How to get started with Vocational Rehabilitation

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Getting Started with Vocational Rehabilitation

At WSB, we work with vocational rehabilitation (VR) service providers daily. We know it can be an intimidating and, oftentimes, confusing process, especially if this is your first time accessing vocational rehabilitation services. We wanted to share some tips on what vocational rehabilitation is, getting started with vocational rehabilitation, and even what to do if you get denied services.

What even is vocational rehabilitation?

The original vocational rehabilitation program began in 1918 as the Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Act to help veterans returning from war receive services after sustaining disabilities. Vocational Rehabilitation today, across the United States, has a mission to help those with disabilities (physical and psychiatric) find and maintain employment. Vocational Rehabilitation provides a wide range of services from providing assistive technology, job coaching, career counseling, case management, and so much more. VR is the most common way clients come to WSB.

Common Terms  

To make the process a little easier to understand, we wanted to write out some common terms you’ll hear throughout your VR journey. 

VR Counselor – Your counselor will be your point of contact during this process.

Opening a case / case closure – Opening a case is what happens when you begin the VR process and begin working with a counselor. In the same vein, when you stop working with VR, it is called a case closure.

IPE – An Individualized Plan of Employment (IPE) will be created when you open a case. This will detail your vocational goals, steps to get there, and anything VR services will help you with to obtain and keep employment.

But let’s get onto the tips of getting start with vocational rehabilitation:

How to Get Started and Know Your Rights

You can be referred to VR services through different avenues, such as a doctor’s office, or you can be a self-referral. To be a self-referral, all you have to do is call your local state’s VR office.

You can start the VR process any time during your journey with disability, and you can come back if you still need help!

Once you start the process, VR has 60 days to provide a decision about your case. If you do open a case and begin working with VR, it can range how long you will work with them. It just depends how long it takes for you to achieve your goals. Once you have employment, VR will continue to work with you, and your employer, for 90 days to make sure that you have all of the needed accommodations and are a good fit for the job.

Be Prepared

When meeting with a VR counselor for the first time to open your case, they will ask you for a lot of different documents about your disability, income, state ID/driver’s license, and things like that. To make the process as smooth as possible, bring all of your medical documents and any documents they specifically ask for to your first appointment.

Being prepared can also mean exploring career opportunities and ideas before you walk in. You may not know what you want to do, and that is completely okay! Your VR counselor can help you figure out your values, interests, and priorities when it comes to work. It is important to be honest with yourself but also to be open to different kinds of opportunities.  

What if you get Denied?  

There are different programs that can help if you get denied services, whether that is not having a case opened or even denied services to come to training centers like World Services for the Blind. Each state has a Client Assistance Program (CAP) or Disability Rights organization that an assist you in these steps. Visit this link for a list of various CAP agencies across the United States 

Safety Tips for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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Safety Tips for the Blind

There are a lot of blog posts about safety tips around your home if you are blind or visually impaired. We wanted to focus on practical safety tips when you are out in the world that can help you feel safe, navigate the world around you, and be safe! People with disabilities have a much higher assault percentage than the national average, so we know firsthand that safety should always be a priority for those who are blind or visually impaired. On the blog, we’re sharing a lot of different tips for keeping yourself safe when blind or visually impaired when it comes to being safe in your home or out in the world.

When Using a Rideshare service

There are a few things to keep in mind when using a rideshare service. While those who are blind or visually impaired may not be able to see the license plate, there are other things you can do to keep yourself safe. Before getting in the car, make sure you ask who they are picking up. This ensures that they have the correct name and keeps you safe in the process.   

Orientation and Mobility

Orientation and Mobility is so important, not only for independence, but also for safety if you are blind or visually impaired! Orientation and Mobility training allows you to learn how to navigate the world around you safely. On-campus, WSB offers Orientation and Mobility training.

In Your Home

It can be important to keep your home clutter free so that you are able to navigate it without getting injured. Putting things in the same place as they always are cannot only help you find items more easily, it can help you navigate your home without worry. If you live with other people, you can let them know the importance of this so you can keep your home clutter free.

Self Defense Classes

Self Defense classes are a great way to make sure you know what to do if you get in a situation where you feel unsafe. There are specific classes for the blind or visually impaired, but you can also find a local class near you by just searching online.

Use Apps

When it comes to Orientation and Mobility, there are so many apps that can help you navigate the world. One of our recent favorites is OKO, which is an AI designed app to help navigate when it is safe to cross the street.

What ways do you keep yourself safe? Let us know in the comments!

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Reasons to learn and use Braille | Braille Literacy Month

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Reasons to Use and Learn Braille

January is Braille Literacy Month. We know that braille use has been drastically reduced since it’s invention, but we wanted to share a few reasons why you should still consider using and learning braille if you are blind or visually impaired!

