Someone emailed me this.  I don't have more of a bibliographic
citation, but thought it may be of interest.

Regards,
Jamal

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 From the Boston Herald


Everyone knows the feeling of satisfaction
after putting in a full<day of work -- right? Then there's the reward
of a paycheck,respect from colleagues, plus the professional
interaction. Well, we'd like to think everyone has these
opportunities. But in fact,@for most American's who have
disabilities, that opportunity just doesn't exist. Even more
staggering is that an estimated 74 percent<of Americans with a severe
visual disability aren't employed (1991-1992 U.S. Census Bureau; ages
21-64). Most want to work, but@employers just won't hire them. After
all, how could someone who?can't see anything be productive in a work
environment? Even if they could do the job, who's got time in their
busy day to show a co-worker who's blind where the bathroom is or
help them maneuverA round the cafeteria? I do know the feeling
because I experienced?it. In a former job of mine as supervisor in a
customer service department, I ran around all day jumping from one
task to another, barely finding the time to get my lunch down between
meetings. If my 2 o'clock interview with a candidate for a customer
service job walked into a room with sunglasses and a cane back then,
I'd have been rather wary of whether that person could really meet
the demands of the job. That was four years ago, before I took the
job at The Carroll Center for the Blind as director of job
placement. One Carroll Center client said it to me so eloquently:
"It's very>important to have a job, not only because it makes life
easier economically but also because so much of who you are is
defined by what you do." Individuals who are legally blind have a
choice. They=can sit at home and collect $633.74 per month in
Supplemental Security Income from the government or they can go to
work (if they can get a job) and replace some or all of that
financial support with a paycheck from their employer. But more times
than not, that>decision is made for them by an employer who passes
over their resume out of fear. Of all the disabilities, the general
public has?the hardest time understanding how a person who is blind
can beAproductive in a work environment. By the way, being legally
blind doesn't necessarily mean that you can't see. For example,
many;legally blind individuals with a condition called
Retinitis Pigmentosa have no trouble seeing straight ahead of them.
In just the two and a half years that I've been in this job, I've
done some hard thinking about this line of work that I do. Many of
the human resources personnel that I meet with from day to day
represent businesses that exist mainly to make a profit. Therefore,
it certainly makes sense to hire the best employees. But what
factors make up the best employee? We can all come up with a list
of qualities and traits that represent some of our best
people. Productivity is certainly one of the big ones! Are people
with disabilities as productive as their non-disabled co-workers?
Well, for certain tasks, the answer is definitely yes. But there are
some tasks where they are not as efficient -- that's reality.
Some people might find fault with this opinion, thinking that
saying anything less than positive is harmful to the welfare
of individuals with disabilities who are trying their hardest to
prove they can do the job. But I deal with reality -- I think
being realistic will go a lot further in developing credibility
with employers. Accepting reality is one of the ways I've learned
to avoid job burnout -- and believe me, I've come close. I was
working with one employer who wanted me to come up with a method for
how a worker who was blind could do the same number of job functions
as his sighted co-worker -- otherwise the job couldn't be filled
with my applicant. This is an ideal situation that the employer
wanted and it's something I always aim for in placing candidates.
However, it's not always realistic to expect that to happen, given
that one of the workers has a disability. It was an all or
nothing proposition from this employer, but it does not have to be
that way. The American's with Disabilities Act states that as long
as the functions that can't be performed are not essential
functions of the job, then employers really should make "a
reasonable accommodation" to allow the employee with the disability
the opportunity to do that job. And employers can often get
financial help to make that accommodation. In Massachusetts,
depending on the type of disability that an employee has, employers
can receive financial assistance from one of several state agencies
to obtain adaptive equipment. Those employees who meet the definition
of legal blindness can receive assistance from the
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Most other disabilities,
including those where vision loss does not meet the criteria of legal
blindness, can receive assistance from the Massachusetts
Rehabilitation Commission. These agencies can pay for some or all of
the adaptive equipment needed in an employment setting. There is a
great feeling of satisfaction after I place someone in a job; hearing
from the individual that they are feeling good about themselves
again. Nobody should have to sit at home and let his or her potential
to contribute to society go wasted.
Robert Fox is the director of job placement at The Carroll Center for
the Blind. He welcomes your comments and interest in employing
individuals with visual impairments. He can be reached via email orat
1-800-852-3131."