Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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What are your careers? (self.Blind)
submitted 8y ago by geoffisblind
So I am going into my final year of high school this fall and I am getting college applications ready to go and thinking seriously about what I want to do. I just got done reading and responding to tons of comments in $1 thread. I got hundreds of suggestions about the major I'm currently interested in which is either Computer Science or a mix of Computer and Electrical Engineering.
It got my curious about what other visually impaired people are doing. So, if you wouldn't mind sharing what you do for a living/ what you are majoring in and how it is working for you in terms of accessibility and how much you are enjoying it I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
It got my curious about what other visually impaired people are doing. So, if you wouldn't mind sharing what you do for a living/ what you are majoring in and how it is working for you in terms of accessibility and how much you are enjoying it I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
johnnytai 2 points
I am a counselor by day and self defense instructor by night, also a part-time actor at the moment.
I love my career choices. I have tons of freedom and flex to do what I like, I get to help alot of people. The only down side is i'm still as poor as a church mouse...lol
I love my career choices. I have tons of freedom and flex to do what I like, I get to help alot of people. The only down side is i'm still as poor as a church mouse...lol
emajor7th 2 points
do you also prefer dos Equis?!
johnnytai 1 points
Sorry, not understanding what you mean.
emajor7th 1 points
It's the commercial for Dos Equis where they talk of "The Most Interesting Man in the World". :)
johnnytai 1 points
Lol I had to google Dos Equis...that shows you how much beer I drink... :)
matt_may 1 points
IT for 15 years. Left a couple of years ago because my struggles with RP just got too hard to keep up. Considering writing as a new career.
geoffisblind [OP] 1 points
If you don't mind me asking, what made it difficult to keep up?
matt_may 1 points
There was lots of multitasking. Five chat windows open while trying to put together budgets in spreadsheets, answer emails and put together a weekly power point deck, manage a team and try to keep up with technical specs. Even with good eyes it's a tough job.
What finally did me end was my RP reached the stage where my eyes were getting blurry. It was like having cataracts (even though I've had the surgery in both eyes). When I got up in the morning I never knew what I'd be able to read on that day. I started having to wing it on only my experience since I couldn't keep up with the specs. I was falling behind more everyday. After a year or two of that I called it. I actually worked for 12 years after finding out I was legally blind. I wanted to work as long as possible and I think I did.
What finally did me end was my RP reached the stage where my eyes were getting blurry. It was like having cataracts (even though I've had the surgery in both eyes). When I got up in the morning I never knew what I'd be able to read on that day. I started having to wing it on only my experience since I couldn't keep up with the specs. I was falling behind more everyday. After a year or two of that I called it. I actually worked for 12 years after finding out I was legally blind. I wanted to work as long as possible and I think I did.
Slatters-AU 1 points
I work for a Telecommunications Company as a Network Engineer. I use a mix of ZoomText and JAWS. I work on various Telephone and ADSL and Fibre to the Premises Platforms, from integrating new software to handling complex faults and working with vendors.
I personally don't enjoy my job but it is more of a personal thing. Currently dealing with depression and working through it. Finding very hard to feel excited or challenged about making share holders richer and watching executives get paid $12 million a year. I really wishes I had a career where I genuinely helped people and made their lives better.
I personally don't enjoy my job but it is more of a personal thing. Currently dealing with depression and working through it. Finding very hard to feel excited or challenged about making share holders richer and watching executives get paid $12 million a year. I really wishes I had a career where I genuinely helped people and made their lives better.
Bob_0119 1 points
Not sure if it helps you, but I have spent most of my life in customer service communications. I managed a dispatch/call center for a cab company for 15-years and am now a field office manager for a national "drive away" company.
geoffisblind [OP] 1 points
That does, if you don't mind me asking, did you benefit from any school to help with managing or are you self-taught/ learned from experience?
Bob_0119 2 points
i never went to college. Finished high school and made that mistake of not knowing what I wanted to be, so I was a lot of things. Waited tables, worked in an arcade, stocked shelves at grocery stores, cleaned floors, etc. I decided I wanted to be a 911 dispatcher, but to do so requires experience. Started with a cab company as a radio dispatcher for a couple of years and one day the position of GM fell into my lap. It was a relatively small company and the GM and dispatch supervisor (husband and wife) were quitting to move out of state.
I learned a lot the hard way. I found that I had a bit of a knack for creative problem solving, but if I had it to do all over again, some business management classes wouldn't have hurt!
I learned a lot the hard way. I found that I had a bit of a knack for creative problem solving, but if I had it to do all over again, some business management classes wouldn't have hurt!
narfarnst 1 points
Informal education (i.e. museums). I studied physics and work at science museums now. But I have a somewhat unofficial background in CS (meaning a few classes worth and a decent bit of self-teaching because it's very interesting to me).
CS is a solid bet for low vision people in my opinion. You don't need good vision for it, there's always jobs for it, and it's fun and fascinating if you're the analytical type.
CS is a solid bet for low vision people in my opinion. You don't need good vision for it, there's always jobs for it, and it's fun and fascinating if you're the analytical type.
thatsnotgneiss 1 points
I am a Business Information Systems student. Before I starting losing my vision, I was a video/audio editor and radio host.
geoffisblind [OP] 1 points
How far are you into your education?
thatsnotgneiss 1 points
To be honest? I am just now starting my major classes.
geoffisblind [OP] 1 points
Ah, well good luck, I know in that thread people were mentioning BIS as well as Medical technology, particularly in information as potential options for those interested in Computer Science.
thatsnotgneiss 1 points
I am doing BIS because it is a very promising field and I enjoy programming.
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