Blind People in the Working Environment
In a land of freedom such as ours, there are many opportunities such as choosing where to start a family, having the decision to go to school to earn a degree, and the freedom to go out and become employed by a successful company to live the American dream, among many other dreams. For some, the significance of employment falls short. People with vision impairment struggle a lot more than people who don’t, to seek out employment and work for a living. A lot of discussion has been taking place for a long time regarding the phenomenon of employment discrimination against blind people in the workplace.
Blindness is a disability, not an inability. Blind people should have the right to work among people without disability, or the fear of being ridiculed, embarrassed or looked down on as a lesser person because of this impairment. Because of this, they have to work harder to prove themselves just as equal as you or me in this world, and most of the times, with no thanks to anyone but others just like themselves, who understand.
Take for instance, my aunt’s boss. He is an outstanding attorney for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, and is head of his section, namely the Tax Division. He is responsible for the legalities of all decisions between the Property Appraiser’s
Office and the Tax Department. He uses the Braille system like a pro, and walks with a cane. He does not have a special dog. He is heavily involved in the Lighthouse Point for the Blind, and mentors as many people as he can with these same disabilities. Indeed, it has been challenging for him, according to my aunt, persevering in this challenging work environment. He is a living example of a person who does not take his disability as an excuse to opt out of life and be a bum. He was not born blind, but rather, began to lose his eyesight at the age of 5 due to illness. He is now 63 years old, and remembers vividly the sky, the sun,...