There's No Good Reason for Learning the Hard Way Like I Did

Summary:
I became totally blind 50 years ago. In today's world, there is no good excuse for learning the hard way to cope with your visual impairment, as I did, because there are so many avenues to assistance now available.

Some of my Experiences

Lessons I've Learned

Tell Us Your Story

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I soon will be 71 years of age, and I am post-bypass and in heart failure, so I have good days and not so good.

I became totally blind on my 20th.birthday. I lived in a very remote region. Extensive surgery caused a number of serious problems. My health problems, combined with the myriad of psychological and loss concerns, devastated my life for years.

I returned to college under these conditions without any personal adjustment or blindness skills.

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Some of my Experiences

I went through college at East Tennessee State University. I didn't use braille, didn't even have a typewriter, and Recordings for the Blind was just being formed. I lived in the tip of East Tennessee and really lived out in the mountains -- 10 miles from the county seat, a town of a few hundred people at the time.

I graduated and could not find employment. Tennessee was hostile to the blind.

I finally went to the Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind orientation center, which was a real blessing. I learned cane travel, braille, etc.

I had planned on law school and eventually completed some law school requirements but, at that time, was enticed to accept a stipend to attend the master's program in rehabilitation at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

After many fruitless interviews, I was employed in the Pennsylvania Bureau for the Blind under the renowned, Dr. Norman Yoter. There I was promoted once but accepted a position in California. I went back to Virginia and then back to California. I even worked for the California Industries for the Blind, which was located in the Garment District. Then I went back to the state agency as the first and, to my knowledge, the only blind person, ever to work inside a major state correctional institution.

Then I was awarded a three-year fellowship in vocational education and spent four full years with the University of Tennessee. I completed the program for my doctor's degree in vocational education and educational psychology but moved to Texas and never went back to Tennessee to graduate. My unpublished dissertation was a national level study, based on the results of the 1977 White House Conference, in which I was a special, at large, President Carter Invitee.

I worked for a while for the Texas Commission for the Blind. Then I established a small rehabilitation service company which I turned into a proprietary school as well as a temporary employment agency. This lasted for 13 years. I finally gave it all up and totally retired.

I have worked for a long list of civic and community services. I have held appointments at the federal, state, and local levels.

I have been married to a wonderful lady, Nancy. We have four children, and grandchildren.

Should someone within the eSight community wish to collaborate with me, on most any subject, I would be interested. I really can get professional, in most areas of rehabilitation and vocational programs.

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Lessons I've Learned

I've survived because I had a wonderful family, great friends, and a will to live and accomplish.

The point is that each blind, and otherwise, disabled person must, develop an individual plan, for reaching a suitable and realistic goal. There must be in place a support system because you cannot do a great deal strictly on your own.

Making personal adjustments and gaining good lifeskills are mandatory steps before beginning to prepare for a vocation and seeking employment.

All too often, disabled persons self destruct by choosing unreachable goals, refusing services as provided by state agencies etc. and choosing to live outside the net of transportation, medical, and other necessary services.

In today's world, there is no good excuse for learning the hard way, as I did, because there are so many programs and assistive technology etc. available.

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Tell Us Your Story

Editor's Note:

We invite you to share your career story with the eSight community so that we can learn from each other's experiences. Has a job lead posted on the Internet launched you in a new career? Has a resource or article you read online jump started your job search? Have you participated in a job fair or networking event that propelled your job search forward? Please share your success stories with us.

Tell us what you have found helpful, what has worked, what hasn't worked, and how you have overcome obstacles as you search for employment.

Send your story of 500 words or less to MemberServices@eSight.org and put the word "my story" in the subject line.

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