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"Supporting
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Student
Advocate
A Publication of
The National Alliance of Blind Students
A Division of the American Council of the Blind
Volume XXIII Number 1
Fall 2004
What's in this issue? - A Table of Contents
An Editorial Welcome, by Noel Romey
Board Bios: What Exactly Makes the NABS Board Tick
Presidents Message: The Advantages of Change, By Jen Barrow
Big Adventure at Convention with a Big Thank You! By
Cammie Vloedman
Being Blind in India, a look at the "cans" and the
challenges of blindness, By Noel Romey
Be Flexible, Be Rewarded by Mike Gravitt
Interviewing Issues By Carmela Broom
Internship Opportunities
ACB Scholarships Available
Its that time again, time to roll out another in a series of stimulating and I hope Interesting Student Advocates for the masses. It's also time for a new editor to take over, and though it may seem somewhat redundant, I guess I should introduce myself and explain what I hope to do with this great publication.
Put simply, I love to write, now. My mom majored in Journalism and since I was little, she has been a teacher either of English, imploring me to not write "a lot" in my research papers but to make sure and write "a lot", a high school newspaper teacher, and most interestingly a television and broadcasting teacher. I never got too much out of the TV broadcasting except for the fact that it was a pretty neat sounding class. Newspaper however, since my Mom was teaching it, made me cringe. Why should I, why would I go into high school journalism? My Mom might proofread my stories and tell me how it was done. Unfortunately for me, fortunately for you the reader, I had a schedule conflict in my tenth grade. All I could take, if I wanted to take Advanced Chemistry, was Journalism. I obviously enjoyed it immensely, even if my Mom was a journalism teacher. Three years later, I was an associate editor of the Mills High School Galaxy, dealing with deadlines, teenage attitudes, and people's many spelling and grammar mistakes.
I never made it to managing editor then. I can't wait to be the editor of the Student Advocate this year. I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into, but I have a feeling that even with the missed deadlines and incessant nagging Jen dished out at me to get the darn thing done, and my successive pleas to our current submitters for this issue to "get me articles or else", I realized that this thing, the Student Advocate, can and will be awesome.
This year, I'm planning on helping people learn to be more effective in their
writing. One thing I hope to help people do this year is to include stories
about others because though there's merit in writing about yourself and your
experiences, there sometimes can be even more merit in writing about someone
else, because everyone has a story. So here's where I stop and you come in.
Whether or not you are a student or a teacher, a blind or a sighted person,
I want to hear about your story. If you think you want to tell a story about
someone, about yourself, or about an issue you think the readership of The Student
Advocate needs to know about, feel free to ask me how to do it. I want to be,
and most importantly, I am just one email away. I want to help you in any way
I can, so drop me a line to editor@blindstudents.org anytime. If you don't want
to write articles but just want to give me suggestions on how I can make the
Student Advocate better, that's cool too. This magazine is for you, and I hope
I can make this issue, and the next both informative and interesting. Though
a different editor and different leadership bring change and sometimes a different
style, I hope these changes will be welcome. I love challenges, and I appreciate
the NABS Board giving me the opportunity to put together this years Student
Advocate Issues.
And now, let's begin.
Editor's Note: Every year we ask all board members, those of us who have been elected or appointed onto the NABS Board to send in a short tidbit about themselves. Every person is unique, but our job as board members is not, so we thought it best that the general public sees just what makes us tick as people so you can understand who we, the NABS Board, really are. Any typographic errors have been fixed but the original content of the bios has been placed here as they have been submitted to this editor. Everyone's personality is different and so is their writing style, so I wanted to keep it that way.
Jen Barrow, President
Jen Barrow graduated from Boston College in 2003 with a double major in Theology and Hispanic Studies. Determined to actually use her liberal arts degrees, she went Texan last year to serve fulltime at an indigent women's health clinic on the Mexican border, as a Mercy Volunteer. Jen is currently working on a Masters in Community Counseling at the University of Detroit Mercy. She also works part-time in the Leadership Development Institute at the University as the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator. Wow! She certainly gets around! To unwind, she enjoys gabbing in Spanish, traveling the world with friends and tap dancing. Quieres bailar conmigo?
