Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Are there any blind/low-vision groups for professionals? (self.Blind)
submitted by [deleted]
I feel like a lot of support groups focus on general visual impairment experiences. However, I work in a high-pressure professional career, and I've struggled to find mentors or a community to discuss these issues. I don't want to just continue in this career until my eyesight is too bad, then quit and go on disability. But I don't know how to navigate the biases and barriers we face in places like law, management consulting, international business, politics, etc.
I'm wondering if there's a community that brings together early visually-impaired professionals to older visually-impaired people to serve as mentors. Or if there is a community of visually-impaired professionals that can discuss shared experiences.
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If not, would anyone be interested in starting one?
I'm wondering if there's a community that brings together early visually-impaired professionals to older visually-impaired people to serve as mentors. Or if there is a community of visually-impaired professionals that can discuss shared experiences.
​
If not, would anyone be interested in starting one?
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 1y ago
[deleted]
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Those are the kind of experiences I want to hear about. Like how you manage that, do you try to actively hide it, what funny stories have your disability led to. And except for making a million posts on this subreddit, there's no route. I live in DC, and it'd be nice to just go to a happy hour once a month to talk about these things.
To be honest, I don't want to go to blind organizations or whatever. I just want to live life normally. Everyone has things they struggle with, and they find support in real life, not some special organization. Dealing with blindness is not always a medical issue that needs social workers and the government, you know?
To be honest, I don't want to go to blind organizations or whatever. I just want to live life normally. Everyone has things they struggle with, and they find support in real life, not some special organization. Dealing with blindness is not always a medical issue that needs social workers and the government, you know?
SoapyRiley 2 points 1y ago
I don’t know of any but I’m down if someone creates one!
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 1y ago
[deleted]
Puzzled_Teaching_197 2 points 1y ago
This $1 by the American Council of the Blind lists multiple resources that might be what you’re looking for
[deleted] [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Thanks!
Fluid_Calligrapher25 1 points 1y ago
Contact national federation of the blind - lots of blind professionals there
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 1y ago
Depends what you mean by professional, I guess. I'm not a doctor or a lawyer, I make a living as a session musician but I suspect there are some crossovers regarding self employment and employment law, taxes and stuff. For instance, tomorrow I'm taking a long haul flight for work which will be a real experience in this covid centric world but I have prepared it about as much as I can and I think it should be okay. Is that the sort of thing you had in mind?
[deleted] [OP] 3 points 1y ago
Not really.
Basically, I was looking through various blind organizations and they kept promoting their best successes as people becoming an IT manager or disability compliance officer. Or the success of placing people into nonprofits that deal with disability and diversity. It just seems somewhat limiting. Not knocking on anyone doing that.
I guess it feels like there's an ambition ceiling being imposed. Like the barometer of success is getting "any" job, while the sighted can actual choose career prestige. I want a support group of people that get those jobs Harvard or Yale kids get. Ibvestment banker at Charles Schwabs. Lawyer at a Wallstreet firm. Consultant at Mckinsey. Not "disability compliance officer" at Lighthouse. I want the types of jobs an Ivy League student will reach out to me on Linkedin so they can network.
Again, not knocking down anyone.
Basically, I was looking through various blind organizations and they kept promoting their best successes as people becoming an IT manager or disability compliance officer. Or the success of placing people into nonprofits that deal with disability and diversity. It just seems somewhat limiting. Not knocking on anyone doing that.
I guess it feels like there's an ambition ceiling being imposed. Like the barometer of success is getting "any" job, while the sighted can actual choose career prestige. I want a support group of people that get those jobs Harvard or Yale kids get. Ibvestment banker at Charles Schwabs. Lawyer at a Wallstreet firm. Consultant at Mckinsey. Not "disability compliance officer" at Lighthouse. I want the types of jobs an Ivy League student will reach out to me on Linkedin so they can network.
Again, not knocking down anyone.
annibear 1 points 1y ago
I'm late lol but you're definitely saying something true that not a lot of people are willing to say.
I used to live and work in DC, and there was a group of solely blind professionals (it was an unofficial rule, it seemed to me, that you had to be employed--being DC, it was mostly civil servants, but that's just a DC thing). I work at a FAANG company now and have people reach out to me on LinkedIn, and then have no idea how to react when they find out incidentally I'm blind.
