Podcast: Download
Job Insights Extra: Gaining Skills and Confidence, Getting the Job You Want and Aira as a Reasonable Accommodation – Meet Lori Thompson
Full Transcript Below
Welcome to a Job Insights Extra with Serina Gilbert and Jeff Thompson. We focus on Employment, Careers, enhancing opportunities and bringing you the latest innovations from across the Vocational Rehabilitation field to ensure your choices lead you down the career pathway that you want and succeed in gainful employment.
From getting started with services, to assessments, Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) to gaining the skills to succeed and tools for success, Job Insights will be giving you tips and tricks to help your journey to employment and break down the barriers along the way.
Job Insights Extra is where we highlight success and whether it be a person or a product, app or development, we will share the success with you. This Extra episode we want to introduce Lori Thompson. Serina Gilbert sits down with Lori in the studio to talk about her journey through Adjustment to Blindness Training, her work with State Services in the job hunt and the accommodations used at her job.
Lori has her Aira Smart Glasses in her toolbox and talks about how she incorporates Aira to independently do her job. She also talks about other adaptations and alternative tools that keeps her efficient in the workplace.
Lori and Serina are both Guide Dog users and they talk a bit about having their Guide dogs in the workplace.
Join Lori Thompson and Serina Gilbert for this Job Insights Extra and see how Lori’s determination and hard work led her to the job she wanted.
You can follow Lori on Twitter @LThompson6835
You can find out more about Aira on the web at www.Aira.io
Your Life, Your Schedule, Right Now.
If you want to know more about Aira and the services they provide, check them out on the web and become an Aira Explorer today! www.Aira.io
Thanks for listening!
You can find out more about Job Insights on the web at BlindAbilities.comand follow Job Insights on Twitter @JobInsightsVIPSend us your feedback and suggestions by email.
Job Insights is part of the Blind Abilities Network
You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities
On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com
Send us an email
Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.
Get the Free blind Abilities App on the Google Play Store
Full Transcript:
Job Insights Extra: Gaining Skills and Confidence, Getting the Job You Want and Aira as a Reasonable Accommodation – Meet Lori Thompson
Lori Thompson:
Yes, I think sometimes we have to work harder. Not that we have to work harder, it’s just … Well, yeah, we have to work harder sometimes.
Jeff Thompson:
Job Insights is a podcast that is helping you find careers and gainful employment through innovations and opportunities.
Lori Thompson:
And I wasn’t confident enough to just pack up and move away by myself and take a job in a strange city that I didn’t know anything about.
Jeff Thompson:
You can find the Job Insights Podcast on BlindAbilities.com, part of the Blind Abilities Network.
Lori Thompson:
Decided to seek out Adjustment to Blindness Training.
Jeff Thompson:
And as part of the Job Insights Podcast, we will be bringing you the Job Insights Extras consisting of interviews, demonstrations, and news surrounding employment, careers, and jobs.
Lori Thompson:
I could probably ask a coworker, which is fine, but they all have their own responsibilities. I can call up Aira and say, “What’s going on with my computer? What’s going on?”
Jeff Thompson:
With host Serena Gilbert and myself,
Jeff Thompson. You can contact us by email at JobInsights@BlindAbilities.com. Leave us some feedback or suggest some topics that we cover. On Twitter @JobInsightsVIP.
Lori Thompson:
Learn how to sell yourself and sell your abilities.
Gilbert:
Welcome to this episode of Job Insights Extra. I am here with Jeff Thompson’s better half, Lori Thompson. She is going to share with us a little bit about her journey and her career pathway, and we’ll of course not talk anything negatively of Jeff, ever.
Lori Thompson:
Well …
Serena Gilbert:
But how are you doing, Lori?
Lori Thompson:
I am doing fantastic. Thank you for having me. This is awesome.
Serena Gilbert:
You’re welcome. Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
I’m so glad you’re interviewing me instead of Jeff.
Serena Gilbert:
Lori, why don’t we start off by hearing a little bit about your journey from Adjustment to Blindness and through to the career that you’re into right now?
Lori Thompson:
I have RP.
Serena Gilbert:
Okay.
