AFB Blog

...And maybe add "A Few Fruity Drinks!" to that title. I am just getting back in the swing of things after a great AFB Leadership Conference with Florida AER in St. Pete Beach, FL. I can tell you that it was hard to get back behind my desk after returning from our beautiful location at the Tradewinds Island Resort. I would prefer to set up my desk on the white sand beach with the clear blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico in front of me.

Still, I was glad to have the opportunity to connect with a number of friends and colleagues at the conference and I contacted them to get their feedback on preconference and conference highlights. Great partners, sponsors, presenters, attendees, and vendors helped make the conference a success.

Here's a short list of some of the sessions held, as well as a quote I picked up about it:

Tara Annis's (AFB) session on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics): "She spoke with confidence, and brought [a] first-person account of her experiences as a person with vision loss who majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. The session was rich with content."

Ike Presley (AFB) continues to awe the crowds with his passion for technology and spreading the word: "His self-proclaimed son-of-a-preacher style got us all revved up during the session."

Mickey Damelio's (Florida State University) orientation & mobility preconference session on Ability Beyond the Horizon: "Mr. Damelio got me excited about the training that he and others are providing in India and developing nations. The project is so impressive, and I look forward to hearing more."

Amy Guerette's (Florida State University) session on the State of Professional Preparation in the U.S.: "The session really highlighted what is happening with our professional preparation programs. I am encouraged by the work that her program and others are doing to prepare future professionals. We need to make an effort to support these programs!"

Darren Burton's (AFB) and Morgan Blubaugh's (AFB) preconference workshop on Apple iDevices was a huge hit: "I was laughing and learning — what a great presentation! I am already using the skills I learned from them."

Dr. Karen Wolffe's (international employment consultant) preconference keynote: "This session jump-started the conference. It reminded me why transition is an area of passion for me." There was also high praise for Dr. Wolffe's session on social skills.

Kevin O'Connor's keynote: "Kevin gave practical information on how to work with a variety of people as a leader." This session received overwhelming recognition from the persons I connected with during and following the conference.

Awards

The 2012 Migel Medal winners were Kathleen Mary Huebner, Ph.D., and George Kerscher, Ph.D. The winner of the Corinne Kirchner Research Award was Duane R. Geruschat.

The 2012 Access Award winners were NV Access for their free open-source screenreader, NVDA; Leader Dogs for their Accelerated Mobility Program (a free one-week orientation and mobility in-depth training program for persons with vision loss); Lauren Lieberman for founding Camp Abilities and efforts to create opportunities in sports and in training professionals; and Major League Baseball for providing greater access to America's favorite pastime, baseball, through their MLB.com MLBatBat app and streaming broadcasts.

Continuing Education Credits

Did you attend and want CEUs (ACVREP or CRCC) for the session you attended? Have you already provided us with your verification sheet with the code words included? Then your next step is filling out your evaluation of the conference and the CEU evaluation.

Join Us Next Year!

Although Darren Burton and I didn't get our chance to fly via the resort's Jetlev-Flyer (a jet pack-like device that uses water propulsion to launch participants up to three stories into the air), we still had a great time at the conference. I hope you'll mark your calendars for the 2013 AFB Leadership Conference, to be held April 18-20 in Chicago, at the Renaissance Downtown. AFB is looking forward to our partnership with Illinois AER. I know I'll be there, and I hope to see you there, too!

Laptop on the beach photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Wow, the AFB Leadership Conference and Preconference with the Florida Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind or Visually Impaired is just about here! Which means, it's almost time to head to St. Pete Beach, Florida, to see some great sessions presented by some of the top speakers from around the country. All of the partners have pitched in to create a great event.

I am looking forward to seeing my friends from around the nation and from Florida. I have lived and worked in Florida, and I know that I, and others, will be tweeting from the conference using the #AFBLC hashtag. If you are attending and want to comment on sessions, please include the #AFBLC hashtag to keep us all included!

I cannot wait to see you all there! And, if you are not attending, we will be posting some of the sessions in our AFB eLearning Center in the future. Keep an eye on the AFB Blog after the conference too, because I'll be providing a "best of" from my point of view as well as other attendees.

Hope to catch up with you there!

Luggage pile on the beach image courtesy of Shutterstock.

I often have the opportunity to give presentations or workshops to professionals, adults or teens who are blind or visually impaired. I speak about the employment process, resources, and the route to a career or successful employment. It always brings me back, thinking about my very first job.

It was at a video rental store that also provided photo processing and enlargements. I started working there when I was14 years old, through a bit of a fluke.

I'd decided I wanted a job, so I dressed up in a button-down shirt and slacks. I went from business to business, asking for applications and finding out if these places were hiring. I went to locations that I could walk to within about two miles from my home.

