prospective employers expand their perceptions about the potential they can find in job candidates who happen to be disabled.
Third, as an eSight SiM blog participant, you can fully tap the Internet for showcasing your at-the-job personality and career accomplishments in a network which includes prospective employers in the U.S. as well as across the globe.
Note that this week’s featured article includes links to the offering statements, web sites or resumes of the eSight SiM blog participants I quote.
To increase an awareness among employers about disability employment issues and facilitate networking between prospective job candidates and prospective employers, eSight will e-mail an announcement with a link to this week’s featured article to our extensive outreach list, which includes a wide range of employers.
If you had not yet submitted your thoughts to
eSight’s SiM blog, you can do so now.
You can also gain immediate visibility for yourself under this ongoing eSight networking initiative by submitting a two-sentence "offering statement" (describing what you can do for a potential employer).
Read the offering statements others have posted.
Remember -- an offering statement is brief. It cites the accomplishments and skills you have chosen to highlight as a job applicant, using action words. An employer is more interested in what you have to offer than what your personal objectives are.
Go back to your past accomplishments. What skills did you use? Make a list of those skills to help you think about them. How did each accomplishment help your company become more successful or profitable? It doesn't have to be a huge difference that you made, but it has to be a difference that contributed to the bottom line. Now take those skills and ask yourself, "How would I apply them to solve the problems and meet the challenges of the companies I want to work for?"
During the last week of each month, I’ll summarize the month’s discussion on this blog, more than likely quote you at some point and publish the summary as an eSight article that puts your thoughts into a context that can be used by employers.
So submit your offering statement now.
It’s like putting your calling card on the Net. You’ve taken the first step in networking with other eSight members as well as with prospective employers.
Jim Hasse
Senior Content Developer
eSight Careers Network
E-mail Announcement to eSight's Extensive Outreach List
eSight Bloggers Offer Employers
Insight About Accessibility Barriers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2005
"...When you take the initiative and act for yourself, you show the world that you have what it takes to effectively perform the duties of that job you seek!"
That’s a quote from D.S., one of the members of eSight Careers Network who participated in a January 2005 discussion about breaking major accessibility barriers (particularly available transportation and accessible technology) for those with disabilities who seek mainstream employment.
eSight members held the month-long discussion on eSight’s new "Swimming in the Mainstream" blog.
An outgrowth of that discussion is a new article, which offers employers insight about accessibility barrier issues from a job-seeker point of view. eSight is currently highlighting the article in its Employer Resources section.
The article is "‘Swimming in the Mainstream’ Insight: Breaking Accessibility Barriers."
Nancy O’Connell, executive director of The Associated Blind, Inc., New York City, urged those in the disability community to pass the accessibility barrier article onto career counselors, hiring managers or other decision makers in the mainstream workplace who might benefit from such insight about accessibility issues generated by job seekers and employees with disabilities.
eSight’s "Swimming in the Mainstream" blog is designed to help eSight members share their personal experiences as individuals with a disability in the workplace, help job seekers showcase their personalities and accomplishments to prospective employers and help employers expand their awareness of disability employment issues.
The blog is made possible by a grant the American Express Foundation has awarded to The Associated Blind, Inc., eSight’s parent organization.
The Associated Blind, Inc., a 66-year-old non-profit organization, has been providing members of eSight Careers Network opportunities to collaborate on disability employment issues through accessible online submission tools since October 2000.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Source: The Associated Blind, Inc.
Contact: Nancy O'Connell
Telephone: 212-683-4950
Site: http://www.eSight.org
Blog: http://www.tabinc.org/sim/
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Posted by Jim at January 26, 2005 02:02 PM