Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Exploring career options. Stay in current one or transition to a new field? (self.Blind)
submitted by Mythrowawayeye
So I am looking for some career advice. I've always had vision problems but they've recently worsened. As of now I see around 20/50 (the dr didn't really say if I'm right at 20/50 or closer to 20/70) in my good eye with a normal field of vision and 20/400 with around a 25 degree field of vision in my bad eye (pretty much tunnel vision). My bad eye especially has worsened A LOT over the last few months/year, but doctors are unsure if my sight will continue to worsen or stay the same. However I've always been told I have a higher chance of going blind or developing retinal issues than the general population. According to the specialist I went to I am now considered to have low vision.
Right now I'm a teacher. I like it, and I can do most things with accommodations like bioptic lens, magnifiers, and a cane to keep my bad side safe. But I'm beginning to wonder if this is the best career long term. While I can use accommodations for things like paperwork and grading, I don't know how I'm supposed to manage and keep track of students with my eyesight. Especially if it worsens it'll be harder for me to watch them and make sure they're safe. Plus I can only do so much planning for my job since I'm so busy at work and can't stay late due to lack of transportation, so lesson planning and whatnot is harder. At the same time, I feel a bit guilty for asking for accommodations at work and then leaving, silly as that sounds.
I am considering going into software development/computer programming. It seems more accommodating--I can use magnifiers and switch to screenreaders if I need to, the salary makes it easier to pay for transportation to and from work, I can theoretically work remotely which will give me less stress about transportation, and I don't have to worry about watching and supervising groups of people.
I guess what I am looking for is advice. Is it better to start the switch now? There's coding boot camps in my area I could enroll in to learn development relatively quickly, and my area has a lot of those type of jobs. Or is it better to just stick it out at my teaching job since they are providing accommodations and there's no guarantee my sight will decrease? I've talked to Voc Rehab locally and they pretty much said right now they'd only help me stay at my current job because they only provide training for entry level jobs and I'm at a professional level already, but I have enough money saved that I could pay for the transition if I had to.
How did you navigate career transitions and/or gradual vision loss? When is it time to start actively planning life/jobs around vision?
Thanks for any advice!
Right now I'm a teacher. I like it, and I can do most things with accommodations like bioptic lens, magnifiers, and a cane to keep my bad side safe. But I'm beginning to wonder if this is the best career long term. While I can use accommodations for things like paperwork and grading, I don't know how I'm supposed to manage and keep track of students with my eyesight. Especially if it worsens it'll be harder for me to watch them and make sure they're safe. Plus I can only do so much planning for my job since I'm so busy at work and can't stay late due to lack of transportation, so lesson planning and whatnot is harder. At the same time, I feel a bit guilty for asking for accommodations at work and then leaving, silly as that sounds.
I am considering going into software development/computer programming. It seems more accommodating--I can use magnifiers and switch to screenreaders if I need to, the salary makes it easier to pay for transportation to and from work, I can theoretically work remotely which will give me less stress about transportation, and I don't have to worry about watching and supervising groups of people.
I guess what I am looking for is advice. Is it better to start the switch now? There's coding boot camps in my area I could enroll in to learn development relatively quickly, and my area has a lot of those type of jobs. Or is it better to just stick it out at my teaching job since they are providing accommodations and there's no guarantee my sight will decrease? I've talked to Voc Rehab locally and they pretty much said right now they'd only help me stay at my current job because they only provide training for entry level jobs and I'm at a professional level already, but I have enough money saved that I could pay for the transition if I had to.
How did you navigate career transitions and/or gradual vision loss? When is it time to start actively planning life/jobs around vision?
Thanks for any advice!
B-dub31 2 points 6y ago
I think you raise a lot of valid concerns regarding your teaching career. It's never too early to begin planning for the loss of your eyesight, but I wouldn't necessarily rush my decision either.
One thing I wonder about your career change is a loss of retirement and benefits. I'm not sure where you live, how old you are, how many years you've been teaching, and if you've contributed to Social Security (if you are in the US). You might want to check into whether your pension offers a disability retirement benefit.
I know software developers make a good living, but if you get a job where you are classified as a contractor, you'll have a greater tax liability and probably no employer-provided benefits. Think holistically about your situation when comparing job offers, because as you sight declines, you'll need good insurance benefits.
I think that you are making a good decision evaluating your options. Vision loss affects your life and it can affect your livelihood. The more diverse your skill set is, the better chance you'll have finding a more accessible job should you decide to quit teaching.
One thing I wonder about your career change is a loss of retirement and benefits. I'm not sure where you live, how old you are, how many years you've been teaching, and if you've contributed to Social Security (if you are in the US). You might want to check into whether your pension offers a disability retirement benefit.
I know software developers make a good living, but if you get a job where you are classified as a contractor, you'll have a greater tax liability and probably no employer-provided benefits. Think holistically about your situation when comparing job offers, because as you sight declines, you'll need good insurance benefits.
I think that you are making a good decision evaluating your options. Vision loss affects your life and it can affect your livelihood. The more diverse your skill set is, the better chance you'll have finding a more accessible job should you decide to quit teaching.
Mythrowawayeye [OP] 2 points 6y ago
If I do switch to programming it won't be til next year since I want to finish out my current teaching contract. At that point I'll be vested so I'll receive a pension from my teaching job when I retire.
As for insurance, If I switch careers I really want to get into the state government or city government since it provides good benefits. Or, if I need to work remotely, some of the big healthcare companies in my area offer that option.
I checked my SSA benefits planner the other day just out of curiosity and I've apparently earned enough work credits to qualify for disability benefits if I ever need them but is that the same as a disability retirement benefit?
Thanks so much for raising all these points! I definitely want to consider everything thoroughly before making a decision.
As for insurance, If I switch careers I really want to get into the state government or city government since it provides good benefits. Or, if I need to work remotely, some of the big healthcare companies in my area offer that option.
I checked my SSA benefits planner the other day just out of curiosity and I've apparently earned enough work credits to qualify for disability benefits if I ever need them but is that the same as a disability retirement benefit?
Thanks so much for raising all these points! I definitely want to consider everything thoroughly before making a decision.
B-dub31 1 points 6y ago
I worked for county government for almost 13 years, so I was reaching the mid-career point when I got sick. Our pension plan actually offers a disability retirement benefit that is a better option than either withdrawing your funds (and pay penalties plus taxes) or leaving it until retirement age. You go through a medical review process like for SSA disability, but it moves more quickly.
Here in KY, I don't think teachers contribute to Social Security. A lot of teachers work part-time jobs just to pay into SS. My disability retirement benefits will be in addition to my SSDI, but the combined amount can't exceed 80% of last rate of pay or my county pension gets reduced.
Now would be a great time to get into programming for government. Many states and large cities have in-house developers either designing proprietary software or working on interfacing various software platforms. Most government is way behind the curve, so there is a definite need.
Here in KY, I don't think teachers contribute to Social Security. A lot of teachers work part-time jobs just to pay into SS. My disability retirement benefits will be in addition to my SSDI, but the combined amount can't exceed 80% of last rate of pay or my county pension gets reduced.
Now would be a great time to get into programming for government. Many states and large cities have in-house developers either designing proprietary software or working on interfacing various software platforms. Most government is way behind the curve, so there is a definite need.
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