Lori Thompson:
I found out when I was 15 that I have RP. I went through high school just like a normal sighted child. The vision loss didn’t really affect me too much doing high school. I’m a non-traditional student as far as college. I started college when I was in my 30s after my two children went off to kindergarten. My daughter was probably in the second grade, and my son was probably starting kindergarten when I decided to go back to college. I was looking forward to becoming a secondary education teacher. My major was history.
Lori Thompson:
I started off in a junior college, but after I received my associate’s degree I decided to come to Minneapolis and get Adjustment to Blindness Training, because I thought that transitioning from a junior college to a university I needed more skills, because … big difference between a junior college and a university as far as taking notes, talking with the teachers, the different accessibility and accommodations I would need would be a little bit different. I didn’t use JAWS when I was at the junior college, and that was a struggle for me. So I thought that I would get some Adjustment to Blindness before I went off to the university.
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah, I can totally relate to your story. I was diagnosed with RP when I was 13, I believe I figured out. I went through high school trying to make sure nobody knew I had a vision impairment and trying to fit in, and, “No, I don’t need large print. No, I don’t want to go to this IEP meeting.” I would just sat there like, “Whatever, guys. Whatever you want to write.” You know? Then, in college is when I’m like, “Hmm. Maybe taking forever to read this chapter isn’t the best idea anymore,” and that’s where I started using my accommodations. And funny how things get done a lot faster when you’re not squinting at the text, you know?
Lori Thompson:
Absolutely. With me, finding out that I have RP at 15 … I grew up in a very small town. I mean, I had 32 people in my graduating class in high school. The guidance counselor, they didn’t have a clue on what my future would hold for me. They didn’t have any insight on, “Hey, you might need to learn braille. Hey, you might …” I don’t even know if JAWS was a thing back in the 80s. You know what I mean? They didn’t recommend anything about mobility, nothing. There was no recommendations. Eye doctors were telling my mom, “Well, she would be able to get Social Security.”
Lori Thompson:
There was no information. There was no help. No, “Hey, there’s Blind Bureau of Services,” because I grew up in Illinois, so there was no recommendation to seek out help from the Blind Bureau of Services. Nothing, nothing at all.
Serena Gilbert:
It’s really discouraging though for somebody to say, “Yeah, your daughter can get Social Security.” I mean, I’m not sure in your state, but my state Social Security is about $750 a month.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah.
Serena Gilbert:
That’s nothing.
Lori Thompson:
And back then, it was less than that. Yeah.
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah. You can’t live on that.
Lori Thompson:
Mm-mm (negative).
Serena Gilbert:
That’s so discouraging.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. Yes. So I finished high school. I decided to attend a trade school in Kissimmee, Florida. It was Southeastern Academy. It was for travel and tourism, because that’s what I wanted to do. But during the time that I went through the trade school is I was seeing some changes in my vision, and I wasn’t confident enough to just pack up and move away by myself and take a job in a strange city that I didn’t know anything about. So I just remained in Illinois, and got married and had kids. Like I said, once my kids were of the age of going to school, that’s when I sought out more education for myself. That was really good for me. It was a good time for me to go out and do that, because your kids go to school, you don’t need to be at home all the time.
Lori Thompson:
Going out to the college and meeting new people, that helped with my confidence, meeting new people, being independent with school work. Then, I eventually got divorced and like I said, decided to go to Minneapolis to BLIND Incorporated to seek out Adjustment to Blindness Training. That was a whole nother chapter, because then I was requesting assistance through the Blind Bureau of Services in Illinois to allow me to go to Minneapolis to attend the blindness adjustment training, and they didn’t want me to go out to state to do that. They wanted me to attend the Adjustment to Blindness Training center in Chicago.
Lori Thompson:
I went up and toured it, because you have to play the game. I went up and I toured the Adjustment to Blindness Training in Chicago, and to me it felt institutionalized. I didn’t feel like it was something for me. At the time I was divorced, and I wanted to bring my children with me, because for me going through the Adjustment to Blindness Training and learning how to deal with my blindness everyday, I needed to incorporate that in my real life with my kids everyday as well. So it wasn’t going to work. In the meantime, I had a friend getting married here in Minneapolis, and I came up to visit.
