Show Summary:
Rachel Carver:
When I started here, it was nice to be looked at for my abilities instead of, “Oh look at her. She has a cane in her hand.”
Jeff Thompson:
Please welcome Outlook Business Solutions, Senior Specialist, Public Relations, Rachel Carver.
Rachel Carver:
It is neat for me to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to making a difference.
Jeff Thompson:
Rachel is the first blind individual in the nation to receive an accreditation in public relations.
Rachel Carver:
I know I would not be where I am at without mentors I have had in my past and so however I can help with that, I think it definitely means a lot. The phrase that we use a lot is give people a hand up so that they can be self-sufficient and take their lives really any direction that they want to take them.
Jeff Thompson:
Outlook Business Solutions, providing knowledge base employment for the visually impaired through full-time employment and freelance work opportunities in the areas of marketing, customer care, writing and public relations.
Rachel Carver:
We have blind or visually impaired who are employed anywhere from senior leadership level all the way through our organization.
Jeff Thompson:
And in part of our celebration of October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, please welcome, Rachel Carver.
Rachel Carver:
You might have an obstacle that you’ve got to work through, but you don’t have to work through it alone.
Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson and with October being National Disability Awareness Month, we want to talk about the capabilities and opportunities for the blind and visually impaired. So we brought on Rachel Carver and she is from Outlook Business Solutions and is the Senior Specialist, Public Relations. How are you doing Rachel?
Rachel Carver:
I’m doing well.
Jeff Thompson:
Well, thank you very much for taking the time to come on the Blind Abilities and talk about employment awareness for the visually impaired.
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, I think an October’s a… It’s a great month for sure.
Jeff Thompson:
Yeah, we have White Cane Day on October 15th coming up here. We’ll be at the Capitol and there’s things going on across the whole nation of what this special day.
Rachel Carver:
Great.
Jeff Thompson:
Tell us a little bit about Rachel Carver and what you’re doing in Nebraska and the observance of National Disability Employment Awareness.
Rachel Carver:
The main thing that we try to do in October is get the awareness out about what blind and low vision people are doing, both in the workplace and in other programs and activities that they’re doing. So we talk about for Outlook Business Solutions, which is who I work for. We hire freelance copywriters and graphic designers and others who are blind or visually impaired. And so when we have a customer that needs a blog written or postcard done, we can help out with those kinds of things. And then we also have full-time staff who are blind as well. Our main focus for October is just that your vision loss doesn’t have keep you from doing whatever it is that you want to do. Whether that’s employment or maybe there’s a hobby that you like, you just have to do it differently than what you would with your site.
Jeff Thompson:
With Outlook Business Solutions and Outlook Nebraska, what you do is enhance their opportunities and give them confidence to do what they want to do?
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, if you’re looking for a job, we have two different employment entities. There are some people who they’ve retired and they’ve lost their vision maybe because of macular degeneration for example, and they just want to be able to access their recipes again or use their smart phone on the internet or be able to see a play in audio description at a theater. So whatever it is that you are trying to do, vision loss doesn’t mean that your life is over. It is a change and is not the end. So we have people come into our technology training program and just talk about how being able to get a smartphone and navigate it independently is a huge game changer for sure.
Jeff Thompson:
When you’re talking about technology training, back in 2017 Outlook Nebraska, you guys just expanded your whole facility.
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, we did. We renovated so that we would be in a better position to serve members of the community with vision loss. So we created a technology lab where people can come in, whether it’s learning how to use a computer or smartphone or a CCTV. And the nice thing about our training is that our trainers will work with you to set up a training curriculum that works for you. Our trainers, all three of them are totally blind so they live and breathe this technology every day. And I enjoy learning from them because I’ve been using technology all my life and I still learn. So it’s neat being able to watch people come in and I’ve seen people that are like, “Oh I don’t need a smartphone. I couldn’t use it.” And then they get one and they start learning how and realize that, “Hey I can, and it makes a big difference.”
Jeff Thompson:
Now just recently you became the first blind person to receive an accreditation in public relations. Can you tell us about that?
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, I decided to work toward that so that I could enhance my basic foundation of public relations principles. I went to college to be a journalist and I got out in 2008 when things were kind of slow wise. And then I started here at Outlook in 2010 and I had learned a lot. I felt like it was the next step for me to take in my professional career. And so I went through a computer based examination and did a portfolio presentation and technology was a huge help. I don’t think I would’ve gotten through that without knowing the technology skills that I know I, and I kind of had to be creative.
