Networking: A Fair Exchange

Summary:
Respondents to our recent topic about networking share their stories about overcoming isolation, becoming comfortable with starting conversations and putting others at ease with disability.

Spotlight

Submissions

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The responses we received to the Blindstorming(tm) question about networking show that making connections can be the greatest challenge for a person who is visually impaired.

The solutions? A common recommendation among respondents is to be creative about finding ways to connect. There is no consensus, however, about whether to network with other blind or visually impaired people. Another approach is to regard networking as a two-way connection where you give as much as you receive. Finally our respondents stress (and illustrate) the importance of follow-up.

Spotlight

Let's spotlight a few of the responses we received to these questions: "Given what you read in Reinhold's article and based on your experience, what networking issues have you had to resolve due to your visual impairment (or other disability)? How did you resolve them?"

• "If we can smoothly get from introducing ourselves to encouraging the other to tell us about themselves, the blindness issue will quickly fade." - Roger
  
  
• "Try to find mentors who have similar issues and/or aspirations." - Kristina
  
  
• "Networking allows for the discovery of mutual interests and concerns that are important in a work setting. It is more than just making friends. It has to do with wanting to walk together in a certain direction for a common goal." - John
  
  
• "I stopped leading with my (vision) challenge and networked based on the career interest I had only." - Karen
  
  
• "Always remember others will also be interested in your input. When networking, everyone benefits from ideas they might not have thought of before." - Mike
  
  
• "Secure the contact by follow up." - Roger
  
  

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Submissions

Here are the responses you have sent to eSight:

From Anthony:

"Meeting people in casual social situations can be orchestrated but often does not happen as casually for people with visual impairments as those with normal vision. I am not particularly outgoing. Blindness only makes networking that much harder because, as someone who cannot see, I must be active in making contact. It is important, therefore, to be as natural as possible when networking for a specific purpose, especially when it is effortful. Try to plan phone calls and get-togethers. Think of reasons why you might contact your friends, colleagues, or acquaintances (who) seem productive and socially appropriate for the moment. Follow up religiously. If you don't, the additional effort required by a less outgoing person will surely thwart your networking success."

From Mary Ellen:

"I am good at using my resources. Often times, I will pick up the phone to ask friends, family members, or colleagues a question."

From Kristina:

"I am realizing that networking does not come naturally. Isolation due to transportation issues (and) due to disability-related issues can make it complicated. In terms of dealing with these issues, I would say that practice helps. Also, try to find mentors who have similar issues and/or aspirations."

From Roger (edited for length):

"Among those of us who are blind, networking presents some inherent problems. The first of which is the 'isolation booth' that seems to be a part of our existence. The art of conversation (and) interaction is one that we all need to constantly improve. If we can smoothly get from introducing ourselves to encouraging the others to tell us about themselves, the blindness issue will quickly fade...

"The final lesson I learned about networking was to consciously focus on ways I can be a valuable contact for those I network with. We need to control the urge to concentrate on our needs and to be of value to the contact. To extend this, a trick I learned from the past governor of Florida, is to secure the contact by follow up. I met this Florida governor on a flight from New York to Georgia. We talked for some 15 or so minutes; then he excused himself and took a tape recorder out of his briefcase and recorded my information. Later I received a letter about how he enjoyed our conversation on the flight. I, while on the flight, had no idea that he was the governor of Florida, and it was quite an experience to receive the letter from his office. This happened about 20 years ago, yet I will never forget it. Such is a great lesson for networking: Extend the connection through later contact."

From William:

"From my experience, individuals with disabilities need to include advocacy for their interest and proven abilities. Networking is an important part of advocacy. Include a wide circle of individuals to meet your immediate needs. Having a visual limitation, you often have to present your needs and limitations so you can have the opportunity to have a job."

