UNT WISE e-News Bulletin Vol 2, No 9 September 2008 The UNT WISE e-News Bulletin is published monthly through a grant awarded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work & Addictions at the University of North Texas. Editorial Staff Editor Martha Garber Director Contributing Authors Margaret J. Cortez Marcy Haag Jim Humes Yvonne Raffini Zach Sneed Principal Investigator Linda Holloway Any comments about the content or design of this e-Newsletter should be directed to Martha Garber Click here to go to our Subscription Page where you can add or remove your name from our email list. Comments Send your comments and story ideas to e- News Bulletin Director & Editor, Martha Garber. From the desk of: Martha Garber The first legally blind person I had ever been around for any length of time was “Roy.” I met him the week before I took my new job as a Vocational Counselor serving the blind. During that week I accompanied Roy, an assistive technology vendor, to various college campuses where Roy would demonstrate his equipment and I could meet the students with whom I would be working. Using a low vision aid, Roy drove me hundreds of miles and guided me around the various campuses. I felt safe. He was a good driver, an honest salesman, and he provided me with a great introduction to blindness. I learned a significant lesson from Roy and the students: “Never put artificial/preconceived limits on your ambitions.” This month to highlight our focus on blindness and low vision, we are fortunate to feature an article by Nancy Shugart, who provides her formula for success. How I Achieved Employment Success By Nancy Shugart Can a person with a disability achieve employment success? Absolutely! Here is my formula. • Have an unshakeable passion for the career you are seeking. My passion was to become an elementary school music teacher. I had attended public schools as a child and planned to teach in the public schools upon graduating from college. • Get the best education possible. I chose to earn my Bachelor of Music degree from North Texas State University (now UNT) because it was ranked one of the top music schools in the nation. To become your best, you must surround yourself with the best. • Never stop learning. I later earned my master's degree because I was determined to be the best music educator I could possibly be. Do I have a disability? Yes. I am blind. Did I achieve my employment dream? Yes! I taught in the Austin Independent School District for 21 wonderful years, something many experts had said would be impossible for me to do because of my disability. With a strong enough passion and with the very best education, you will be able to pole vault over any barriers and achieve your employment dream! For more information about Nancy Shugart, visit her website at http://www.ProveThemWrong.com Blindness & Low Vision in the US Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over. Leading causes of blindness for Americans over 40 are age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. A study released in 2004 sponsored by the National Eye Institute estimates this figure will reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. Common causes for blindness or low vision in children include congenital issues and trauma. In a prior issue of e-News, we discussed that many veterans are returning with visual impairments caused by the trauma. For more information, you can visit the following sites. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/visionimpairmentandblindness.html http://www.preventblindness.org/index.html Resources The truth is, if you live long enough, you will probably experience low vision or blindness. Compensation strategies as well as assistive technology are in abundance for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. As always, our attitudes about being blind or visually impaired are the greatest barriers to employment and inclusion. We have provided a few employment-related resources to help you work with clients who find themselves in this position. http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=7 http://www.abledata.com http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Resources.asp?SnID=1822763705 At Your Desktop The months of September and October bring a combination of former (back by request) and new topics to your desktop. The UNTWISE Webinars are growing in demand and popularity, so be sure to register now to secure your place in the trainings of your interest! All Webinars are held on Fridays, starting at 10:00 am and range from 1 to 1.5 hours in duration. Continuing education credits are given for all Webinars. Click on the training title below for full details and registration information: • September 5, A Step-by-step Approach to Writing Great Business Plans, Cary Griffin • September 12, Depression & the Workplace, Dr. Theresa Vo • September 19 & 26, Blindness & Vision Impairment - the FACTS and More, Dr. Brenda Lightfoot • October 3, 10, 17, Diversity Intelligence for VR Providers, Timothy Owens • October 24, Customized Job Development, Cary Griffin Training Schedule September 5, 2008: Writing Great Business Plans, Online Webinar September 12, Depression & the Workplace, Online Webinar September 19 & 26, Blindness & Vision Impairment -the FACTS and More, Online Webinar October 3, 10, 17, Diversity Intelligence for VR Providers, Online Webinar October 24, 2008: Customized Job Development, Online Webinar November 18-19, 2008: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Baton Rouge, LA For a list of all of our training programs, visit our calendar! Upcoming Conferences 2008 National Employment & disAbility Conference, September 15-17, 2008, Arlington, VA Louisiana Rehabilitation Association & Regional NRA Conference, October 1-3, 2008, Baton Rouge, LA Texas Rehab Action Network Conference, October 2-4, 2008, Dallas, TX 2008 NRA National Training Conference, October 23-26, 2008, St. Louis, MO NCRE/RSA/CSAVR 2008 National Training Conference on Rehabilitation Education, November 5-7, 2008, Arlington, VA CSAVR Fall Conference 2008, November 16-19, 2008, San Diego, CA Click here to see all conferences listed on our website, This project is in part supported under a grant from the Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed.