[acb-hsp] video I saw on NY Times

[Sarah J. Blake]

Sadly, for some people it is the case that they go to school in places where 
VR does not pay full tuition, take advantage of what support they are able 
to use, etc, have good job hunting skills, but do not find work due to 
stigma and discrimination and end up with massive amounts of student loan 
debt which could have been avoided if they were sighted. While many sighted 
people are also without work in this economy, the issues facingthem are much 
different and they are able to take other temporary measures that we are 
not.

VR can only do so much for us. They can send us job leads, etc. They cannot 
force an employer to hire. When a person has a professional license, the 
leads from VR are not always appropriate--much depends on whether the 
counselor does his/her homework. I have worked with counselors who simply 
advised me to go and use public job search sites, which never contain the 
types of job leads necessary to find work in my profession. In the end, I 
closed my case and the agency tried to take away my technology and made me 
jump through hoops to prove I was earning some money in order to keep it. I 
was taking occasional paid work and doing a lot of volunteer work in order 
to remain active in my chosen field, which I could not have done without my 
technology.

So yes, in some ways the video tells an accurate story.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Abels, Arnold V.
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 1:07 PM
To: Discussion list for ACB human service professionals
Subject: [acb-hsp] video I saw on NY Times

HI all
I looked at this video and wanted to share it as I found  the message about 
vision loss and blindness disheartening. While it portrays (economic, 
transportation, societal,, etc.) challenges that many individuals with 
vision loss face each day, including the sigma, discrimination, access 
barriers, etc. it left it at "hopeless". While I appreciate the realities 
that some individuals with disabilities cannot work FT and a few cannot work 
at all, I was left disheartened by the incomplete message of hopelessness. 
It was sad that none of the resources available to the blind were 
highlighted, the initiatives and benefits of having a diverse workforce, 
planting seeds that there is hope, options, even in the midst of the 
realities of very real challenges was a message that was hard to hear and 
that continues in the battle for inclusion. It was striking how the 
connection of the student debt was tied exclusively to vision loss as a 
primary reason, most sadly by the man himself and the
hopelessness he acknowledges. If you are interested in looking at it I Hope 
the video plays and streams to the start of the story as there are other 
news segments on the link as well.

Perhaps I am just ironically reflecting on the Labor Day holiday.

May we all know we have great things to offer the world.
Yours,
Arnie


Video: Certainty of Hopelessness
One of the only ways to shed student loan debt, even in bankruptcy, is to be 
found "hopeless" by the court. Doug Wallace, who is now legally blind and 
owes $89,000, is awaiting a ruling.
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/08/31/business/100000001727793/certainty-of-hopelessness.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1_20120901

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Sarah J. Blake LaRose, M.Div.
Personal email: sjblake at sarahjblake.com
http://www.sarahjblake.com

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