Millisa Garside: First Vice-President
Hello. I am currently a student at the University of Massachusetts Boston where I am majoring in Human Services and minoring in Legal Advocacy. Upon Graduating, I plan to work with disabled or homeless people. My goals for NABS are to get more students involved and to foster leadership skills in the younger generation. In my Spare time, I like to kick back and hang out with friends, keep up with the Red Sox (Our new world champions), listen to and perform music, (I sing) and read. I look forward to a great year for NABS and getting to know all of you.
Rebecca Hodson: Second Vice President and Convention Coordinator
Rebecca Hodson is serving her second term on the NABS board as convention coordinator.
Originally from West Lafayette, Indiana, Rebecca recently moved to Northern
Virginia where she is working a full-time job while completing her final semester
at DePauw University with a dual major in musical arts and communications.
Throughout her college career, she has been an active member of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Delta Gamma Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Lambda (music honorary); and has held executive positions with Lambda Pi Eta (communications honorary), and Purdue Advocates for Disability Issues. During the 2003/04 academic year, Rebecca was selected to serve as a mentor for first year students at DePauw. She has held internship positions with National Industries for the Blind, the ACB national office, and in the office of Indiana Republican Senator Richard G. Lugar.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys socializing with friends, traveling, both listening to and playing music, and is an avid sports fan.
Jeremy Johansen: Secretary
Jeremy Johansen is the newly re-elected secretary for the National Alliance
of Blind Students for the 2004-05 year. As a member since 1995, Jeremy served
on the NABS board as treasurer and secretary during the past four years. He
looks forward to again offer his experience and recording expertise as secretary.
Currently, Jeremy is a fourth -year Mechanical Engineering graduate student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. His focus is sensing and controls, particularly as applied to robotic systems, earthquakes and adaptive devices. With his bachelor's and master's behind him, Jeremy is now conducting research towards his Ph.D.
Between his studies, Jeremy stays active in several of the clubs and extracurricular activities on and off campus. He is currently graduate advisor for the UCSB chapter of Golden Key International Honors Society, Mechanical Engineering department representative to the Graduate Students Association, and an officer of the Commission on Disability Access and the Community Affairs Board of UCSB. When home in Davis California, Jeremy enjoys his many interests and hobbies, particularly crafts, cooking, skiing, playing games and traveling around the world.
Gabe Griffith: Treasurer
Gabe Griffith is currently serving his second term as NABS treasurer. In addition
to this he is also in his second term as President of the Blind Students of
California. Gabe is working on a master's degree in organizational communications
at Sacramento State university in Sacramento California. He is planning on being
finished with his schoolwork by December of 2005 and would like to work in the
field of disability advocacy.
Nickie Coby: Junior Representative
Nickie Coby is the Junior Representative to the NABS board of directors. Although
she plans to major in social work in college, her studies as a senior in high
school currently focus on English, social sciences and French. Nickie lives
at home with her parents, a pet dog and her Guide Dog Julio, a yellow lab from
Guide Dogs for the Blind. She enjoys writing, computer programming and web site
design, reading and socializing with friends over coffee.
Noel Romey: Student Advocate Editor
Noel Romey is currently serving his first term as the Student Advocate Editor.
He thinks he will scream if he has to write Student Advocate one more time but
he'll do it anyway, he supposes. He also hates writing about himself in the
third person, but this goes with the territory he supposes. He currently attends
the University of Arkansas and will be receiving a Bs degree in BS as well as
a BS in Chemical Engineering. Studies claim that the degree in BS will earn
approximately three times what a chemical engineering degree might, so he applied
to be The Student Advocate Editor so he could put it on his resume and thereby
make millions. He has a guide dog named Fiona who likes to guide 10 percent
of the time and sleep on his bed the other 95 percent of the time. Please note:
editor did not fix the obvious math mistake in the last sentence; apparently,
engineers do not know how to do math, and this fact must be demonstrated.