Lori Thompson:
When I came up to visit her for the wedding, I took a tour of BLIND Incorporated and talked with the director Shawn Mayo, who was the director at the time. We sat down and we talked, and I took a tour, and I really liked the whole philosophy and what they could give me as far as the training, and she had no problem with me bringing the kids. I wouldn’t be able to live in the housing that was there for the students. I had to seek out my own apartment and stuff, but that was fine. It was a challenge. I mean, I had to do my homework. I had to find a school. I had to find a apartment. I had to find a city to live in. I had to figure out how to get to and from, but that’s what I needed. I needed that test. I needed that challenge. I needed that challenge.
Lori Thompson:
It was a time in my life where it was do or die in a sense, for me, because of the changes that was going on with my vision. I knew if I couldn’t do this, I would be stuck in West Central Illinois, living on Social Security, raising two kids. You know what I mean?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
I mean, that’s how I looked at it. I’m like, “I got to do this. Not just for me, but for my kids.”
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah. Keep going.
Lori Thompson:
Okay. I came here in December of … It was right after I finished my associate’s degree in December of 2006. Within a couple weeks, after Christmas … it was December 30. My dad came, and we packed up my house, my kids, and we moved to Minnesota. I started BLIND Incorporated … Gosh, it seems like it was January 8 or something. Yeah, I went through the training, completed the training within six months.
Serena Gilbert:
Which is really fast for that type of a program, so that’s awesome.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. I put the sleep shades on, and it just took away the white noise. I’ve never felt so comfortable. You know what I mean? I don’t know. Timing is everything. For me, that was just the right time and everything for me … newly divorced, raising two kids. Like I said, it just felt right. I knew that it was going to be good for me. It was going to be good for my kids. I had my whole future ahead of me at that point. So I completed that program in June of 2007. Excuse me. I went back to Illinois, and then Shawn Mayo offered me a position at BLIND Incorporated, and I’m like, “Wow. This is great.”
Lori Thompson:
So I came back to Minnesota, and I taught life skills. I assisted with the home management instructor. I coordinated some senior programs. I just did all kinds of different things. With all those positions, I was helping people with their braille. I was helping people with computer skills. I was helping seniors with mobility. So I was with BLIND Incorporated for five years, and it was a great experience for me getting involved in the workforce and having BLIND Incorporated there for me to help me gain my experience and my confidence. Then, I got to a point where the whole blindness thing was kind of consuming me. I know I sound like a blind snob, but I didn’t want the blindness to be everything that I am, because my blindness is just a small characteristic.
Serena Gilbert:
Well, yeah. It’s kind of like the person first language. I am an individual that happens to be blind, but that’s not how I identify myself.
Lori Thompson:
Right. Yes. So I called up State Services for the Blind here in Minnesota, and I told them, “Hey, I am currently working. However, I would like to gain some more skills, and seek out new employment.” They were great. I was able to have a technology evaluation. Because I used JAWS, but I didn’t have the most updated JAWS. I didn’t have the most updated Windows. I needed to brush up. I wanted to learn more about Excel. I wanted to learn more about OpenBook. Talking about OpenBook and some of these things, how ancient is that now?
Serena Gilbert:
It’s so old.
Lori Thompson:
And that was only like six years ago.
Serena Gilbert:
Really was that long ago, because I remember I had OpenBook when I first started my job with the voc rehab in 2010. It was still updating at the time, so it wasn’t that … but it’s so outdated now.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. I know. Isn’t it crazy? I had an itinerant technology teacher that I would go visit once or twice a week, and we would work on different technology skills. I wouldn’t even like order anything online. I was just petrified. I was petrified.
Serena Gilbert:
Like, “Oh my god. What if I spend like $500 by accident?”
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? So we worked on that. State Services for the Blind has people that will help you find employment. I utilized them. We would do mock interviews, look at my resume and tweak it. I was bound and determined to get a job with the State of Minnesota. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to work with the State of Minnesota. I really wanted to work with State Services for the Blind, and I know that sounds kind of crazy, because I wanted to get out of the blindness, but I wanted to get into the blindness field there. Because, I guess that was kind of like a crutch. I mean, I knew blindness. I wanted to be out of that blindness scene, but I wanted to get into this blindness scene. You know what I mean?
