When Khadija Bari first moved to the United States at the age of 22, the availability of services for people who are blind or low vision – or even, to a large degree, accommodations being provided without her having to ask for them – were relatively new to her. Khadija’s family lived in many countries, … Continued
With the holiday season in full swing, and perhaps a wee bit of free time (said in my best Irish accent). Have you considered devoting a few hours of your holiday reprieve to guiding and shaping younger or less experienced individuals who are also blind or visually impaired? Perhaps it’s time to reach out and provide encouragement and counsel as … Continued
Time and again we are face-to-face with that which is intimidating on the employment journey—how true! From initially choosing a career and preparing for it, to walking into nerve-wracking interviews, beginning a new job, assuming additional responsibilities, recovering from mistakes or “failures”, learning up-to-date technology, and taking calculated risks to advance in the career, there … Continued
In March 2017, Denna Lambert was a presenter at the AFB Leadership Conference in Alexandria, VA. She was on a panel where she shared about her life and career at NASA. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we wanted to continue the conversation and share more of her career success. Here’s her story. … Continued
Life is filled with accomplishments and setbacks. I have had my fair share of both. How about you? Many of you may still be basking in the glow of graduation from either high school or college. Excellent accomplishments indeed! Some of you may be disappointed due to some academic issues that have delayed your graduation … Continued
Today is a day for honoring all teachers in the teaching profession and for recognizing the contributions they have made to the lives of their students. Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller’s beloved teacher, once said, “No greater honor can be paid a teacher than the recognition of her work.” As a Teacher of the Visually … Continued
When keynote speaker Patricia Walsh took the stage at the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference (AFBLC), it seemed all were fully engaged and unquestionably riveted. This year’s conference had a record number of attendees, and I’m confident I’ve never heard any AFBLC audience as quiet as when Walsh shared her anything-but-dull Paralympic adventures … Continued
Recently we acknowledged we already are leaders; leadership isn’t a position, but a quality. Leaders, remember, are ones who influence others. So dear leader who is blind or visually impaired, I thought we should discuss your most valuable resource on the job. Is it your assistive technology that enables you to work efficiently and at … Continued
Can I have ten minutes of your time? First, listen to a six minute TedTalk entitled, “Everyday Leadership” and second, let’s chat. In the talk, you’ll hear Drew Dudley share his opinion on leadership. Here’s a summary, which omits his engaging story and in no way encompasses his full scope of thoughts: Most people think … Continued
APH CareerConnect’s focus as of late has been on career advancement for those who are blind or visually impaired. We prepared a free eLearning course entitled Maintaining Employment and Advancing Your Career and offered several supplementary blog posts such as, It’s Spring, Let’s Focus on Growth. [Your Career Advancement, That Is.] But I wanted more. … Continued