Romey likes to write, and when not scrambling to get finals and other homework
done, he updates an online journal daily with humorous ramblings about himself.
In his spare time, he enjoys destroying computers, reading books, and playing
with various chemical experiments, all of which are educational, yet fun and
yes, destructive and/or explosive. At the time of writing he is still living,
still breathing, and his dog is still sleeping on the bed. Romey is self-certified
by the NER Accreditation Association as insane. This is his main disability;
blindness is only a minor inconvenience.
Cammie Vloedman: Webmaster
I am Cammie Vloedman from Poedunk America. No really, I am from Oklahoma, which
is the middle of nowhere. I am a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University
with a BS major in E-Commerce and a minor in Animal Science. I enjoy building
websites, doing graphic design, and putting together advertising layouts. However,
the biggest joy of my life is my miniature horses that I breed, raise, train,
and show with my mom. I am in many extracurricular activities in and out of
school. These activities include two honor societies and several leadership
positions on campus. I had an exciting time this summer doing an AAPD-Microsoft
IT internship in D.C. working at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
The race is on, the horses are out of their gates… and it looks like NABS is off to a formidable start! This year, we have a terrific and energized Board who is working together on many exciting projects that I will highlight below. However, let me first express my gratitude and enthusiasm at being given the opportunity to lead NABS forward, and promote new organizational growth.
I finally got far enough down in my reading list last week to peruse the pages of Who Moved My Cheese. It is a wonderful little book with a huge lesson, if you pause to reflect often amidst its pages. The central theme of the book is how to effect and encourage change, specifically organizational change. Cheese is a metaphor for what a person (or organization) most desires to be fulfilled, or be successful. In a real sense this year, one of NABS' foremost tasks is redefining what is our cheese, and seeking out new cheese sources. Among the messages Haw, one of the four main characters in the book, writes on the wall to keep himself inspired, and hopefully motivate others, is: "If you do not change, you can become extinct."
Another message he writes shortly thereafter is: "Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old."
The NABS Board has been taking a critical look at how we are doing in relation to these words of the sage Haw. We are remembering where we have been, assessing where we are, and reevaluating where we want to see ourselves this July, two Julys from now, and five Julys from now. Here are abbreviated forms of NABS' 2004-2005 goals:
We have our eight committees formed and working hard towards making progress
in each of these areas. Some of the results may include: a new dynamic website,
a reenergized Student Advocate, leadership workshops, social conference calls,
on-line payments and an engaging program for the Las Vegas Convention. It is
too early in the year to give more specific details on our project progress,
but please stay tuned to the monthly installments of NABS Notes if you want
a play-by-play description of what we do. We introduced NABS Notes as a monthly
means to increase communication, and hopefully encourage the participation of
more members. So, keep an eye out!
I am very pleased with the fresh thinking and new directions we are forging thus far in the year. I will leave you with one more insight that Haw writes on the wall for us all to find: "Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before I find it leads me to it." So, in this spirit, won't you all take a moment, and imagine with me of all the great things possible if only…?
I have been lucky enough to attend the last two ACB National Conventions (in Pittsburgh and Birmingham) because I was a scholarship winner. I doubt I would have ever gotten involved. For me, it is so much more than just the scholarships. I went to Pittsburgh not knowing anyone and being scared out of my mind because I had not traveled a whole lot without family. However, as soon as I got there, I began to fit in. How cool it was to find people who accepted me and who would hang out with me. I learned so much about myself, about other people in similar situations, about blind/visually impaired products, and just about blindness culture. I made wonderful friends in Pittsburgh who I have kept in contact with, and who put me in the face of my fears. None of the things I got from convention would have occurred though without NABS. It was great meeting people of all ages, but meeting people who were facing similar issues at the same point in their life was an inspiration.
This year when I learned I was going to get another scholarship, I was not only excited about having money to pay for school, but I could not wait to expand on the experiences I had the year before. Although, this year I had another obligation and was afraid I would not be able to attend. I was doing an AAPD-Microsoft IT internship in the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C.