The History

Braille dates back all the way to the 1800s. Created by Louis Braille, it has been a staple in the blind and visually impaired community since. Because of this, braille is everywhere still and while it may not be as widely used, it is still important to acknowledge and understand. Braille was created for the blind and visually impaired to independently read and it is still used that way today. 

Literacy

Braille provides the blind and visually impaired community a way to gain literacy that listening cannot. As stated from our braille instructor, Meranda:

“You can listen to audio books, but that will not help you with spelling or grammar. Literacy is very important and putting our fingers to the words is the same as a sighted person seeing the words. I find words all the time that I have been spelling wrong until I read them in braille, and I find this is true for my clients as well”

Incorporate with Technology

There are so many ways to incorporate braille into technology these days! From using the braille screen input settings on a phone to using a braille display, there are so many options for using braille incorporated with technology. It can be a more convenient way than carrying around larger brailled books or a faster way to read on a phone.

Daily Convenience

The last reason is the daily convenience of braille! Braille is still so common when out on things such as elevator buttons or bathroom signs. Knowing a few key braille words or phrases can be so beneficial when navigating the world around us.

Braille also comes in handy when you’re working in the kitchen! There are so many braille kitchen items from measuring cups to spoons.  

What is your favorite way to use braille? Let us know in the comments!

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Gift Guide for the Blind and Visually Impaired 2022

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Gift Guide for the Blind & Visually Impaired 2022

We featured a gift guide for the blind on the blog a few years ago, but we wanted to share an updated list in case you are still looking for presents for this holiday season! This is the perfect gift guide for the blind and visually impaired.

Games and Books

Uno Braille Edition – We love accessible games and Uno is a great one! You can even find the braille version on Amazon!

Bookshare membership - Bookshare is a great service that provides accessible books from PDF versions to word documents. A great gift would be a bookshare membership!

For the Tech Lover

We love featuring apps at WSB and Super Sense is no exception! Super Sense is a great AI reader that can detect signs, read papers, and even scan documents. A yearly membership for super sense is much less expensive than some of the other apps on the market. With the paid feature, you can scan documents and have them read and so much more!

Another great gift card idea to Envision Glasses! Envision glasses are on the pricier side but a great gift! They read visual information, recognize faces, and so much more!

For the Foodie

Menus4All – Another low cost option but Menus4All just launched! It’s a great gift for someone who wants to go out to eat and even explore accessible menus ahead of time. It’s only 2.99 a month or $29.99 for a yearly subscription.

For the Fashion Lover

We mentioned them last time, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention them this year! We are big fans of EyeSwear apparel. They are the perfect gifts for someone who has a snarky side to them ;)

Etsy has so many wonderful braille bracelets! You can personalize their name or anything you want. 

Low and No Cost Gifts

We mentioned it last time but giving someone a ride is ALWAYS appreciated in the blind and visually impaired community!

Another great option is offering to run errands with someone whether it’s to the grocery store or to just offer to pick up their perscriptions.

What are you gifting this year? Let us know in the comments!

How to be a good ally to the blind and visually impaired | Back to Basics

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How to be an ally to those who are blind and visually impaired | Back to Basics

With our Back to Basics series, we’ve focused on conditions of the eyes, but today we wanted to focus on a topic for those who are not blind and visually impaired, but how you can support those who are in your life. In our second installment of Back to Basics, we’re sharing some ways you can be a great ally to those who are blind or visually impaired.

1.     Learn about the condition and its implications

It is not the person with the disability’s job to constantly educate those who do not have a disability. This is where learning about the specific condition or even learning about the implications of being blind or visually impaired can make a huge impact. Simply understanding what it means to have a specific condition or how it might affect someone can really help in being a good ally.

2.     Make your social media accessible

While it might not seem like a big deal if you don’t add image descriptions or make your social media accessible, it is to those who have a disability! By adding the small tweaks to your social media that make them accessible, like image descriptions, it shows that you care about accessibility. We even have a post on how to make your social media accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired.

3.     Ask before helping

A big one is to ask before helping! This might be seen in a lot of different ways from crossing the street to carrying something. But you want to make sure you ask and not assume that someone with a disability automatically needs your assistance.

4.     Empathy, not Sympathy!

One of the biggest impacts able bodied people can have for someone with a disability is to respond with empathy instead of sympathy. Those with disabilities cannot tell you the amount of times we’ve been stopped in the street because of sympathy, but responding with empathy is a much more genuine response and allows you to see that those with disabilities may have struggles, but it does not mean their lives are not worth living!

