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Listen and Learn How Blind People Really Get Jobs

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LightHouse to Offer 22 Live-Stream Hours of Intensive Employment Retreat Starting Today! 

To listen to the stream, simply go to: 
http://lbvi.staging.wpengine.com.com/listen.m3u

If you missed any part of our programming, note that all the sessions are being recorded and will be made available for download through our website at http://lbvi.staging.wpengine.com.com/news/category/podcast/

Want to know the inside scoop on how blind people get job after job even in this economy? Want to listen in as blind professionals and blue-collar workers tell their stories of job success? And want to learn how blind employees manage to keep up their self-confidence and work-life balance?

The LightHouse for the Blind is beginning today an unprecedented four-day summit at its Enchanted Hills retreat in Napa, California. This lively immersion gathering will bring together more than 60 participants to talk seriously about employment. And not just how to shake someone’s hand or format a resume, but the deeper motivation and techniques everyone needs to win their next job.

Presenters will include Marty Nemko, Bay Area job coach, author and radio host; Kirk Adams, CEO of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind; Elcio Barcellos, Vice President for Global Recruitment at Hewlett-Packhard; Michael Bullis, longtime writer and employment motivator; Gena Harper, a top executive with Smith-Barney; Mike May, entrepreneur and adventurer; Joe Xavier, Deputy Director, California Department of Rehabilitation; Tim Ford, attorney with the California Department of Health Services; George Wurtzel, lifelong blind advocate for blue collar employment; and many others.

The live-stream is not limited to a few professions or career paths. In fact, among the dozens of attendees in Napa will be people in law; high tech and programming; nursing; rehabilitation; counseling/therapy; ministry; chemistry/physics; social work; interpreting/translation; piano tuning; administrative support; accounting/finance; customer service; human resources; and advertising.

Our live-stream will begin on Tuesday, September 6th at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time and continue until 6:00 p.m. that day.  We’ll resume the live presentation Wednesday and Thursday at 8:45 a.m. and present our lively lineup until roughly 5:00 p.m. each of those days. We’ll wrap up with some powerful presentations Friday morning, September 9th, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.

The stream is free of charge, and we hope you will cross-post this information to any individual and organization who could use a powerful boost to their own employment objectives. The LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco is proud to offer this motivational and fun seminar to our community free of charge.

To listen to the stream, simply go to:
http://lbvi.staging.wpengine.com.com/listen.m3u

SUMMIT AGENDA
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011
1:00–3:00
Dr. Marty Nemko, Career Coach and Host of Work with Marty Nemko on KALW, 91.7 FM (NPR-San Francisco)

3:15–4:15
Why Should I Go to Work? Mike Bullis, Executive Director, Image Center, Baltimore, MD

4:20–5:10
Note Taking & Effective Access Technology, Peggy Martinez, Accessibility Manager, Seattle Lighthouse

5:15–5:45
Three Skills You Can’t Do Without – Stacy Cervenka, former Legislative Aide for U.S. Senator Brownback, Republican, Kansas

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011
8:45–9:45
Reinventing Myself 14 times – Mike Bullis, Executive Director, Image Center, Baltimore, MD

9:55–10:55
Dairy to DOR – Joe Xavier, Deputy Director, California Dept. of Rehabilitation, Blind Field Services

11:00–12:30
Who Do I Hire? – Panel: Stephen Dobbs (professor and scholar; ret. CEO, Marin Community Foundation, Buck Trust; Senior Program Office, J. Paul Getty Trust; and Executive Director, Koret Foundation); Joe Xavier, Deputy Director, California Dept. of Rehabilitation; and Kirk Adams, CEO, Seattle LightHouse for the Blind

1:30–2:15
Be Your Own Job Developer! – Tim Ford, Attorney, CA State Dept. of Health and Human Services

2:20–3:30
Work-Life Balance – Panel: Theresa Duncan & Richard Rueda, Dir. Community Services, LightHouse for the Blind

3:35–4:25
Keeping your Head, Staying Unflappable – Joe Xavier

4:30–5:15
The Dragon Woman’s Interview Disasters and How to Avoid Them – Julie McCarthy, Director of HR and Facilities, LightHouse for the Blind

Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011
8:45–9:45
Working a Room and Working the World – Mike May, President, Sendero Group LLC

9:55–10:55
Effective People I Know – Silvana Rainey, Co-Founder, Adaptive Technology Services

11:00–12:00
Blue-Collar Bliss (via Skype) – George Wurtzel, Industrial Arts Instructor, Blind, Inc, Minneapolis, MN

1:00–2:10
What You Wanted to Know from Recruiters, but were Afraid to Ask – Kate Williams, Employment Immersion Program Leader, LightHouse for the Blind

2:15–3:15
First Impressions in the Workplace, Mike Bullis

3:20–4:15
Once You Get That Job, How to Stay Employed: Tips HR Should Have Told You – Julie McCarthy

4:20–5:10
On relationship-building, reading people, having soft skills and developing those connections giving you breadth in work – Peggy Martinez

Friday, September 9, 2011  
9:00–10:00
Stop Holding Your Breath and Waiting for Perfection – Mike Bullis

10:05–11:05
Taking the Next Scary Steps – Mike May

11:15–12:30
Who Do I Hire? Panel: Elicio Barcelos, Vice President Global Recruiting, Hewlett-Packard

LightHouse News

Submissions Welcome for Collection on Disabled Moms

Are you a mom with a disability and have something to write about?

Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection on disabled mothers. The goal of this edited collection is to add to literature on mothering and disability by providing stories by disabled mothers or their children, as well as chapters of scholarly research and theorizing.

Both the stories and research in this collection are intended to raise critical questions about the social and cultural meanings of disability and mothering. Whether a birth mother, an adoptive mother, a foster mother, a co-mother, someone mothered by a disabled woman, or someone whose research explores disabled mothering, you are invited to submit to this collection.

For more information please go to:
http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/news-and-events/edited-collection-on-disabled-mothers-call-for-papers-1176.html

LightHouse News

Watch and Play Paralympic Sports on BORP Opening Day

BORP (Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program), the leading provider of accessible sports in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, is having its Opening Day on Saturday, September 10. Opening Day showcases BORP’s sports programs and gives friends, family, community members, etc., the chance to try the sports out.

Opening Day Schedule
10:00 Welcome
10:30 Goalball
11:30 Prep Wheelchair Basketball
12:00 Power Soccer
1:00 Varsity Wheelchair Basketball

Refreshments will be provided.

Please invite your friends, family, other potential participants, community members, teachers, donors and anyone you think might be interested in getting to know BORP’s programs.

Opening Day is at:
James Kenney Recreation Center
1720 8th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

Visit http://www.borp.org/ for more information about BORP.

LightHouse News

DRA Investigates UC Berkeley Student Access Barriers

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a non-profit legal center, is investigating complaints regarding services for students with disabilities within the University of California, Berkeley system. If you are a UC Berkeley student who has experienced difficulties obtaining accommodation services, they want to hear from you.

DRA is investigating both the quality and the timeliness of the following services:

  • Note-taking and scribe services
  • Availability of documents including textbooks, handouts and other course materials in accessible formats
  • Mobility assistance
  • Accessible equipment & technology denial and/or delay in receiving other needed accommodations.

They are also investigating the following issues:

  • Lack of information regarding access features on campus
  • Lack of information regarding accommodation policies and procedures for students with disabilities, whether the delay or denial of accommodations has forced you to rely on alternative resources such ss:
    • Advocating on your own behalf for accommodations from your professor
    • Relying on friends and social networks for note-taking and/or other needed services

To share your stories, contact Kara Werner at kwerner@dralegal.org or. 510-665-8644, ext. 138. All communications will be kept confidential.

LightHouse News

Sign Up Now for Aug. 31 Jobsite Conversation Series Visit

Our next visit takes place on Wednesday, August 31st. We will visit Chris Giuntoli, who is the Director of Event Planning at San Francisco Marriott Marquis, one of the company’s most prominent hotels.

After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in hotel management, Chris began his career at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis as a Convention Services Housekeeping Aide and worked his way up to his current position as Director of Event Planning. Special tools like an audio calculator, high-intensity magnifying projector and a talking BlackBerry help Chris meet the demands of a fast-paced work environment.

