Jim, I am with you. Thinking back at my years at MIT, I honestly can't
think of a single thing that I would have wanted, or needed from an office
for disabled students affairs, or whatever it would have been called. As I
have mentioned previously, my parents dropped me off at my dorm the evening
before classes started, and said to keep in touch. I had never been there
before, and knew nothing about the layout of well over 100 buildings where
classes and labs were held. No one showed me around, no one arranged for my
readers, but I survived and did very well, if I say so myself. I had to
have readers as I didn't have a single book in an accessible format my
entire time at MIT. I am thinking that all of the skills I honed on my own
served me well as college life gave way to my carreer. After all these
years, I still can't think of anything that I would have wanted a special
office to assist me with.
I think that there is way too much hand holding these days.
Alan
Alan R. Downing
Phoenix, AZ
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Jim Shaffer
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 2:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: employment
Be aware, I might be blowing smoke here, as I have no data to support this,
but here goes:
I have for some time been concerned about all the special accommodation
students receive these days. They have these special student offices on
campuses which handle all sorts of accommodations including providing
readers and even attendants in some cases.
I think of the people who've been to universities and
seen those special student offices, and are then in a position to hire a
blind person. Do they say, "Oh yes, they can do the work.", or do they say,
"Gosh, they needed a special office on campus, and our company isn't going
to have that, so we'd best hire someone else."
Whether we like it or not, the opinion of a lot of people, indeed probably
most people, is that we're
best suited for some sort of manual labor such as simple assembly line work,
if we're suitable for any work at all. We have to do our best to show that
we can be independent and productive. I was responsible, for example, for
getting my own readers, while these days the handicapped student services
usually provide the readers as I understand it.
I remember a petition on change.org where this couple was saying that, after
getting their degrees, the only work they could find was subminimum wage
work at Good Will. Of course, a lot of blind folks were upset at Good Will
for paying subminimum wages, but I had other questions. Did they try to get
jobs in other locations? What did they major in in college? What were the
GPAs? I just didn't buy that two people, blind or not, with degrees
couldn't find other work. These folks were in Montana, and Yeh, you might
have to move somewhere to get a good job. If I had stayed in my home town
in Iowa, I wouldn't have found much work either, unless I started a local
business, which I didn't want to do. So I got a job with the state of Iowa
in data
processing, although I'd graduated Magna Cum Lade with a degree in physics
and math. The vast majority of applications I sent out either went
unanswered, or were rejected, I got very few interviews. After three years
with the state, I got a job with IBM, where I worked for 30 years before
retiring.
But anyway, my concern is that we might be seen as needing too much help
from special handicapped services, since there are so many accommodations
being made. However, I can't point to any case where this actually
happened, although you'd need insider information to establish such a claim,
since no one would admit to not hiring a blind person for this reason.
--
Jim, KE5AL
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 3:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: employment
Alan,
It depends on who your friends are. There isn't a big amount of statistical
research done on this; but the last I knew, AFB research says it about 70
percent unemployed or under-employed.
And, if it weren't for Randolph-Shepherd and the Rehab industry, I dare say
it would be more like ninety percent.
I deliberately chose not to go into a "blindness-specific" occupation when I
was younger.
Unfortunately, a lot of positions that were open to the blind years ago are
not real good career opportunities now. Medical transcription is being
outsourced overseas in a lot of instances, and with speech recognition, it
will become even less available. In my opinion, same thing with piano
tuners, as a lot of people use digital keyboards which now have real
piano-like feel.
I will echo Colin's comment too about developing a resume that does not
indicate age. Even though age is not a Bona Fide Occupational Qualifier, a
lot of employers implicitly avoid older applicants.
In my view, the Americans With Disabilities Act also limited our
possibilities more than they helped. There was a small industry of
consultnats helping employers design job descriptions listing the Essential
Functions of their jobs. Even though they're supposed to make reasonable
accommodations, I think the result of that whole process was to really
tighten up the screening process to where it has disadvantaged a lot of
disabled applicants.
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: Alan R. Downing
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 12:16 PM
Subject: Re: employment
Howard, on the subject of employment, is the unemployment rate of the blind
still in excess of 70% or more? I am not affiliated with the ACB or NFB,
so don't read any of their publications on a regular basis. I was always
suspicious of such claims as all of my blind friends were gainfully
employed. I attended Perkins thru my freshman year and then transferred to
my local public high school. I still believe that had I stayed at Perkins,
I would never have gotten into MIT, or any other science or engineering
colleges or universities. Naturally I had many friends from my Perkins
days, and thru my adult life, they were all employed in their chosen fields;
teachers, attorneys, accountants, piano tuners and the like.
Alan
Alan R. Downing
Phoenix, AZ
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Howard Kaufman
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 7:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: employment
Ron, I will trust your research.
My data is subjective. Again, my data is the most important data for me,
because it is my job hunt.
I also have two disabilities.
I am beginning to think age is bigger than blindness.
I always got a job before, and I was always blind.
Since I passed 55, it has been much harder. After 60, not even an
interview.
H T Kaufman MSW LCSW
Adaptive Technology Instructor
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