Although it can be more difficult for you to find a job if you are blind it is not impossible. There are lots of jobs/careers which someone who is blind can do and some which are blind people are uniquely qualified for. Do not believe that you need to settle for anything, if you are blind or visually impared you have many options for ongoing work.
According to statistics in the USA slightly less than 30% of blind people have full time employment with a median annual salary of $38,000/yr. Although this statistic indicates a low employment rate for legally blind people there is no reason why most blind people can have a valuable career and be an important member of any company or organization.
The intelligence of legally blind people is normally distributed and not statistically different from the general population. Statistically the same percentage of legally blind people have the ability to compete in the job market along with those who can see. If you are of average or above intelligence, have interests and abilities which match those required by the workforce and are willing to work at overcoming challenges which you are given you can land and maintain a job in a career you enjoy.
To land a job and start a career in any field you must prepare for the demands the industry will have on you. To do this you will need to take the steps everyone else has to take; become trained, get yourself educated, practice the skills you will need to have to be valuable, become active in the industry and meet people in the industry. Without doing these basic actions you cannot expect to be employed by any credible or long lasting company.
The steps to employment are:
- List industries or fields you find interesting
- List the positions you are capable of doing (with or without accommodations)
- Match the industries and positions you find drawn to (things you like and can do)
- Get the education you will need to compete in the industry and for the position you desire
- Acquire or develop any accommodation systems you need
- Gain some experience in the industry
- Develop your social network
- Continue to learn and practice your skills
- Develop a support network
Why start with industries or fields you find interesting
Developing a career is difficult. It requires long hours of doing things to prepare for it which are not interesting, boring or just hard to accomplish. You will have to learn to study and practice skills you never thought you would have to do. Many of these skills will not be enjoyable for you.
If you start with an industry or field you are interested in, the chances of you completing the training increases and enjoying your career in the long term improves. Without an interest (besides financial gain) in the industry it will be hard for you to maintain long term enthusiasm for the industry. This is not the way to success. If you want to be successful you have to be able to motivate yourself to learn and grow in your profession, not have to force yourself to do it everyday.
Make a list of at least industries or fields
Start with careers you find interesting. Industries like healthcare, manufacturing or sales. The list will vary depending on your personality, location and exposure. This list is only there to help you narrow down some of your interests.
Once you have your list you will likely see trends on them. Did you choose industries which deal with people or things, are you interested in creative industries like entertainment, art or product development or jobs which are people focused. These are clues to what type of career you would find enjoyable long term.
Why list the jobs you are capable of doing
When considering your career you must be realistic. If you are legally blind then career choices like being a truck driver are not available to you (for obvious reasons) but there are many jobs which you can do.
Start by making a list of those things which you can do or things you are willing to learn how to do. Being legally blind will reduce some of your options but it will also provide you with opportunities. By having a list of things which you can do you have the opportunity to match your capabilities with what you are interested in. Without a working list you will find it difficult to think about your possibilities over your limitations.
List as many things you can or are willing to learn how to do
This is going to be a long list but just like the list above you will begin to see trends of things you can and are willing to do. You may be more people-focused in your list with abilities to listen to people and build relationships well. You may be able to navigate technology well or entertain others.
Why matching interest with skills/abilities lead to a successful career
When interests and skills/abilities match it is much easier to learn and grow in an industry. Every industry is unique and requires skills and abilities which are not universal. Without an interest and the ability to be valuable in the industry, long term success will be difficult. Whereas if there is interest and skill and ability together success is more certain.
You will not find everything in your chosen career to be enjoyable, rather some will be downright unpleasant but if you match an industry you are interested in with skills and abilities you already or are willing to acquire you will find it easier to perform your job, learn more about your industry and develop needed skills as the industry changes.
The importance of education in a career for blind people
Education is a great equalizer. It can mitigate differences between people and provides value to the company an employee works with. Without education it is difficult to find well paying jobs in any industry and without an education your choices will be limited. Those who are blind need to get every advantage possible of which is having knowledge others do not.
Being blind eliminates some jobs from your scope from the beginning, some of which are low skill and poorly paid positions, this can be a blessing as well as a curse. A blessing because you have no other choice but to become educated in a higher paid discipline, a curse because it makes it harder to sustain yourself while you are getting educated.
Those with an education reliably earn a better income than those without secondary and post-secondary education. For everyone the education path is different depending on your interests and skills but to be able to compete in your chosen field you will need to have at least the same if not more education than your peers in the industry.
Seek out schools which provide educational programs which you require to compete in your industry of interest. Once you have a list of schools which provide the education research each school for their ability to provide for your needs. Some schools will provide accommodations which go above those which are mandated by a governing body. It is these schools which should top your list.
It is true that all schools should provide accommodations for disabled students to thrive but some will be better then others and more willing to correct or add systems when problems arise. The fact that there is legislation in most countries which force educational facilities to provide for disabled people means that not all are willing to do so on their own volition. You don’t want to attend such a school.