With determination, I found a way to make it to convention. It was just as good if not better as before. I did everything I could to make a bold impression on all the things I worked on during convention. This convention was more tiring than the previous one, but that is because I was having more fun being involved. Even the working part was nothing but fun. Others might not agree, but I personally like delivering convention newspapers!
Nonetheless, as I already mentioned, NABS was the back bone for the skills I improved, the fun I had, and the networking I was able to do.
My point is that I am so very thankful to ACB and the Pangere Foundation for the Visually Impaired for giving me a scholarship two years in a row. I'm also thankful for these groups helping me empower my life. If it was not for going to convention I would have never been able to meet the people I did, never gotten involved in NABS to the extent I have, and never have learned the life lessons that are so important to me. My wish for other scholarship winners is that they get involved in NABS as well, when their offered a chance to attend convention. At least attend the events NABS holds! The leaders of NABS work so hard to make these things possible. NABS can provide so many opportunities even for years down the road after one is not a student anymore. With out involvement where does that leave the voice of the students, and where does that leave the future of ACB? I just want others to be able to have a comfortable support system, I want others to be able to help change how this minority culture of ours is seen throughout the country, and most of all I want all students to have as many opportunities available to them as possible and advocate for the things they believe in. I will always carry inside me what I learned from these two conventions.
For Divyanshu Ganatra, a blind 27 year- old from Pune, India, crossing the street isn't as simple as just pressing a button and waiting for a light to change and parallel traffic to guide him safely forward across the street, cane tapping.
"In India," Ganatra explains, "Its chaotic. We don't have buttons that we press to cross, so its hard to predict if a car will stop or not. They're all over the place"
"I'm only 75% good at getting around," Ganatra said, and though the erratic cars on the streets keep him from being as independent as he'd like to be, his determination to overcome is far from unpredictable.
Blinded seven years ago by glaucoma, he relied on his friends and family to help him get through first the adjustment process of being newly blinded, and then learn how to deal with the challenges of being blind.
"Even though we have less infrastructure and no services, the primary support you get is from your family. Its crazy."
Ganatra got no help from his university or any agency in learning basic skills such as cane travel but relied mostly on experimentation and advice from friends to teach him the tricks of the trade.
"I'm self-taught, and it all happened because I took it up as a challenge. When I went into a rehab center, computing for the blind was a radical concept. I had heard of this though, and I said, well, I'm going to work this out."
Before getting the screen reader JAWS, he used readers to tell him just what was happening on the computer screen, and then memorized menus and keystrokes needed to navigate throughout applications.
"I learned to press up arrow five times, or down arrow four times to get where I needed to be. Its just what I had to do," he said.
His university at first wondered how a blind person could complete practicals for clinical psychology, but he told his would-be professors that he thought that there was a way, and they allowed him to give it a try. Ganatra was the first blind person to ever be accepted and complete a bachelor's degree at The University of Pune.
"Initially, it was hard convincing them that I could do it, but when I graduated and got into my masters program, it was much easier," he explained. He attributes this new success to open-minded professors who are willing to learn and be helpful.
Now, as he completes the final semester of his masters degree in clinical psychology, he uses computers, readers, and recorded notes on a daily basis.
According to Ganatra, because of the lack of social services provided by the government, blind people whose families have resources to buy computers and other special software and services needed to maintain their education have a better chance to get a good education and become economically and socially independent then those who have little money.
Those who don't have a support network or who are not as successful economically find it hard to even get a basic grade school level education. "I shudder to think what they do. I don't know what they do,"
Ganatra is not a stranger to making waves and changing things. "If there's something around that needs to change, I don't wait to change it myself!"
He's not only interested in helping himself, but he also wants to make things better for other disabled people throughout India.
"Society here at large looks at blindness as a handicap. There's little awareness of what blind people can do. They know all that a disabled person can't do, but they don't know what they can do. They don't know they can be productive members of society. Those stereotypes are hard to fight against."
Things are starting to improve in India for blind people. IN most of the major cities around the country, there are rehab centers that now teach computers, independent living skills, and mobility to those who need it.