5.     Avoid Microaggressions

Microaggressions are daily occurrences for those in marginalized groups. They are small intentional and sometimes unintentional comments that can be hurtful to those in a marginalized community. Some that those in the blind and visually impaired might hear are: “Oh, you don’t look blind”, using outdated terminology (another reason education is so important!), or even speaking to those in the disability community as if they are children (no matter their age). Those in the disability community also come from varied culture backgrounds and hold a myriad of identities including their disability. It is important to think about how your words will affect others and how you can change the narrative.

Being a good ally really is about the small, simple steps able bodied individuals can take to help those with disabilities feel accepted in society. We hope these tips helped and feel free to send them to anyone who might need them!

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How to talk to your employer about workplace accommodations

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How to Talk an Employer about Workplace Accommodations

October is #NDEAM or National Disability Employment Awareness Month. And at WSB, we know the struggle it can be to find a job as someone who is blind or visually impaired. We also know how much harder it is to find a job as a person who is blind or visually impaired, and it can be daunting to have to ask for accommodations on top of just finding a job! But to celebrate NDEAM, we are sharing a few tips of how to talk to your employer about workplace accommodations.

1.     Go over what you need with your rehabilitation counselor

Your rehabilitation counselor can help you decide what accommodations are necessary for your workplace, as well as help you practice having that conversation if you need it or feel nervous about talking to your employer.

2.     Be your own advocate

It’s important as a person with a disability to advocate for yourself when it comes to accommodations. While it might be scary at first, being your own advocate can help strengthen your voice as a person who is blind or visually impaired and help you realize your full potential!

3.     Learn about the ADA

It’s important to learn your rights in the workplace when it comes to accommodations. The ADA covers reasonable accommodations, and it is important to know what that means. While we wish it weren’t the case, not every employer is aware of what the ADA covers and how they can help employees. By being an expert and your own advocate, you can help your employer understand what you need to succeed at the job.

Here are some examples from the Job Accommodations Network that would not work as accommodations under the ADA:

• removing or eliminating an essential function from a job

• lowering production standards

• providing personal use items such as a prosthetic limb, a wheelchair, eyeglasses, hearing aids, or similar devices if they are also needed off the job

4.     Know what you need and what changes need to be made

On the same vein of being your own advocate, knowing what you need to help you succeed will only benefit you. If you can go into the meeting and explain that you need JAWS software, for example, and know what type of software, it can be a smoother process all around.  

5.     Submit a request to HR

Each company has different policies, but it is important to submit your request in paper so that your employer has a copy. The good news is that you can request accommodations at any time during the interview process or even after you are employed.

It might be scary at first to talk to your employer about workplace accommodations but with practice, knowing your rights and what you need, and by being your own advocate you can do it! Do you have any tips for requesting accommodations? Let us know in the comments.

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5 Brands to Shop for Disability Pride Month

Muted rainbow flag at a diagonal (Disability Pride Flag) with blue text on top “5 Brands to Shop to Celebrate Disability Pride Month” by World Services for the Blind with the WSB logo in the top right corner.

5 Brands to Shop During Disability Pride Month (and every month!)

July Is Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride Month is all about celebrating those with disabilities, as well as educating about disabilities.

Today we’re sharing 5 brands that you should shop this month for Disability Pride Month (and every month to celebrate those with disabilities!). We have a wide range of products from clothing to coffee and we’re sure you’ll find something you like to support these amazing small businesses!

1.     Two Blind Brothers

You have probably seen their ads but we love the products from Two Blind Brothers! They are an apparel company created to raise funds for blindness research! They even have campaigns where you “buy something blind” where you get a surprise item and all the proceeds go to Foundation Fighting Blindness.

2.     Bitty and Beau’s

While not a company run by those in the blindness community, they are a company hiring those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), a community WSB is actively working to help through our Group Home renovation! Bitty and Beau’s is a chain of coffeeshops across the country help those with I/DD gain sustainable employment through the coffeeshop. From their website: “The Wrights believe that Bitty & Beau’s Coffee creates a path for people with disabilities to become more valued, accepted and included in every community.”

3.     EyeSwear Apparel

One of WSB’s favorite apparel companies, EyeSwear apparel is run by Kim from Navigating Blindness and her son, Kai. The clothing items have phrases in text and a sarcastic saying in braille underneath. These t-shirts are a great way to add some sarcasm in your life and support a small business!

4.     Braille Card by Amber

Another fun Etsy shop is Braille Cards by Amber! You can get custom designed braille cards from greeting cards to wedding save the dates. She even creates tactile images.

5.     Cleanlogic

Cleanlogic is a bath and body care company based in Pennsylvania. Cleanlogic is committed to creating sustainable products and is even a “brand with braille”. Each product has braille on the packaging and a portion of each sale goes to a nonprofit serving those who are blind and visually impaired.

What brands will you be shopping this month? Let us know in the comments!

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