Written By: Brenda Diggs

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).  This is a special time of year for IFB Solutions.   It is a time when we can educate our country about including people with disabilities in the workplace. As the new Chairperson of the IFB Solutions Board of Directors, I hope I inspire you to help make a difference.

 

Where It Began

I am a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and actively involved in the local community. During my professional career, I was a senior vice president of Wachovia Bank and served as manager of Sales Performance Services supporting the retail financial services group. Although I am officially retired, I sometimes provide consulting in the areas of leadership and board development, operational and financial management. I have always had a passion for service and helping others.

I am also involved in my church as well as other civic and community activities. It has been a pleasure to support IFB Solutions throughout the years.  I am proud of the impact IFB has across the communities in North Carolina and beyond. I am equally pleased and proud to be the new Chair of the IFB Solutions Board of Directors.

Inspired By IFB Solutions

I learned about IFB Solutions when I served on the board of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. The Trust approved a grant for Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, now known as IFB Solutions. It was the practice of the Trust to do an onsite visit of some of the organizations receiving grants. The visit to Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, now IFB Solutions, gave me a much deeper appreciation and respect for people with visual disabilities.  I was amazed by the abilities of people who are blind or visually impaired. While I knew of the organization, what I learned during that visit was just how widespread the work done by the employees who were blind impacted the U.S.  I was not aware of the work that was being done to support the military.  All I could say was wow!

My husband, who is visually impaired due to Optic Neuropathy, first learned about low vision products by visiting IFB’s Community Low Vision Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.  His visit presented another opportunity to learn about the resources provided by IFB and the value that they bring to the blind/low vision community. The Center and IFB helped my husband continue to lead an independent life.

I am inspired by the commitment of IFB’s management team, Board of Directors, and the employees who contribute to the overall economy, employment base, and overall well-being of the Winston-Salem community.  It is also inspiring to see the commitment of employees who take pride in doing work that benefits others while enriching their lives.  Lastly, it is very inspiring to help people who sometimes feel that they may be overlooked simply because they have vision loss. I have witnessed the skill, talent, and ability of many employees at IFB Solutions, and they are amazing.

A Look into the Future

My support for IFB has come full circle.

After having so many fulfilling and personal experiences with this incredible non-profit, I am now leading the Board of Directors.  Each member of the board believes in the work of this great organization and sees the value that it holds in this community.  Board members believe that the work of IFB Solutions is making an impact and changing the lives of people who in some instances would not have the opportunity to work, earn a decent salary and live an independent life due to so many workforce barriers.

For me, IFB Solutions is doing what I know is most important in my life, that is, to make a positive difference in the life of someone else. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to continue to serve IFB Solutions with a dedicated board, great management team, and staff who are all committed to doing just that. Some of my plans for this position are to make sure the employees get to know the board. I would like to stay connected and engaged. I will continue to advocate my passion and love for the mission of IFB Solutions.

Here are a few key takeaways when considering workplace inclusion and people with disabilities:

 

-According to the Society for Human Resource Management, prior to COVID-19, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities was double that of their peers, and more than *1 million U.S. workers with disabilities have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.

-Given the number of jobs available in the country right now, it is a prime opportunity to bring about the awareness of this very talented, committed, and productive segment of our society.

-For 1/3 of our workforce, IFB Solutions is their first job. Misconceptions of people who are blind cause barriers to employment. It’s our mission to change that.

-Inclusion is operating in a way that allows people of diverse backgrounds, skills, and yes, disabilities to use their skills in a manner that leverages fair, healthy, and high-performing organizations, or communities.  It enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated and valued for who they are and for their contributions toward an organization, community, and society.

 

Written By: Lee Hartline

Being independent became a challenge 30 years ago when I became visually and hearing impaired due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). I was unemployed for 20 years because people saw my disability as a risk.  Seven years ago, IFB Solutions hired me as a trainee in the optical lab.  I earned a promotion to lab tech. Then I took advantage of more job training opportunities. I currently work in the Advanced Combat Shirt department as a sewing machine operator where I make products for the U.S. Military. Having a guide dog has been a step closer to living an independent life!

Qualifying For My Guide Dog

It was essential for me to feel independent, so I decided to acquire a specially trained dog to serve as a guide. There are several schools that train the dogs and pair you with the right one. I chose Guiding Eye Dogs in New York.

The first step was to apply to the school of my choice. Once I was accepted, they sent an instructor from the school to evaluate me and make sure I was a good candidate to receive a dog. The following criteria were evaluated:

-Cane skills

-Knowledge of Cardinal directions

-Speed/ stride

-My health/physical shape

-Personality

Guide Dog Training

Once I qualified to receive a guide dog, I was trained for four weeks. They evaluated where I would be needed the dog. I live in the country and work in the city. The guide dog training school has dogs of different breeds, sizes, and behaviors. They determine which dog best suits you. In my case, I have an 80-pound moderate gait German Shepherd that works with my stride and height. There are hypoallergenic options like poodles.

Benefits of having a Guide Dog

There are a lot of responsibilities that come with having a guide dog like taking the dog to the vet regularly, making sure the vaccinations are up to date and having a feeding routine. There are also many benefits. The guide dog learns to look for doors, walk on sidewalks, stop in front of stairs that go up or down, avoids obstacles, among other things. Your guide dog becomes your eyes. You learn to trust each other. If you interact with a guide dog while it is working, there could be danger involved for the handler.