In six months when his master's degree is completed, he plans to come to the United States and get a P.H.D. in Rehabilitation Education. After his P.H.D. he doesn't plan to stay here in the relative quiet of the U.S., but wants to go back to the teeming humanity that is India.
Here in the United States, He hopes to learn how to be fully independent so he can take his new-found knowledge back home and teach it to India's blind community.
"Education should be equal for everyone. I want to make education all inclusive regardless of disability."
Though he may be considered a pioneer in disability advocacy in his country, his goal is like many who have fought for disability rights in past years here in the United States. However, he's not only interested in changing and improving negative things , but he wants to accentuate the positives of life as a blind person living in India.
Please Note: Divianshu wanted me to pass along his email address so he could be contacted by anyone who would like to talk to him further about his adventures and challenges. Feel free to write him at dnganatra@vsnl.com. He'd love to hear from you. I personally enjoyed doing this story because, naturally I like a challenge. The challenge that I did not expect happened though. Apparently, the phone infrastructure is also not too up-to-date. Either that was the case or I was having a bad night. Can we say, the third, the fourth, the fifth time was a charm? It was worth it.
Being in the final stages of one's college career brings forth many challenges. Trying to bring closure to academic responsibilities in and of itself is quite a challenge. However, bringing closure to one chapter of life, and beginning the move into the "work world" brings on even more challenges.
"Where is the next chapter of life going to take me?" may be a question on the minds of many of you. Even if one is early in his college career, or still in high school, it is never too early to start pondering the future. The more open-minded and prepared one is for his career, the better.
I want to share with you a few of my own personal perspectives on career choices that I hope you find helpful or insightful.
I grew up in southern Virginia, but immediately relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after college to begin my career. I faced many challenging transitions, all at the same time. Firstly, I was moving from the college world to the business world. Secondly, I was moving from an area close to friends and family to a place where I hardly knew anyone or anything. Thirdly, I was moving from the comforts of rural living to the hustle and bustle of a bigger city (people from New York, Los Angeles, etc would probably laugh at this, but to me it was definitely a change). When I accepted the offer with my employer, Bender Consulting Services (BCS), about a month or so before graduation, I really was not thinking about these issues. However, it all started to hit me, and I almost backed out. I was wondering how I was going to handle all of these transitions, especially with a disability.
Luckily, Joyce Bender, President and CEO of BCS, called and assured me that making the move would be worth it for my future goals. Nearly seven years later, I now know how right she was, and how right the decision to overcome the challenges of all these transitions really was.
During my years with Bender Consulting Services, a for-profit company that hires and finds competitive career opportunities for people with disabilities in technology, finance, and other fields, I have learned how many potential employees we consider hiring can sometimes be so closed-minded as to considering relocating, working odd hours, or even beginning a job position doing something they specifically did not preferdoing. I have seen several instances in which someone may have had an opportunity to begin the foundations of a long-term fulfilling career, but did not want to overcome challenges of moving to a new area, learning a new technology, working a third shift, or doing something they did not like. I often wonder what happened to these people. Maybe some did get lucky in the short term, but my guess is that many are still waiting for opportunities, or even wishing they had taken some risks in exchange for long-term satisfaction.
Unfortunately, employers still discriminate against people with disabilities. It is easy to not be aware of this problem during our days as students. After all, there are many wonderful laws governing education out there, and the world of discrimination is overwritten by the protections enjoyed during college. More bluntly stated, employers, as a whole, are not as friendly to issues surrounding disabilities as high school and college staffs, by law, have to be. After all, well over half of people with disabilities who want to work are unemployed.
So, how does one overcome this issue? A couple of points I would like to make include:
To learn more about Bender Consulting Services, and the opportunities we have for people with disabilities, please visit http://www.benderconsult.com.
Editor's Note: Mike Gravitt is a manager with Bender Consulting Services and an Advisor to NABS.
When I got the first call for a job interview after completing graduate school, I was both scared and very excited. I had been sending out resumes and cover letters, networking, responding to newspaper adds, and doing all the other things you're supposed to do when searching for a job. I had done interviews before, but this would be my first one for a job where I could be officially hired. The others were for volunteer positions, and for practicum and internship placements.