From John:

"I found I do not recognize faces, or even see them at a distance, so I have stopped trying to remember or recognize people I only meet once or twice. I suppose that is a bad habit. The most successful networking I have done is via the internet and over the phone. In fact I got my present job because I was contacting people here via e-mail about something they were doing that I was also interested in. I think that is the key. Networking allows for the discovery of mutual interests and concerns that are important in a work setting. It is more than just making friends. It has to do with wanting to walk together in a certain direction for a common goal."

From Debra:

"The issue of networking in a new location has been problematic -- when you move to a new area and don't know what's there or who's who yet. Going to meetings and 'working the room' is also an issue. I don't feel comfortable breaking into conversations; I do feel quite at ease, if I get introduced to someone and can talk quite easily with them. I also know what questions to ask, so that's no problem. I guess my first issue is more of a common thing than one related to a disability, though I'm sure (disability) complicates matters somewhat. I also sometimes hesitate to ask informal contacts because I think, 'They don't know anyone in my profession,' but I get around this by just taking the plunge anyway and ask."

From Mike:

"I have found that anyone you come in contact with has the potential to be someone to network with. If they are employed, that is a possible contact. This makes no difference if they are blind or sighted. It is a good idea to glean information from as many sources as possible. Always remember others will also be interested in your input. When networking, everyone benefits from ideas they might not have thought of before. Networking also continues on the job. This includes both handicapped and non-handicapped people alike. Networking with management will help them better understand what you need to better perform your job. One way in which this helped me was the problem of getting written communication to visually impaired (workers) in a timely manner. After networking with a sighted co-worker who read memos to the visually impaired workers, we came up with the idea of adding voice-mail boxes to the existing voice-mail system in which supervisors and other individuals could leave all important items that were normally distributed in written form. This has worked well and is much more cost effective than producing the information in braille."

From Liz:

"Lots of places you can ' network' in but, for persons with disabilities, if you do not have a lot of activities in your life or know a lot of different people, then your prospects to network may be limited. That's why it's particularly important to be 'well rounded' in one's community. Volunteer for things, seek out people who are not necessarily in your group of friends, post on web sites of interest to you, greet people with a smile, be friendly. It is true: It's not what you know but who you know. However, who you know can only get you in the door. Then it's what you know and what you do with what you know that keeps you the job and helps you build your network."

From Ginger:

"I agree that places where people with visual impairments can be with others with similar situations can be some of the best places to network. As the sighted spouse of a totally blind person, I know that my co-workers haven't the slightest idea what kinds of jobs a blind person can do. I hope I've educated them somewhat, but I know that it's easier for people with visual impairments to refer each other to receptive places for employment."

From Jeanette:

"The biggest networking issue is convincing personnel managers that we can do jobs in their organizations. For me, as a secretary, there is a great deal of talk about visually-impaired people not being able to work in offices by themselves. Turning this perception around has been difficult. I suggest that managers have departments talk with me directly regarding (such) questions but have seen little change in attitude regarding this issue."

From Karen:

"Most other blind or visually impaired persons I met via networking were more likely to discriminate than those outside the challenged community, especially those from consumer organizations. So I stopped leading with my challenge and networked based on the career interest I had only. I was the best expert on how my visual challenge might or might not impact my job choices. Once done, although shunned by the blindness community, I networked just fine."

From Nigel:

"As a prelude, I have to say that networking gained from my business experience as a restaurateur gave me access to people who I visited whenever possible in both social and business roles as I continued on developing a career in mortgage brokerage. Mobility was a major hurdle to overcome and this was done through the use of a competent and capable guide dog. My first guide dog, named Toby, allowed me to believe I could go anywhere at any time and gave me an immense boost in self-confidence during the early years of my blindness -- after having been sighted for my first 29 years."

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Blindstorm (tm) With Us

If you haven't yet added your comments, you can do that now at eSight's Blindstorming(tm) 09-16-02: "What networking issues have you had to resolve due to your visual impairment (or other disability)? How did you resolve them?"

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