Rachel Carver:
There was actually a book that I had to scan myself because I could not find it anywhere electronically, which doesn’t happen all that often anymore. But so when we have students that come in, I always talk to them about, “You got to have multiple tools in your toolbox because one way you do one task, might not work for the next one. So always being versatile and just knowing that you might sometimes have to work a little bit harder to get something done, but it will be worth it for you in the end.”
Jeff Thompson:
And that’s kind of neat that you’re looking for work, you got employed and now you’re helping other people come into Outlook Nebraska. And now you are helping build them a curriculum for their training. Plus you’re working with policy at the levels out in Washington, D.C. to ensure that blind and visually impaired have opportunities in the workforce.
Rachel Carver:
I guess our goal here is to help blind and visually impaired live the life they want essentially. And it is neat for me to be a part of an organization that is dedicated to making a difference. I know I would not be where I am at without mentors I have had in my past and so however I can help with that, I think it definitely means a lot.
Jeff Thompson:
So if someone is looking to get some training, some technology or build their confidence, would they contact Outlook Nebraska, Outlook Business Solutions? Can you explain that?
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, so if you are wanting to do some technology training, our main number is (402) 614-3331 or you can go to our website, outlookne.org. You can see all of our enrichment programs on there. All of the technology training and just read more about what it is that we do. And then if you are looking more on the employment side, outlookbusinesssolutions.com is where you’re going to find more information about what Outlook Business Solutions does.
Jeff Thompson:
Rachel, when you first started with Outlook Nebraska, how did you perceive your journey to where you are today?
Rachel Carver:
One thing that was neat about starting here, because I had spent about probably a year and a half doing job interviews and looking really for any job that I could get my foot in the door somewhere if you will. And so when I started here it was nice to be looked at for my abilities instead of “Oh look at her, she has a cane in her hand.” And I had the ability to learn and grow as I progressed here. This was my first real full-time job with benefits kind of thing after college. I’d done some part-time stuff and so I started out doing some writing and I really was given opportunities to grow and develop. It is nice to have that. And so now basically I oversee all of our public relations, media relations and government affairs.
Rachel Carver:
I’m doing… One day I might be writing a letter to Congress and the next day I’m writing a story for our newsletter. It is a fun job. There’s different things that we do every day. Now that I’m with Outlook Business Solutions, I also get to work with our blind freelance writers, which is fun. We’re able to cover a lot of different things and it’s fun.
Jeff Thompson:
And there’s a blog that I was looking at from Outlook Business Solutions that you can read about success stories. And I was reading about Christine who used the services, the training to pass her massage therapist certificate.
Rachel Carver:
Yeah. Christine, all she had left was passing that exam and she wanted to do it with a braille display. And so our trainers were able to help her get comfortable enough with that to be able to take her test. And she passed it on the first try.
Christine:
I love massage therapy. There’s nothing else I’d rather do. The massage boards were very hesitant. I don’t think they’ve ever met a blind person. I only had around six weeks to learn the technology that I would be using for the exam. It’s a computerized test where you select the answers on a screen and then the next question is displayed. So it wasn’t accessible before I applied. I would say that if I hadn’t had the training through Outlook, I wouldn’t have passed the test. And I passed the MBLEX with a focus 40 paired with jaws. It was amazing. It felt so freeing to know that all these people who had spent so much time, it all paid off all their efforts and hard work
Rachel Carver:
And that will happen if you have a test like that. That is not like my test for my accreditation was not built for jaws, so I had to submit my testing request further in advance than normal because they had to basically build the test in a way that would make it accessible.
Jeff Thompson:
And so that’s something that the training at Outlook Nebraska could do for someone?
Rachel Carver:
Yes. So we would make sure that you knew how to use the technology that you needed to do an exam like that.
Jeff Thompson:
You make it sound like it’s a personal thing that or it’s real personable to be there. What’s it like to see the successes of the graduates?
Rachel Carver:
You can really see the impact that the training program makes. We had a mom and a son and the son was blind and she came in, her son worked with the trainers and he’s able to use his braille note. Now he is essentially on the same level as his peers are and it can be hard if you are a student and you’re a school and you do have a teacher for the visually impaired. We do try to work with those teachers and if there’s some sort of technology thing that they have questions about, they need a little assistance working with the students, so we work with them to just make sure that the students are getting what they need to be successful in the classroom.
Jeff Thompson:
Is all the training done on site then?
Rachel Carver:
Yes, our training is done at our facility.
Jeff Thompson:
Great. So Rachel, what advice would you have for someone who is seeking training or has some doubts in their capabilities?
