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What My Experiences as a Mainframe Computer Programmer Have Taught MeBy: Dan TeVelde
Summary:
How can we, as job seekers or people already working, prepare appropriately for the future job market? As I work myself out of my current job, I realize the first step is taking personal responsibility for my own career. 
Changes in my Job
15 Years Ago First Shocker Second Shocker Lessons Learned Changes in my Job I would like to share my experiences and challenges of working as a mainframe computer programmer. I have been in my current job for the past 15 years and now realize that the only constant in my job or any job is change. Changes may take many forms: changes in technology, changes in a company's business model or corporate culture, and external changes driven by market forces. My job has changed considerably over the past 15 years in terms of what technologies I have used, what tasks I perform, and what expectations my employer has for me. Go to Top of Page 15 Years Ago When I started my job in 1989, assistive technology was much more primitive than it is today. I used a simple DOS screen reader, a 20-cell refreshable braille display, and a single-sided braille embosser. All of this equipment was controlled by an IBM ps/2 computer with a 120-megabyte hard drive. I actually had several advantages over my sighted co-workers. First, I was using a personal computer, which was considered novel for mainframe computer programmers. I had access to word processing and could print out my documents in print or braille. Most of my other co-workers used dumb IBM terminals connected with the mainframe. If they wanted to print anything other than mainframe reports, they needed to find an available personal computer (normally used by secretaries) and hope that a printer was available and working. I also had my own separate office to accommodate all of my adaptive equipment. In terms of my work, I was using the exact same computer programming applications as my sighted co-workers. I naively took it for granted that this state of affairs would continue. Over time, I started using faster and better computers and an 80-cell braille display. Go to Top of Page First Shocker I got my first real shock about five years later when my employer decided to get involved in what, at that time, was called client-server development. This involved using Windows-based computer programming applications such as Visual Basic, Microsoft Access, and many others. At that time, Windows 3.1 was the current operating system and access to the operating system by screen readers was, at best, primitive. I remember trying demo versions of various products and being completely discouraged. I felt a sense of panic shared by many blind computer users who worried that they would be left behind by changing technology. My employer decided to outsource mainframe computer programming development and have employees only work on new development using client-server applications. I was somewhat fortunate that there was still enough mainframe work I could do by working with consultants and later with employees who returned to mainframe development when the outsourcing project ended. The emphasis shifted back to employees doing maintenance and development of computer applications (whether they ran on the mainframe or under Windows). As time went by, technology for the blind began to catch up. Screen readers improved to provide better access to Windows 95 and later versions of the operating system. In addition to working with mainframe applications, I was able to do e-mail and word processing. I felt optimistic about the future and believed technology would narrow the gap between blind and sighted computer users. Go to Top of Page Second Shocker I received my second shock when my employer developed an intranet and began developing a software infrastructure based on sharing data and applications across Web applications. The emphasis has shifted away from using mainframes to handle large volumes of data and run business processes to using a distributed data model where data is shared among multiple computer servers and applications. Many of these applications work right out of the box and need little modification to perform business functions. I now find that most of my work involves retiring old and obsolete computer applications. In other words, I'm working myself out of a job. Go to Top of Page Lessons Learned Over the past couple of years, I have been thinking about my situation and realizing that I need to make changes to survive in the mainstream job market. I have spent a good deal of time searching the Internet and e-mail discussion lists to find out what other blind computer users are doing. I've found that many blind computer users who have been in my situation have taken varied paths. A couple of my friends were financially set enough to retire. Another friend teaches adaptive computer technology at a local agency for the blind. Today people update their skills and change career priorities frequently. How can we, as blind job seekers or people already working in established jobs, prepare appropriately for the future? I have gained some good insights from many of my friends. The most important one I've learned is this: Individuals, whether blind or sighted, have to take personal responsibility for managing their own careers. The days of lifetime employment for a company (where the company takes care of employees) are over. Companies are most concerned about being successful in the marketplace and finding the right employees with the right skills so they can be competitive. No matter who I talk to -- a sighted friend or co-worker or another blind person in a similar job -- everyone says that each person is on his or her own. In this respect, job holders with visual impairments are no different from anyone else. Employees at every level within a company need to look out for themselves. I have come to the conclusion that I need to find a good balance between advocating for what I feel I need on my job and realizing what is realistic. I am now working with a career coach to identify my skills and work interests. I am also doing research to find out what types of job accommodations are possible and what a good outcome could be. I also realize that I need to carefully choose the battles I'll fight. That choice is important because I'm not going to get everything I want. Most importantly, I am contacting other blind people in careers to find out how they have coped with these changes. I haven't yet solved my problems, but at least I feel I am moving in the right direction. Go to Top of Page Bookmark this article to: 
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