Chris proclaims, “There is a big fulfillment in the management of an event. Achieving the customer’s goals is an unexplainable feeling, and the bond that you make with that customer is priceless.”

Chris has nearly two decades of experience in his field and many accomplishments, professional insights and exciting stories to share with our group, including his experience during the hotel’s grand opening on October 17, 1989, the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

In recent weeks we have visited a blind scientist, a blind massage therapist, a blind city budget analyst, a blind student accessibility coordinator, a blind attorney, a blind rehabilitation supervisor and a blind CEO. We look forward to our visit with Chris, as it will without doubt be another inspiring and informative installment of the LightHouse’s Jobsite Conversation Series.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, August 30, as space is limited. To register for the Jobsite Conversation Series, or to find out more about it, please contact:

Rich Russo
Community Services Program Assistant
(415) 694-7352
rrusso@old.lighthouse-sf.org

LightHouse News

Employment Opportunity – Job Title: PART-TIME RESIDENT ASSISTANTS .

Company Overview

Evans Property Management, Inc. (EPMI) was originally formed in 1984 to ensure quality management of all AF Evans residential communities. EPMI has since grown to offer management of independent properties and to expand our services beyond those provided by traditional property management companies.At EPMI, we are diverse in our spectrum of properties. With over 7,000 units under management, spanning California, Washington, Nevada, Texas and Oregon, our property management company is unique for the spectrum of urban and suburban projects it manages. Our portfolio ranges from high density, mixed-use rentals to garden-style apartments with family-focused amenities.

Job Title:

PART-TIME RESIDENT ASSISTANTS

Company:

EPMI

Experience:

1 to 3 years

Salary:

not provided

Job Location:

Walnut Creek, CA

Byron Park, located beautiful Walnut Creek, CA, has long been recognized in the industry as a superior residential community for independent living and now for assisted living.  The goal of the Byron Park  staff is to provide a high level of quality care and  service for our resident.   We have immediate openings for part-time Resident Assistants   If you are a self-motivated individual who is looking for a career instead of just a job, we want you.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

a)      Education/Experience:
·         High School Diploma or certificate of equivalency.

·         At least one year Experience working with the elderly.
b)      Skills:
·         Current First Aid Certification or willing to complete and obtain certificate.

·         Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT

Criminal clearance, including fingerprinting, is required prior to presence in the facility.

Health screening/physical required within 30 days of employment, TB test results within 7 days and both will not be older than six months. 

Must be able to sit, stand, bend, lift and move intermittently throughout Community during working hours.

Must be able to lift, push, pull and move equipment, supplies, etc., between 25-50 pounds.

Must possess sight/hearing/speech senses, or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately so that the requirements of this position can be fully met.

Emotional stability evidenced.

Able to assist in the evacuations of residents.

Assisted Living is a 24 hour per day, 7 days per week business, which requires employees to have flexible hours and/or shifts. May be required to work beyond normal business hours and/or on weekends, evenings & holidays when necessary.

To apply;

http://www.sanfranciscodiversity.com/jobs.asp?pagemode=15&jid=2428119&utm_campaign=JCpartner&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=jobLink&utm_content=v1

LightHouse News

ACB and Google Conduct Survey to Better Understand Computer Usage and Assistive Technology Patterns in the Blind Community

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) recently announced it will be working with Google Inc. to survey blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind individuals to better understand how they use computers and assistive technology to access information.

The survey, developed jointly by Google and the American Council of the Blind, will gather data about technology use and needs in the blind community. Respondents will be able to complete the survey by either telephone or web. Survey data will be used to better understand how blind users interact with the web, which assistive technologies they find most useful, and how they make decisions about whether to switch or upgrade tools.

The survey, which will run through mid-September, is available immediately at www.acb.org/googlesurvey. Individuals who want to take the survey by telephone, please call 347-772-8355.

LightHouse News

2011 NFBC Scholarships Available!

The National Federation of the Blind of California annually awards several scholarships to qualified blind students pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in order to achieve an academic degree. This opportunity is also available to high school seniors preparing to enter undergraduate programs.

Scholarship amounts vary from two to five thousand dollars. Completed applications and all required documents must be postmarked by September 15th, 2011.

For more information, go to http://sixdots.org/2010/06/2010-nfbc-scholarship/