[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?

Merribeth Greenberg merribeth.manning at gmail.com
Thu Oct 3 16:58:28 UTC 2019


That was very well put.
Reminds me of some of the jobs I had applied for (order taker at Pizza Hut
and was made a pizza maker; or a cashier job at a drug store, and was made
a facer <bring products forward and make look pretty on the shelf>); I
guess at least I had gotten a job.
I also, then think about how I got my job at Hilton in customer service.
We have a deaf lady working in the stewarding department (dishwasher).
I can't imagine trying to get my job now that technology has changed the
access to the job market so much. I know for Hilton that your online resume
has to hit curtain points in the system in order to get considered and a
text or call about your application (which doesnt even go through the hotel
I work for It goes though California). If it was a job that deals with the
public face to face, you have to do video clips as part of your online
application. When I applied it was a paper application to someone at the
hotel. Of course that was 13 1/2 yrs ago.
I kind of understand her point of the TV show, but there is some blind
actor trying to get a part, and it should be going to him and not a sighted
person.
Just my two cents : )

Beth Greenberg


On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 9:28 AM Don Mitchell via CCCNFBW <cccnfbw at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> *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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