Tips to Interacting with guide dogs:

-Dogs are fed only by their owner

-Ignore a working Guide dog

-Do not pet the dog without the owner’s permission

-Speak directly to the guide dog handler and not the guide dog

Guide Dogs: Work and Play

-The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that the guide dog is allowed to enter wherever its owner goes. They can also board airplanes and sit in front of their owner without incurring any additional expense. The same applies to parks, taxis, hotels, etc.

-Guide dogs are great companions. When they are not wearing a harness, they can play like any pet. On the other hand, they must behave very well so that their owner does not lose the right to enter any place with their guide dog.

-Guide dogs have a career life just like adults.  Like us, puppies age and their productivity declines. We must be compassionate and give them the opportunity to enjoy being full-time pets.

My first puppy started working when she was two years old and retired after nine years. Then she became the pet of the people who raised her, and I acquired Tex, my current guide dog. I am very satisfied with the work they do and the independence they provide. Thanks to my guide dog Tex, I recommend a guide dog one hundred and ten percent! Having a guide dog by my side has been another step closer to living an independent life!

 

Written By: Kim Shoffner

Where it All Began

I am blessed in so many ways.  I was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (cancer on the retinas of my eyes) at age two. My younger years were spent with very low vision in one eye and none in the other.  Wearing thick glasses provided 20/200 sight without depth perception until December 2012 when I had a stroke in my eye which took the remaining vision.  Now totally blind, I use assistive technology, education, and experience to live a very full life.

With the support, creativity, love, and tireless effort of my parents, I graduated from Southeast Guilford High School with honors.  Greensboro College presented some challenges of navigating campus which was loaded with staircases and professors with extremely high expectations.  I graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education with three certifications.  Hard work and a “can do” attitude proved invaluable.

Career, Family, and Life

My first job was in the Davidson County Schools teaching students in kindergarten through fifth grade with behavioral or emotional disabilities. I used a handheld LED-lit magnifier and a CCTV for magnification and reverse coloration on the computer screen. I maintained excellent principal and peer reviews.  One frustration for me was not having access to public transportation or a driver’s license in our rural community. But I was willing to walk to work and I advocated for myself to get rides when I could. Marrying my husband in my second year of teaching gave me a supportive partner who was happy to drive me places when he was not in college classes or working himself.  I changed to teaching resource classes and then to self-contained classes of cross-categorical or multiply handicapped students.  After teaching for 14 years, I resigned to raise our two young children.  I was able to home school them until my son graduated high school and my daughter completed the eighth grade.

Since my own children were high school age, I decided to work for the Division of Services for the Blind as a teacher of mini centers.  These sessions were provided in 15 counties around the piedmont of NC to adults that had recently had a significant change in their vision including blindness.  Classes covered topics such as cooking, sewing, laundry, house cleaning, personal grooming, money identification, eating techniques, and many more activities of daily living.  Through this job, I was made aware of Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind – now IFB Solutions.  I interviewed and was hired as a Braille instructor for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.  I worked part-time for both agencies until 2018 when I became the Youth Program Coordinator at IFB Solutions.  The Student Enrichment Experience (S.E.E.) program provides opportunities for blind or visually impaired students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to learn and practice skills to help them become independent adults.  The S.E.E. program offers after-school and summer camps, plus advocacy and awareness in the community.

Many challenges exist for a person who is blind.  Assistive technology is a big equalizer of job requirements, but it also takes resourcefulness and willingness to keep going.  After going blind, I learned Braille so that I could continue to be literate.  It took about a year to become a fluent reader in contracted Braille. Using Apple computer products in the public school system, I was most familiar with the voice-over screen reader.  After completely losing my sight, I took classes to learn JAWS (Job Access With Speech) which is used more in the business community.  Again, this allowed me to succeed in my work because I was willing to learn and grow.

In teaching children, youth, and adults, I use what I have proven successful in my own life.  These are things such as:

-Bump dots to mark microwaves or appliances

-Organizing and labeling items that are similar by touch

-Asking for help when needed

-Using iPhone apps for bar code reader, setting a timer, or identifying bill denominations

 Here are some tips to get the job done:

-Organize paperwork with different size clips or folders and Braille labels – maybe large print song sheets for students are in a stack with a large binder clip while regular size print sheets have a smaller binder clip; both sets have a Braille label clipped to the front telling what the sheets are

-Digital calendar from Outlook provides reminders of upcoming appointments and important dates – keep it current by filling in the data as soon as it is available so as not to forget something

-Supplies for S.E.E. (Student Enrichment Experience) kids are grouped by activity in Ziplock baggies of different sizes and delivered in boxes labeled in large print and Braille to work on their independence of finding the items on their own

-Screen readers JAWS on Windows computers and VoiceOver on Apple devices gives opportunity to interact with emails, websites, Zoom meetings, spreadsheets, continuing education courses, and many more assistive technology products

-Using UEB (Unified English Braille) is a means of reading novels, magazines, puzzle books, cookbooks, and loads of other material

Trying and practicing a task is the best way to figure out what works well!

I continue to have the love and support of my parents, husband of 31 years, and my two children.  My faith provides me with the strength to keep going even when tasks seem difficult.  I enjoy singing, cooking, and reading.  Knowing I am helping students to achieve goals is satisfying and their joy is a great reward to me.  Though I am blind, I plan to keep learning and growing, sharing my skills and showing the present and next generations how to focus on their abilities.  I am very blessed to have a family, home, and job I truly enjoy.