How a Passion for Languages Led to an Interpreting Career and International Life

From childhood, Elizabeth Sammons knew that she had a talent for language. She would weep when listening to a foreign-language film, so passionate was her desire to know what people were saying. Living in a small town in Ohio, she had little opportunity to develop this until studying high school French. Additionally, her family cultivated … Continued

Walking the Employment Talk

What Would You Think About Hiring a Person with a Disability? What if the next person who walked in the door to interview for a position in your company walked in using a white cane? Explained that they used a screen magnifier on their computer, or pulled out a handheld magnifier to read some of … Continued

Christina Holtzclaw Uses Her Career to Empower People with Disabilities

For the last 14 years, Christina Holtzclaw has worked tirelessly at the Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living in Rome, Georgia. This nonprofit organization assists individuals of all ages who have all types of disabilities and helps them reach their goals of living independently. They serve 15 counties, and the majority of the staff are … Continued

Traveling an Unfamiliar Route and Taking a Risk as a Person Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

Suppose you’ve graduated your orientation and mobility lessons and you’ve successfully mastered a handful of routes. You can get from home to work and back, to Starbucks and back (because let’s face it, this route is perhaps the most vital), to the gym and back, and to the grocery store and back. You and the … Continued

Job Applications Inquiring About a Driver’s License? Discriminatory—Here’s Why

"Hello ma’am, are you hiring," one can ask relentlessly around town; ‘Job opening in _______ field’ one can type in the search bar and scour the web with more intensity than a private detective. When determined to find a position, the hunt is on for an assortment of job applications in hard copy and electronic … Continued

Job Applications Inquiring About a Driver’s License? Discriminatory—Here’s Why

"Hello ma’am, are you hiring," one can ask relentlessly around town; ‘Job opening in _______ field’ one can type in the search bar and scour the web with more intensity than a private detective. When determined to find a position, the hunt is on for an assortment of job applications in hard copy and electronic … Continued

When Your Visual Impairment Is Confusing to Your Coworkers

Perhaps you have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and you are finding it increasingly difficult to use your vision in low light and, much to your frustration, you are aware of your gradual loss of peripheral vision. Let’s say you are currently reading fine print with ease, yet you are using a cane as you leave work … Continued

Self-Awareness as the Spine of a Solid Career as a Person Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

Hi job seeker, What careers will utilize your aptitudes? What career are you motivated to pursue? What accommodations will you utilize in order to excel in the job? What skills need to be honed in order to thrive and promote in the field? Accurately answering these questions requires keen self-awareness skills. So, what do we … Continued

Community Travel Skills—a Predictor of Workplace Success for Individuals Who Are Blind

When you and I take a look at the employment statistics for people who are visually impaired, we wonder what can be done to improve them; specifically, we wonder how to educate potential employers, and we wonder if there are any skills individuals who are employed have that those who are seeking employment may need … Continued