The day before the interview, I went online and read all sorts of articles about interviewing to refresh my memory. I also read about the ADA, and how to approach the subject of my blindness during the interview. I already had some ideas about this, but the materials I read gave me some helpful things to consider, and clarified some issues I didn't understand. I also talked to, and read about, other blind people who did similar jobs to the one I was interviewing for. I felt sure that, with the help of their experiences as well as my own, I could explain what my unique needs would be and how they might best be addressed.
I packed up my lap top so that I could demonstrate it. I also packed my letters of recommendation and a copy of my resume. I had researched the organization on line and through other people I knew who worked there, and thought about how I would answer some of the questions I might be asked. I believed that I had prepared as much as was possible. I felt confident in my communication skills, and knew I could present myself in a professional and self-assured manner. The night before; I had every intention of relaxing, doing some reading, watching a little TV, and going to bed early. That didn't end up happening.
Before going to bed that night, I had two conversations about the next day's interview. The first conversation was with my sighted boyfriend, Jason. We'd been dating for over two years, and he knew how excited I was about this interview. The difficulty began when I mentioned that I planned to take a couple of articles about other blind people who were working as counselors with me to give to the interviewer. I reasoned that doing this would show that I had thoroughly researched how others in similar work handled their jobs successfully, and would sort of "back up" some of the things I talked about. The message would be, "Look, these other people have been hired and are doing well. She can too, just like she told you."
"I don't think I would do that," my boyfriend said. "Most people don't focus on the fact that you're blind once they meet you. You present yourself as if you are like everyone else. They'll have those articles as a reminder to them that you're blind. It'll be emphasized too much. It'll be what they associate with you."
I replied that, as much as I would like to believe him, I knew that was not the case for everyone. I use a guide dog, and my eyes do not look like sighted people's eyes. Accommodations would have to be considered; I definitely thought it was an issue, I explained to my boyfriend that I had thought out how I would answer any questions about how I could do the job. I was prepared to explain how I'd done similar tasks before, and how others in my occupation did them.
My boyfriend then said he thought I was ready to volunteer to much information. He thought that, by being so thorough, I might bring up problems they may not even have thought of.
I had a different opinion. I tried to explain to my well-meaning boyfriend that it was my responsibility to take the initiative. I needed to let the interviewer know my blindness was a topic I was willing to discuss comfortably, as it related to job performance. Otherwise, he would probably assume things based on stereotypes, which might not work in my favor. I had read the ADA where it concerned what was permissible for employers to ask me. I understood that the interviewer was going to want to know things but would most likely not be sure how to phrase his questions. I knew he might even be reluctant to say anything about my visual situation at all. I knew it would be up to me to provide the information that would help him feel comfortable about offering me the position.
"There's just so much else about you," Jason said. "I'd hate for your blindness to dominate the interview so that its all he focuses on."
"It won't," I assured him. "Trust me. I've handled situations like this before. I'll take my cues from the conversation and handle things according to how the dialogue goes."
"I know you'll do the right thing! You'll do great. He'll be plain stupid if he doesn't fall in love with you right away."
"I'll just be happy if he hires me," I said.
Later on that night I talked to a friend who is also blind. Unlike me, he has only been blind for about eight years. He has an M.B.A. and used to own a business. I figured he would be someone good to talk to about interviewing. We began disagreeing pretty early in the conversation, though. He asked me if I'd told the interviewer I was blind when he called to set up the interview. I said no, that I intentionally did not tell him because I didn't want him to know before he met me. My friend said he thought I should have told the interviewer I was blind once we'd set a time and date for the interview. He seemed to think it would be unfair to catch the interviewer off guard by just walking in and surprising him. He said the interviewer would then be distracted throughout the interview, and not even be able to listen or focus.
I was surprised at my friend's outlook. He seemed to be suggesting that I needed to prepare the interviewer for some earth-shattering news, some terrible shock. I responded that I expected someone in that position to behave in a professional manner. It wasn't as if I would be walking in naked, or with three heads, after all. He already knew some important things about me based on my resume and cover letter, and had enough information to interview me as a potential job candidate, whether he was initially surprised or not. I would not feel compelled to identify my racial background over the phone. How was my blindness any different?