Determine what accommodations you will need and supply those you can
The type of accommodation you will need depends on the level of vision impairment you have. You may need to take public transport as you cannot drive but have no other needs or you may need to use a braille keyboard and text to voice software. What you need will be unique to your case.
With that in mind if you want to work in the industry of your choosing you will need to determine and in some cases supply the accommodations you need. At the very least you should know what you need to perform the job you are seeking. This will give your prospective employers the feeling that you are cognizant of your needs and are willing to work with them to make your requirements have the least impact on the company as possible.
This is another reason why getting an education is valuable. It will give you the opportunity to perform some of the tasks you are going to be asked to do while working in the industry. With this experience you will have worked out what you need to be successful. These are some of the same accommodations you will need at work.
By providing your own accommodations you will eliminate reasons why you are passed over for others and show you are willing to take responsibility for yourself (something all employers want). By supplying what you can, your future employer will have an easier time providing those which you are unable to do on your own.
How to gain experience in an industry when legally blind
This is the classic chicken and egg problem. How do I get experience when I need experience to get experience? The answer does not change for anyone, blind or not. There are several steps you can take to gain some experience in your industry
- Choose an education program which includes a work term
These programs require the student to work in the industry before moving on to the next learning session. These include internship programs, apprenticeships and co-op programs set up and administered by the school.
- Volunteer with charitable organizations who could use your help
Charitable organizations are always in need of specialized help. With your education they would most often be more than willing to allow you to gain some experience by working with them.
- Work on an open source project
Open source projects are projects which anyone can contribute to. They are mainly software programs but there are also writing projects and research programs. A good example of open source projects is Wikipedia which is really just one big open source project for collecting the knowledge of the world.
- Start something on your own
By having the initiative and developing an idea on your own you show you are a self-starter. Your idea may never get to a commercial level or make you any money but it will give you valuable experience in the industry you want to work in.
You will begin to understand some of the problems your future employers have and how to overcome them. This makes you very valuable to employers which will increase your chances of being hired. Another bonus of this tactic is that you may actually develop something which has value, providing a job for you and possibly others.
Networking tips and techniques for legally blind people
Developing a network can be challenging when you are legally blind. Problems can include autonomy, dealing with preconceptions and identifying opportunities. These problems need to be dealt with individually and without condemnation. To have success in networking you cannot have negative emotions surrounding it, when you have a positive feeling about it those you are interacting with will more likely become a part of your network.
- Size of your social media contact list does not count
There is much nonsense going around about social media which needs to be straightened out. A long list of friends or associates on the various social networking sites are not helpful when looking to find work.
Put yourself in the employer’s shoes. You are looking for a new employee and you have two choices (just to keep it simple).
One is recommended by someone you respect who has a good relationship. They have worked with them or have first hand knowledge of their personality, skills and abilities.
The other is someone you are connected with by social media. Their social media account has many contacts, is highly optimized and looks like it is maintained well.
Which do you choose? Right, the answer is simple, the first one, hands down. With the first one you know the person who is doing the recommending, who has something to lose and wants the best for you. The second one is a crapshoot. They may have spent hours online building their network, making their profile look great but may not be what you are looking for.
With that in mind it is good to have an up to date social media account for prospective employers to have a look at but it is not the best way to land a long term position.
- Contacts garnered from networking events are of low quality
Everyone who goes to a networking event is looking for the same things:
- Sales contacts
- Business opportunities
- Personnel leads
Most people will collect names and contact information indiscriminately, looking for something or someone which will benefit them. The chances that such people will be looking for what you have to offer is low.
There are better ways to build your network of people other than spending time smoosing with others.
- Those you work with or have done work for are high value
Networking is nothing more than building a good reputation with others you are associated with. By working with others you get the chance of building your reputation in the most practical way.
The secret here is that the work does not need to be work in your chosen industry. You could volunteer with the same charity, work in a different capacity then you want or provide services to others in the industry while working on getting an opportunity to work with your chosen organization.
- Building relationships within the industry are most valuable
It is relationships with others in the industry which you want to work in which will have the greatest impact on your career. This is why working on open source projects or starting something on your own is so important. Contacts made in the industry carry much more weight for prospective employers than those outside of the industry.
- Being of service to others will build your network of valuable contacts the fastest
Employers want people who are willing to serve others and provide solutions to problems rather than expecting others to work under them. Being willing to serve others and being a problem solver will build your reputation with others and help you to build valuable contacts which are more than happy to recommend you to others when asked.
Continue to learn and practice your skills
Nothing remains stagnant. It is either building or decaying. This includes your knowledge and skills in your chosen field. To remain current you will have to continue being active in the industry. You will have to practice your skills. This is another reason volunteering or building something on your own is so important. It will force you to remain up to date with your skills and knowledge of the industry.
Develop a support network
A support network is different from a network of people in the industry. This is a collection of people who want the best for you, will provide resources and encourage you when you most need it. They include family and friends, business people who believe in your abilities and social groups which are there to support those with similar challenges.