[CCCNFBW] Abbie makes sense When will we as members of the NFB come down to earth and do something that makes even more of a difference?

[donmi at q.com]

Abby Griffith <https://m.facebook.com/abby.griffith.12?fref=nf&refid=52&_ft_=mf_story_key.3009528105783786%3Atop_level_post_id.3009528105783786%3Atl_objid.3009528105783786%3Acontent_owner_id_new.100001798782693%3Athrowback_story_fbid.3009528105783786%3Astory_location.9&__tn__=C-R> 


😥 copied...
Disclaimer. I am not aiming this post at anyone on my friends list. Some of you own businesses, and I promise it's not directed towards you. I'm also making this public so people can share it. I would be curious to hear what others have to say.

This is one of those posts I've really wanted to write for a long time.

One of the biggest issues about having a disability is the way you are treated by possible employers. usually when you're looking for gainful employment, you answer an ad, send a resume, and go for an interview. if you meet the qualifications and they like what you bring, you are hired.

Now. I would like to tell you how looking for gainful employment works for me. I look through the ads. Indeed is my favorite place. I weed out the obvious things I can't be doing. Truck driving isn't going to happen. So instead I search for things I could be great at. Sadly there are no MLB umpire listings, so this means I don’t have guaranteed employment. I settle on. customer service rep. Heck. I can service the f**k out of custom... Let me rephrase that just a bit. I am very good at working with people. I'm calm, patient, and try to make sure who ever I'm dealing with gets what they need. I send a resume. The company is actually interested, so they call me in for an interview. This is when it gets hairy. 

I am dressed up like I've never been dressed up before (I'm actually wearing pants). I walk into the office, have the customary hello how are you handshakes, and we start talking about my resume and what I can bring to the team. You can feel the tension in the room. The HR guy wants to ask the question that's bothering him. I can tell since between questions there are extra long pauses, the nervous shuffling of papers, and throat clearing. Also, that annoying clicky pen thingy people do. You know. With the top of the pen? they go. Clickclick. Clickclick. It drives me crazy! Graaah! Anyways. I digress. 

he finally finds the carefully worded question. I suspect in the back of his mind he's wondering how to ask the question without a court summons magically appearing in front of him. "How do you feel you would solve any challenges that working with a lack of sight may impose." I'm ready for this and explain my experience with working on a computer, the software I use, and my knowledge of operating systems. I then go on to explain that I multitask very well between a phone and a computer. Though my ability to quickly scan a spreadsheet is slower, the find function makes it easier to quickly find what I need. The interview feels like it's gone well. He explains what they do customer service for, and I am actually interested. So away I go into the wild blue yonder.

And of course, I never get a call back. I can’t even begin to tell you how often this has happened. I have interviewed for many different positions, service rep, fry cook, dish washer, cashier. And the result is the same. it turns out that especially when it comes to anything involving a kitchen, I am automatically considered to be a liability. Let me tell you, I am about 50 times more careful than your average Joe and Joanna when it comes to kitchen safety. I need all ten of my fingers in good working order. How else am I going to effectively read braille and feel random objects/people. Uh. forget that second one. 

So I say to anyone who sees this especially if you own a business. Do not immediately dismiss an application from someone with a disability. We want to work and be productive members of society. We're careful, hardworking, and will be 55.73 times happier to have that job than any other candidate. If safety is an issue, ask us about it. We've learned to adapt to living with our disabilities. I'll be honest. I'd love to run a dishwasher for $9 an hour if it means I'm pulling down a paycheck and being part of the workforce.

I also say to these blindness organizations out there. It's great there are blind lawyers and business owners and all that, but guess what. Not everyone wants to defend OJ in court. Not everyone wants to run a vending business. I would love to be able to work in a store, or flip burgers, or wash plates, or help people find out why their Dora the explorer Play Castle of Wonder hasn't shown up yet. I realize these aren't glamorous jobs but guess what. they're jobs. Why don't you focus some time and energy on how to make point of sale systems accessible for blind cashiers. Why don't you focus on working with restaurant chains on safety protocols for blind workers. How about working with makers of database software to make their web interfaces compliant? instead we focus our energies on boycotting a TV show because the blind character isn't played by a blind woman? Guess what. that doesn't better our lives at all. That just gives press coverage. Whether or not the CW has a blind person playing a blind person doesn't mean anything when the rent is due. one of the main reasons employment amongst blind people is so high is that We do not have fair access to jobs. There are a ton of things we can't do, but many more we can do. Let's focus on those public sector jobs even though they're not sensational. I know. here's a thought. Let's help people so they can be living the lives they want. Wouldn't that be great?

Perhaps a resolution is in order. Anyone willing to step out and help the NFB do a course correction.

 

Don Mitchell

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