"Maybe so," my friend said. "But you're starting things off on the wrong foot if you do that. He's going to feel deceived and wonder why you didn't say anything."
I disagreed. I believed that finding out about my blindness at the time of the interview would enable him to more quickly accept me as a whole person. Besides, why would I announce it to him? This would give him the idea that I thought it was hugely important information. I'd made sure there was nothing blindness-related on my resume so that I would not be "red flagged." I did not want to be rejected before the interviewer had the chance to meet me. I believed that finding out in advance might also give him plenty of time to get very freaked out, think of every possible problem without being able to ask me about them, convince himself there was no way I could do the job, and come up with some excuse to cancel the interview. After all, I was not interviewing for a job where blindness might automatically be viewed as a positive thing, such as rehab counseling or teaching. Other blind people who interviewed for similar jobs told me they had not disclosed their blindness beforehand for similar reasons. If they had chosen to do so initially, either by phone or on their resume, they'd quickly realized this was not a helpful strategy, and changed their approach.
I felt genuinely confused. My boyfriend had just said he thought I was planning to talk about my blindness too much. He'd worried that I would allow the topic to dominate the interview and overshadow all the other positive things about me. Now, my blind friend was saying I was not willing to talk about it enough. He was insisting that I should talk about it more, be more open and revealing. He thought I should tell them how long I'd been blind, how much I saw, and everything else thirty seconds into the interview.
"None of that is relevant," I said in exasperation.
I told my friend that anything related to my blindness other than how I would do the job was extraneous interview clutter. Not only that, according to the ADA, questions unrelated to that topic were illegal.
"Its part of what makes you who you are," my friend said.
"Yes, but it's not all I am," I shot back, thinking about what my boyfriend had said earlier.
I told my friend that I would address it as seemed natural in the conversation. I would find ways to "work it in" appropriately. For example, when asked more about my personal strengths, I would be very comfortable describing how blindness has taught me to work hard and persevere, even when something is difficult and requires extra effort. I could mention how my visual limitations have helped me learn to be creative, flexible, and resourceful. I might also talk about how my own experiences with society have made me more sensitive to issues such as prejudice and stereotypes, and how it has shaped my stance of compassion for others who may be misunderstood. These are all important qualities in a counselor.
I was even prepared to explain how I think blindness is an asset to my work as a counselor. For example, it taught me to be a very good listener. Also, I could talk about how clients feel more comfortable knowing they will not be judged by what they look like. Or, I could describe how my blindness serves to communicate to clients that I truly can empathize with those facing challenges. They might look at me and think, "She's blind. She's probably had to overcome some challenges in her life, too."
"Those are the things that make it relevant to the interview," I said. "And I'm taking my computer to show him, too. I can tell him about the technology I use, and how that enables me to manage the paperwork aspects of my job."
My friend did not seem to have heard me.
"You're being too sensitive about it," he insisted.
We finally locked horns and I just told him I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I rarely argue with this friend, or anyone for that matter, but we couldn't seem to agree to disagree. I would have been happy moving on at some point, but I knew I was getting upset. I knew I didn't need that the night before an important interview.
"I'll email you and let you know how it goes,"
So, my boyfriend thought I was going to err on the side of talking about my blindness too much. My blind friend, on the other hand, thought I was going to make the mistake of not talking about it enough. I'd personally thought I had a very balanced plan. But what if I was wrong? What if I was being unfair. Maybe I should have told the interviewer I was blind on the phone. Maybe that wasn't right. What if I left there and the interviewer knew lots about my adaptive skills, but little else about me as a person or as a counselor? Their views had been so extreme. I started to panic. What should I do?
I decided it was too late to change the plan. I would go about things the way I had originally intended to. That was what still felt most comfortable, and I didn't have anymore time to think about it. I would wait and see how the conversation went, and simply go with the flow of the interview. I would be myself, be poised and pleasant, give a firm handshake, smile, give articulate and thoughtful answers. I would talk about my blindness in context.