Rachel Carver:
I would say if you are new to vision loss or maybe you feel like you need some more skills, knowledge is power so the more you can learn about what resources are available to you, there are groups that you can go to ask. There’s the National Federation of the Blind. Here we have a group, it’s called the Omaha Association of the Blind where it’s just a place where you can go and network and learn from each other and they’re also, there places like us, like Outlook Nebraska where you can meet other blind and visually impaired employees or clients who are using the technology and going to the different programs that we have.
Rachel Carver:
You might have an obstacle that you’ve got to work through but you don’t have to work through it alone. I think having that support from people that have been there is going to be really helpful for someone and technology sometimes can be a little overwhelming. I still get stuck with things sometimes, but there is going to be a way for you to get through it, so don’t quit I guess is ultimately what I’m trying to say.
Jeff Thompson:
And Outlook Nebraska is one of the leading businesses that are trying to push for more blind and visually impaired people into the workplace.
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, so we are the largest employer of the blind in the state of Nebraska.
Jeff Thompson:
And what are some of the jobs that they do?
Rachel Carver:
In Outlook Business Solutions, we have copywriters, graphic designers, and myself. I do public relations and then our parent company, which is called Outlook Collaborative, support Outlook Nebraska, Outlook Enrichment and Outlook Business Solutions. And so throughout Outlook Collaborative, we have line of visually impaired working in accounting, human resources. Both of our IT guys are totally blind. And then we do have our manufacturing operation, which is Outlook Nebraska. We produce toilet paper and paper towels for the federal government. And so we have anywhere from machine operators to people that actually put the products into the boxes.
F. Participant:
There’s such a variety of opportunities for individuals who have disabilities. Be it blind, low vision, deaf. ONI is just incredibly willing to work with individuals and putting them in places where they can succeed and providing accommodations to make them succeed.
M. Participant:
They created a camaraderie of a family atmosphere.
M. Participant:
This place is like family.
M. Participant:
I love working with the people, people that I guess makes our life enjoyable and challenging.
F. Participant:
Because it feels like family. It doesn’t feel like work.
F. Participant:
One big happy family.
M. Participant:
They treat you like family here.
F. Participant:
The family atmosphere.
M. Participant:
There’s never been a job I’ve worked that I respected the people as much as I do here.
M. Participant:
And the fact that they look at you as who you are, I don’t have to work twice as hard to prove that I can do the same thing as somebody else.
F. Participant:
And I can’t imagine working anywhere else. It was the best decision I ever made.
Rachel Carver:
So we have blind and visually impaired who are employed anywhere from senior leadership level all the way through our organization. So there are definitely lots of jobs that people with vision loss can do very well.
Jeff Thompson:
I’m glad you guys have that because I’ve seen other companies where mostly it’s front office jobs are not vision-impaired, but it seems like you guys embrace that.
Rachel Carver:
Yeah, we try really hard to keep it pretty spread out throughout the entire organization. We are very proud of that.
Jeff Thompson:
That’s good and it shows you’ve done a great job. I think it’s great what you have done with your career. Your journey from starting there to where you are now and getting your accreditations. It’s inspiring for others to see and people working for Outlook Nebraska, Outlook Business Solutions. It’s great for everyone to look at the company and what you guys have done for the blind and visually impaired in the workforce.
Rachel Carver:
Well, thank you. The phrase that we use a lot is give people a hand up so that they can be self-sufficient and take their lives really any direction that they want to take them.
Jeff Thompson:
That’s great.
Christine:
I can’t thank Outlook Nebraska enough for offering such an incredible support, free of charge so that people like me can succeed in a sighted world. All of the donors who go out of their way to make something like that available. It’s amazing to think about how many people who don’t even know the visually impaired community it’s affecting. Well, give their time and monetary value for such an amazing cause. When I used to have trouble with my braille note, we would call someone in Oklahoma. Outlook has trained professionals who are ready to help to support our trainers and to keep them employed. I would highly recommend giving any kind of donation every little bit helps. They need to have the support available for people like me to have a brighter future.
Jeff Thompson:
Such a great time talking to Rachel. Be sure to check out Outlook Business Solutions on the web at outlookbusinesssolutions.com, outlooknebraska.com. Vision beyond sight, and find out what opportunities and solutions they have in store for you and be sure to check out part two of the Rachel Carver series where she talks about her transition as an individual who blind transitioning from high school to college to the workplace.
Jeff Thompson:
Big shout out goes out to Chee Chau for his beautiful music. You can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @LCheeChau. Chee Chau, Chee Chau, Chee Chau. And most of all, I want to thank you, the listener. I want to thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed, and until next time, bye-bye.
[Music] [Transition noise] -When we share
-What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities.
Jeff Thompson:
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