I spoke to the owner of the video/photo shop, which was about half a mile from home, and the owner seemed pleasant and excited. I left my application and received a call a few days later that she wanted to interview me. I went to my interview in similar clothing, but with the addition of a tie. The woman realized during my interview that I was not the person she had assumed I was— she thought I was my older brother, who was four years older then me. Obviously, she had not reviewed my application in detail. She said I was too young; I replied that I understood, and to please keep me in mind for the future.

Well, this was during the winter of 1994, when a blizzard hit the Northeast. I returned to the video/photo shop to rent a movie, because we had a snow day. The storeowner was in the shop, alone, with a huge pile of videos waiting to be stocked and a large crowd of customers. I offered to assist her and she said, "Yes, please!" I ended up staying until closing, and like that, I had a job. Other staff members were unable to make it to work due to the snow, but I lived close enough that this was not an issue. I worked there on and off for over three years. It was a great opportunity, and I am grateful to have had it. I worked for minimum wage, and that was just fine.

I learned a lot about working from that first job. I had my general responsibilities to complete while working. The owner and my boss had specific tasks to be completed if the shop was slow, and provided a list of things to complete at the end of the night when closing up. Most first jobs are learning experiences, and provide many lessons about life and work.

There were always a handful of people who also worked there. I learned about others' work habits by working beside them, or coming into the store after them. Some were model employees, and some were model slackers. At the time, I was the youngest person working there. Work has always been something that I have enjoyed, no matter the task—I kept a positive attitude about whatever duty handed to me—even cleaning bathrooms.

For those new to the world of work, both teens and adults, here are some basic tips to keep in mind for your first, or one of your first, jobs:

• Follow the boss' instructions—yes, this sounds totally obvious, but it's so important.
• Be polite and pleasant with customers and coworkers—this goes a long way, as I have been offered other opportunities specific to my attitude on the job.
• Follow the dress code—even if there isn't an official one, ask a coworker or your boss.
• Complete your tasks and ask for more; eventually, you will know what is expected and you will not have to ask as frequently.
• If you are uncertain about anything, ask for clarification.
• Always show up a little early and don't leave early—for me, this occasionally meant walking three miles from our high school, but it was always worth it.
• Complete your duties promptly and efficiently.
• Learn the rules and regulations associated with the business.

Take some time to share your experiences. AFB CareerConnect allows successfully employed adults who are blind or visually impaired to share their experiences and advice with job-seeking teens and adults. Become a mentor, find a mentor, or read our newly renamed Our Stories (formerly called Success Stories) from our mentors on their careers and lives.

Lastly and most importantly: "Be kind, rewind!" I had to throw this one in because it was on every videotape at the store—this was during the glory days of VHS rentals, preceding DVDs and online streaming. The message, however, is as timeless as it is succinct: be courteous, and do what's expected of you (i.e. job responsibilities). No matter what your first job is, this will set the tone for your entire career.

Let us know in the comments your own tips, or lessons you learned during your first job.

Video cassette photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

[Editor's note: the following post comes from Deborah Kendrick, Senior Features Editor for AccessWorld.]

It's the dreaded call we all have to make at some point: contacting technical support for a mainstream commercial company, where we know we'll talk to a technician who has no clue how people who or blind or have low vision use a computer.

My own experience has run the gamut. There was the guy for my internet service provider, talking to me all the way from India, who kept saying upon learning that I was blind, "I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Then there was the woman at an airline company who kept shrieking at me, "Turn off that horrible noise," each time she heard my screen reader deliver a piece of information.

I plan to write an article about such encounters for AccessWorld, and would love to hear from you.

Has a technical support person ever said to you, "Yeah, I understand. I'm blind, too"? Have you ever canceled a contract or service because the technical support person was so uncooperative? Or (my wildest dream), have you ever taught a technical support person how to use the keyboard instead of the mouse?

Post your comments here and/or send them to me directly at: dkkendrick@earthlink.net

I look forward to your input. Thank you!

Angry customer support photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Spring is in the air, and it is time to start thinking about upcoming vacation plans. Whether you will be traveling by plane, train, boat, or bus, there's a strong likelihood you'll be using travel websites and services to plan your trip.

Online travel services, including travel aggregators such as Travelocity and Kayak, as well as hotel, airline, train, bus and ship websites, offer customers the convenience of comparison shopping, purchasing, and managing their travel from the convenience of their computer or mobile device.

Have you had any difficulties accessing these types of online services? Or have you found a great site that is fully accessible? We want to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete AFB's 17-question survey to help us understand more about the experiences of blind and visually impaired customers of online travel services.

Results of this survey will appear in a future AccessWorld article.

As always, we thank you for your input.

"Online Booking" road sign photo courtesy of Shutterstock.