And that's what I did. My interviewer didn't freak out, stutter or stammer throughout the interview, faint from shock, or anything else weird. I did have to do some educating, as he did not seem familiar with blindness or guide dogs. However, I did soaps the interview unfolded and as the topics of my blindness and working as a counselor naturally intersected. The conversation flowed comfortably, and he seemed open and interested. He did ask me how I would handle job related tasks, such as keeping track of time and managing paperwork. I described the use of scanning equipment, JAWS, and the use of readers, when necessary. He had some experience with pet therapy and viewed having an animal in the therapy room to be a very positive thing. I explained some situations where I had taken my guide dog's harness off during sessions and allowed her to be a part of helping clients. I talked about how comforting she had been to some, and how calming her presence was in general. I also talked about how my blindness seemed to often be an asset during counseling rather than a difficulty, as I had planned.
I left the interview feeling very good. There were a few small things I would have changed, but I was very pleased and could celebrate it as a major career milestone. I had successfully completed my very first job interview. Whether or not I get the job, I will still be pleased with the interview, and how I handled it. I am glad I did not tell the interviewer that I was blind beforehand, did not make it the major focus of the interview, and did not treat it as the most important thing about me. As I'd hoped, I believe I came across as professional and pleasant, a skilled counselor who also happens to be blind.
The American Council of the Blind announces its 2005 Internship Program intended
to provide meaningful work experience for a blind post-secondary student. The
paid internship will be for a maximum period of ten weeks and will also include,
if necessary, a reasonable housing and transportation allowance. Duties will
include activities in the areas of public information and education, membership
assistance, communications, legislative monitoring and publications. Students
wishing to be considered should submit a letter of application by April 1, 2005
to:
Melanie Brunson, Executive Director
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004
Washington, DC 20005
The letter should include documentation concerning the school being attended
or to be attended, as well as information regarding the major field of study,
vocational or professional objective, prior educational and employment history,
skills (e.g., braille reading and writing, typing, computer, low vision aids),
extracurricular and civic activities. The letter should also include a paragraph
stating why the applicant would like to spend the summer in Washington and the
benefits which she/he would expect to receive from the internship.
The American Council of the Blind will present more than two dozen scholarships and awards to outstanding blind students in 2005. All legally blind persons admitted to academic and vocational training programs at the post-secondary level for the 2005-06 school year are encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships. A cumulative grade point average of 3.3 is generally required, but extenuating circumstances may be considered for certain scholarships.
Information and applications are available on our web site. Applications may be completed on line, but supporting documentation must be submitted in hard copy print to Terry Pacheco in the ACB national office no later than March 1, 2005. If you have additional questions or wish to request a hard copy, please call Terry at (202) 467-5081 ext. 19.
Leading scholarship candidates will be interviewed by telephone in April. The ACB scholarship winners will be notified no later than May 31, 2005. Scholarships will be presented at the 44th annual national convention of the American Council of the Blind to be held July 2-9, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nev. Scholarship winners are expected to be present at the convention if they have reached their 18th birthday. Generally, ACB will cover all reasonable costs connected with convention attendance.
Former leaders in and near the ACB community who have been memorialized by generous benefactors include Delbert Aman, Dr. S. Bradley Burson, William G. Corey, Dr. Mae Davidow, Nicholas S. DiCaprio, Eunice Fiorito, John Hebner, Grant M. Mack, Alma Murphey, Floyd Qualls, and Arnold Sadler. Special thanksshould also be extended to those who remembered Kellie Cannon and Duane Buckley in such fitting manners. The Ross N. and Patricia Pangere Foundation scholarships are also given as a way of giving back to the community.
ACB also administers scholarship programs for our affiliates in Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and Oregon.
We are hopeful that Kurzweil Foundation will continue its annual gift of the Kurzweil 1000 software to our winners.
This is our fourth year presenting Freedom Scientific Awards to several of our scholarship winners.
Note: Potential candidates will be considered for other scholarships not yet verified, if available.
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