Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!jarthur!bridge2!mips!apple!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!125!7!Dave.Willey
From: Dave.Willey@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Willey)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Career Help
Message-ID: <9944@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 1 Feb 90 18:13:47 GMT
Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: Dave.Willey@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org
Distribution: misc
Organization: FidoNet node 1:125/7 - Survival Communicat, Santa Rosa CA
Lines: 66
Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP

Index Number: 6559

 (This  message  is  being resent over the echo, as our hub got shut
 down about the time that I sent this originally out.  I'm not  sure
 if  it made it out into the system or not.  If this is a repeat for
 you, my apologies....DSW)
 
 
 Hello all,
 
     My local BBS has just picked up this echo recently and I'd like
 to present a  difficult  problem  that  I'm  having,  to  you  more
 "experienced"  people on this echo.  Maybe someone might be able to
 enlighten me as to the proper direction I might take.  I'm planning
 to  make  a  career  change from a "high - tec" job to a completely
 different field for a number of reasons, the biggest one is that  I
 am  low  vision  (advanced  Diabetic  Retenopothy)  and  that it is
 progressing to the point where soon I won't be able to guarantee my
 quality of work at all levels of my job, day in and day out.
 
     I  have  been doing a lot of self - evaluating and have come to
 the conclusion that I'd like to set a goal of work  with  blind/low
 vision  youth and young adults in an recreational setting.  I enjoy
 working with kids. (I do volunteer work as  a  tutor,  as  well  as
 Scouts.)  And  I've  excelled in this area myself as a youth, do to
 equal parts of it being a  personal  challenge  and  because  Abled
 people  kept  telling me that (do to my Diabetes and low vision), I
 was unAbled to accomplis an activity such as long distance cycling,
 solo backpacking, or getting a SCUBA certification.
 
     Anyway, to make a long story longer, I've been unable to locate
 anyone who has attained a similar goal with similar disAbilities as
 I  have.   Calif.   State  Rehab has not been willing to help me in
 this effort.  I've looked at the local junior collage career center
 and  found the closest thing is defined as "Therapeutic Recreation"
 but the information is so vague as to be about  worthless.   Mostly
 working in rest homes with the elderly.
 
     A  Abled  friend  mention  that I might be "breaking ground" in
 this field and there might not be any set defined path that I could
 take to accomplish this goal, but I find that hard to believe.
 
     So has anyone on this echo know of anyone else who in this line
 of work?  How did they get their schooling?  And  where?   Whom  do
 they  work  for?   Is  it  even possible to realistically expect to
 perform this type  of  job  for  low/no  vision  clients  when  the
 therapist  in  in fact themselves low/no vision?  Would this person
 be willing to let me  contact  them  via  the  voice  phone  or  US
 Snailmail?
 
     Any  info  would  greatly be appreciated!  Your response can be
 left here on the Echo or at node 1:125/7.
 
                               Thanks!,
                             Dave Willey
 
 
     "My  doctor  has  advised  my  to give up those intimate little
 dinners for four, unless there are three other people  eating  with
 me."
 ORSON WELLS
 

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