A memory from the past, thank you Ken: When I drove Ken's car

At that time we were both working at IBM Canada and I had told my coworker, Ken, that one of my dreams as a vision-impaired person was to drive a car. Believe it or not, he made it happen! 

On a cool day in the early fall, Ken invited me to sit in the driver's seat of his car and then he took his place beside me in the passenger seat and from there it was nothing but a dream come true for me.

Ken was calm and cool.  He spoke to me in a very easy tone, instructing me how to drive.  We made several turns around the IBM parking lot, maneuvering among parked cars.  Then he instructed me how to back up, how to move forward, and after about 10 minutes we parked his car. 

After we had disembarked, Ken told me how nervous  he had been but I can tell you that he never showed it while we were on our driving expedition.

Thank you, Ken Debono, for having helped me to realize one of my obscure dreams.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

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The Daunting Statistics

Many more blind persons are unemployed or under employed than employed and it's a chronic problem that is also a global one.  The stats range from a figure of about 70% to over 80% so take your pick.  This problem does not seem to be going away and will not go away unless we change attitudes and break down barriers in the workplace, on the Internet, and elsewhere. 

 

I have been very fortunate to have worked for three of Canada's best companies; the Royal Bank of Canada, the Bank of Montreal, and IBM Canada and I am truly grateful for many of the experiences that I have managed to garner from my employment.  However, there are still so many things that need to be addressed when it comes to employment of blind persons. 

 

I have been working for myself for the past 15 years and I truly enjoy it but again as an entrepreneur like other sighted entrepreneurs, there are challenges to face and as a blind entrepreneur, it is even more challenging.  Somehow we have to work to lower the statistics that I have listed above.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and help spread the word that yes!  Blind persons can indeed become contributing members of society.  Just give them a chance.  Visit www.rnib.org or www.afb.org to learn more.

Are All Blind Persons Unemployed?

I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to clear up a very false myth.  I am not going to bash society for this terrible misconception; rather, I am going to try and clear it up. So here is the question of the day:  Are all blind persons unemployed?

 

Answer!  No!  Believe it or not, many blind persons work for a living but sad to say, not nearly enough of us work.  I have had a very interesting career.  I have worked for such companies as the Bank of Montreal, IBM Canada, and the Royal Bank of Canada.  I have been working for myself for the past 15 years and I continue to enjoy relatively good success as a blind entrepreneur.  I continue to advocate for more blind persons to be hired in the workplace and to become entrepreneurs.

 

There are some very daunting statistics that we as blind persons need to deal with however and that is; the more than 80% of under employed or unemployed blind persons as a whole.  Not just in North America, but on a global level.  Employed blind persons can be found in such professions as: As lawyers, programmers, admin assistants, psychologists and psychiatrists, social workers, translators, and the list is growing.  More and more blind persons are starting to venture out as entrepreneurs.  

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and tell the rest of the world that yes indeed! blind persons can and do work for a living.  Visit www.tbase.com to read about one of Canada's most successful blind female entrepreneurs.