I haven't found anything more nationally for solely blind people. I've considered creating a Facebook group or something but can already hear the accusations of being elitist---which, fwiw, I don't think this discussion is.
I used to live and work in DC, and there was a group of solely blind professionals (it was an unofficial rule, it seemed to me, that you had to be employed--being DC, it was mostly civil servants, but that's just a DC thing). I work at a FAANG company now and have people reach out to me on LinkedIn, and then have no idea how to react when they find out incidentally I'm blind.
I haven't found anything more nationally for solely blind people. I've considered creating a Facebook group or something but can already hear the accusations of being elitist---which, fwiw, I don't think this discussion is.
NoClops 1 points 1y ago
I just moved to the Baltimore/DC area. Recommend any resources or services?
[deleted] [OP] 1 points 1y ago
I'd be interested in starting that group too. Ya, I see it can seem elitist, but that just seems part of the ableist bias. Like, sighted people are allowed to participate in prestige-based social hierarchies, but we aren't?
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 1y ago
I don't think anyone is generally trying to stop anyone participating in anything, within reason, although personally my feeling is that professional organisations that are just there to show off feel a bit, I don't know, narcissistic? I was a member of the musicians' union for years and that had a point, it was negotiating rates of pay. I guess in there's nothing wrong with having a society for any reason you want, though.
DrillInstructorJan 1 points 1y ago
For what it's worth I agree with you. It is totally possible to have a normal career that isn't directly connected with the disability and I personally like to encourage people to reach outside that box. I think it is gradually improving. I think that the sort of really high end careers you're talking about are probably the most likely to be accessible anyway, with nice pay and conditions and easier access to things like extra help when you're travelling.
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Like you I would never criticise anyone who found some purpose in doing anything they found fulfilling but think we could do with a lot more people talking about non disability related work.
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Like you I would never criticise anyone who found some purpose in doing anything they found fulfilling but think we could do with a lot more people talking about non disability related work.
draakdorei 1 points 1y ago
More of an agency to place blind professionals, but you may try sending a note to the Blind Institute of Technology support. Since they place blind/visually impaired professionals as a career, they are highly likely to have better visuals on support groups for professionals in high levels.
[deleted] [OP] 3 points 1y ago
Thanks! I looked at that in my search, but it kind of highlights my frustration. Like, all these "placement" places brag about how they got people in the IT division of some large company or to be the "accessibility compliance officer" somewhere (that's the front page example of the Blind Institute of Technology).
It seems almost degrading. Like "empowerment" for blind people is being the "blind guy" at a company. Being the guy that helps make sure they are catering to blind needs. Where are the support groups for blind people being executives at Fortune 500 companies? An investment bank manager at Goldman Sachs flying to Dubai to coordinate finance deals? Lawyer at a top NYC firm making 500k to handle expensive Mergers and Acquisition deals? Partner at McKinsey or Deloitte handing multimillion dollar government contracts?
Is my barometer of success just "having a stable job somewhere" or can I actually be an ambitious finance bro or whatever? There's no guidance for that or support group.
Steve Wynn is blind and ran an entire casino empire, so I know they are out there and I know we are capable for these jobs. These blind organizations promoting their "biggest" successes as becoming a disability compliance officer actually makes me feel bad I guess. Not knocking on anyone doing that, but it just seems like there's an ambition ceiling for us.
It seems almost degrading. Like "empowerment" for blind people is being the "blind guy" at a company. Being the guy that helps make sure they are catering to blind needs. Where are the support groups for blind people being executives at Fortune 500 companies? An investment bank manager at Goldman Sachs flying to Dubai to coordinate finance deals? Lawyer at a top NYC firm making 500k to handle expensive Mergers and Acquisition deals? Partner at McKinsey or Deloitte handing multimillion dollar government contracts?
Is my barometer of success just "having a stable job somewhere" or can I actually be an ambitious finance bro or whatever? There's no guidance for that or support group.
Steve Wynn is blind and ran an entire casino empire, so I know they are out there and I know we are capable for these jobs. These blind organizations promoting their "biggest" successes as becoming a disability compliance officer actually makes me feel bad I guess. Not knocking on anyone doing that, but it just seems like there's an ambition ceiling for us.
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