[Nfbnet-members-list] NFB Employment Committee Meeting

[David Andrews]

NFB Employment Committee Meeting
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday July 3, 2012
Fleur-de-lis B Room, Atrium Mezzanine


Message from the Chair:
I want to apologize for not having this out to 
all of you sooner.  I was doing okay, but then I 
was in a car accident that broke my right foot, 
wiped out a week of work, sent me to multiple 
doctors’ appointments, and completely sapped my 
energy.  Things continue to get better, so I will 
be able to do more as the year progresses.
Dick Davis

Charge to the Committee from Dr. Maurer:
“Since the time of the beginning of the 
Federation, one of the functions we have 
performed has been to connect individuals who are 
looking for employment with employers that have 
jobs.  It is the task of this committee to 
collect information about jobs that become 
available and to provide this information to 
individuals who would be suitable to do the 
work.  Jobs in the blindness field are very often 
filled without our becoming aware of them.  The 
committee should attempt to collect this 
information and distribute it to those who need to know.”

2012 Employment Committee Meeting Agenda

There are three elements to this year’s 
agenda.  The first is a discussion on the 
committee and its projects.  The second is a 
series of presentations from organizations with 
programs that can help blind people get 
jobs.  The third is job exchange announcements by 
people who know of job vacancies and by blind 
people who are looking for employment. The agenda 
will remain flexible to accommodate all 
three.  That means we may need to interrupt 
ongoing discussion to hear a presentation or 
announcement.  It also means that those needing 
to make presentations or announcements may need 
to wait for a gap in the committee’s deliberations before they can do so.




1) Discussion about the Committee and its projects:

Since this is the first committee meeting we have 
had in a long time, we need to spend much of it 
in a discussion about the committee’s function 
and projects for the upcoming year.  Some proposed topics for discussion:

·       What should the Employment Committee’s function(s) be?  (And not be?)
·       What things should we do to increase the employment of blind people?
·       What kinds of projects should we do over 
the next year or two?  If so, who should be responsible for them?
·       Should we have our own web page, either 
by itself, or in conjunction with the Jernigan 
institute or another committee or division?
·       Is the Jobs Listserv doing what we want 
it to do, and if so, how well?  Are there any changes we should make?
·       Should we have some sort of job bank for 
employers to post to?  If so, how would it 
operate, and who would be responsible for it?
·       Are there partnerships that we should 
develop with other committees and divisions?  One 
possible partnership would be with the Writer’s 
Division on Where the Blind Work.
·       Should we develop new partnerships with 
rehabilitation and workforce investment agencies?
·       Do we need a budget, and if so, should we 
fundraise?  Charge admission to the employment seminar?  Other ideas?
·       Should we have some officers besides the 
chair, such as a vice-chair, secretary-treasurer, etc.?
·       What ideas do members have for the 2013 National Employment Seminar?
·       Anything else we should add to this list?

This is, of course, a huge list, and it is 
unlikely that we will get all the way through it 
in one meeting.  We will need to have other 
meetings via conference call as the year 
progresses, but at least we can make a start.

2) Presentations:

Committee members are welcome to ask questions of 
the presenters and discuss ways in which their 
programs could benefit blind jobseekers.

Career Advantage for V.I.P.s and An Employment 
Mentoring Project for College Students who are 
Legally Blind.  Jamie O’Mally, PhD, Assistant 
Research Professor, The National Research and 
Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, Mississippi State University.

Where The Blind Work.  A great database and 
mentoring resource for blind career explorers and 
job seekers.  Robert Leslie Newman, President, 
NFB Writer’s Division and Employment Committee Member.

NFB Training Centers Prepare Blind People for 
Employment.  Pam Allen, Executive Director, Louisiana Center for the Blind.

Hiring and Employment Innovations. Kevin D. 
Daniel, Sr. Director of Strategic Recruiting, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind.

Bookshare.  Christine K. Jones, Education Program 
Manager, Bookshare - a Benetech Initiative, 
<http://www.bookshare.org/>www.bookshare.org

Workforce Investment Wants You Too!  L. Earl 
Woolbright, ISA Manager, Texas Workforce Commission.

Implementing the Evidence-Based Supported 
Employment Model of Vocational Services to Those 
Who Have Visual Impairments.  Suzanne Turner, 
BSW, MPA, Employment Coordinator and Alexis 
Vinick, BA, MPN, Employment Generalist, Cleveland Sight Center.

3) Job Exchange:

Handled on an ad hoc basis, as information 
becomes available: please let the chair or his 
designee know if you have a job vacancy you want 
to announce, or if you are looking for a specific 
job, and we'll work you into the 
agenda.  Periodically we'll ask if anyone has an announcement to make.
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