[nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 112- Can't Get There From Here

Fri Sep 1 14:27:51 CDT 2006

Hi Robert, 
During the interview process the job seeker should talk about
transportation and options available. The job seeker should have to
negotiate with the manager about the complexity of travel and ask if
there are carpool options available. 
I work in one building but have meetings in other buildings. I find out
if anyone from our building is going to the meeting and get a ride with
them. If I know that someone is coming from another location, I call
them and ask if they can pick me up. 
I would ask if I could have job at the location where I can get to and
send the other applicant to the other location. 
Yasmin Reyazuddin 
Information & Referral unit 
Department of Health & human services 
401 Hungerford Drive (1st floor) 
Rockville MD 20850 
Phone 240-777-1245 (info line) 
240-777-1556 (personal line) 
Fax: 240-777-4636 
TTY: 240-777-1295 

Office hours 8:30 am to 5:00 pm 

Languages English, Hindi, Urdu 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 2:57 PM
To: nfbtalk
Subject: [nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 112- Can't Get There From Here

NFBtalk listers 
RE:  Can't Get There From Here

The newest THOUGHT PROVOKER #112 is employment related.  We have a blind
job
seeker who has the right qualifications, has gotten the company to
accept
her blindness related alternatives and she is offered the job, however
she
may now have to turn it down.  Check it out, see if you have suggestions
to
make this situation work.  If you have not read the PROVOKER, it
follows.
Recall that I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all
the
WWW to read and learn from and that URL is- Http://whitsacre.info/vip  
If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just
write me
and ask, at-  newmanrl at cox.net 

THOUGHT PROVOKER 112
Can't Get There From Here

"I am pleased to meet you, your department is very impressive and if I
am
chosen, I would be thrilled to work here."  Said Rebecca, shifting her
long
white cane into her left hand in order to properly greet the marketing
department manager.  Though nervous, she was flying high with
excitement,
this was a second interview for her first professional job.  She knew
she
was on display, being judge, compared to two other candidates under
consideration.

"I understand that we would need to make an accommodation in respect to
our
computer system with a special type of software."  Said the manager.

"Yes, it is for screen enlargement."  Rebecca explained, knowing that
though
during her discussions of her educational and prior marketing
experiences
with the initial interviewing team she had made a point to bring up her
blindness and the alternatives she would use, giving examples to
highlight
how she had successfully carried out her job duties, but she knew it
would
be this gentleman she ultimately needed to help understand that she a
blind
person could fulfill the requirements of the position he needed to fill.
"what I try to get others to understand about my blindness is that I'm
essentially extremely near sighted.  So for me to comfortably use the
computer I need enlargement of what appears upon the screen."  Bringing
her
cane around drawing his attention to it, she said, "Then in traveling
about
in unknown territory I use this travel tool to assure myself that I'll
not
trip on things in my path."  Giving a short laugh, "Before I accepted
the
use of the cane I could tell you what my shoes looked like, but not much
else."  She had weighed the decision to bring the cane or even mention
it
during that first interview, but had decided to lay it all out there;
later,
at some point she knew she'd have to use it in their presents.  One
weird
and scary little fear she had had, was in finishing her interview,
turning,
she'd stumble over a low object that she had forgotten was in her path.
She
recalled the long and painful struggle she had before finally accepting
the
cane and that now she took it everywhere; not taking it was a gamble she
wasn't going to accept any more.  "And for reading hard copy, I would
use an
magnification device called a Close Circuit Television or in some cases,
what would work is just print out my copy in 18 font."

 "I'm sure that enlargement of our occasional in -house memos would not
pose
any difficulty."  Said the department manager.

Two days later, Rebecca received a call from the marketing department
manager himself.  "Rebecca, I have Good and bad news."  He said, his
tone
conveying a note of promise that made Rebecca take in and hold her
breath.
"For the position within our main office, we have offered it to another
applicant.  I am sorry to have to inform you of that.  However we were
so
impressed with you we took a good hard look at how we plan to expand our
business and have decided to push ahead with one of our future needs and
are
creating a similar position within our New Town office and would like to
extend that offer to you; same responsibilities and salary.  Would you
be
interested?"

Letting out her breath, Rebecca's heart leaped, then dropped.  She knew
she
needed to give this gentleman an answer, but.her initial research of the
company had revealed the addresses of all their offices and she knew the
location of the one he was referring to and there was no public
transportation out to it.  She also knew about the housing scarcity in
that
new area of town and its lack of sidewalks.  A cab from her present home
would be prohibitive and at the start of her serious job search, she had
networked with her family and friends for car pool options and knew that
for
right now their wasn't any one going that direction.  It was the job she
wanted, a company she respected and she wasn't going to be able to get
there
from here.

Robert Leslie Newman 
Email- newmanrl at cox.net
Web Site- http://www.whitsacre.info/vip

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