Lori Thompson:
I just applied for everything. I mean, I had multiple interviews, wasn’t getting anywhere. After being with State Services for the Blind for a year, I was talking to my counselor about getting an outside vendor to help me with a job. They had at the time, I don’t know if they still do, but they had vendors outside of State Services for the Blind that would help people find work. It took some time, but I finally picked a person that I thought would be helpful to me, talked to him on the phone a few times and kind of got a feel for him, when he could meet, where we could meet, and then what he could help me with and me telling him what my aspirations were on what kind of job I was looking for. I started seeing this guy, I think it was April of 2012, and it was a couple months that we worked together. He was great. He was really great.
Lori Thompson:
We would meet at the library. He had me do a job log, and I would show him the jobs that I was applying for, and we would look at the qualifications. We would sit down and discuss the qualifications, how to make my resume better. We would do little mock interviews. He would ask me questions. I remember, I think we were together maybe two or three months, and I applied for the job that I currently have, and I got a email from the Board of Pharmacy. By the way, I work for the State of Minnesota, the Board of Pharmacy. I remember getting this email. I had went out to dinner with a friend, and I said, “I got this email. They want me to do an interview.” I said, “But I don’t think I’m going to go.” She’s like, “Why?” And I’m like, “Well, who emails someone for an interview? You’re supposed to call people up on the phone.” That’s me being old school. You know what I mean?
Serena Gilbert:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Lori Thompson:
She was in a position where she would hire people. She goes, “I email people for interviews all the time.” I’m like, “Really?” She goes, “Yeah.” She goes, “That’s how we do it now.” I’m like, “Oh. Okay. Well, I guess I’ll go then.” So, went to the interview, and I did not disclose any blindness to them prior to. I mean, I had BLIND Incorporated all over my resume, but they had no idea that … They just thought I was a teacher there. They didn’t know I was a blind teacher. When I went to my interview, they called me in. I picked up my cane, and followed them back to the office where we had the interview.
Lori Thompson:
My interview was supposed to be a half hour. I think it was a little over an hour. They went through the responsibilities of the job, and then they said, “Do you have any questions?” I’m like, “No,” and they’re like, “Well, how …” you know. I said, “Well, with me being blind, I use different technology to complete the tasks that you’re requiring me to do,” and I explained to them I use the CCTV, I use JAWS on my computer, I use OpenBook. And I explained everything about how these pieces of technology would work, and how I could facilitate my job duties.
Lori Thompson:
It was great. I had been on other interviews during this whole process of trying to find new employment, and it was very nerve-racking, but this was such a great interview. I think I got to the point where it had been like two years I was trying to find a job, and I just … I didn’t really give up, but I kind of relaxed, because I’m like, “Eh, this is probably not going to work, but we’ll do this anyway.” I just relaxed, and it was the most comfortable interview I’ve ever had, and it paid off. It was great.
Serena Gilbert:
So that tells you that was a really good fit for you.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. It was really great. They weren’t … like when you go to an interview, some people … they’ve already got their mind made up as soon as they see, you know, they, “Oh. Well, she’s blind. How’s she going to do this?” You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Exactly.
Lori Thompson:
They were very open-minded. They just took it all in. I remember the next day I was getting text messages and phone calls from my references going, “Hey, someone just called here,” and I’m like, “Oh my god. This is serious.” This is serious. They’re calling my references. You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
I think that was on a Friday, and I’m like, “Oh, they’re going to call me.” Every time my phone rang, I was like, “Oh my god.” They didn’t call me finally until Tuesday to offer me the job. I went all weekend, all Monday, and then finally Tuesday. I’m like, “Oh my gosh.” I was just crazy for the whole weekend.
Serena Gilbert:
That’s torture, too.
Lori Thompson:
It is torture-
Serena Gilbert:
It’s the longest weekend.
Lori Thompson:
… because you know they’re checking your references. Yeah. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, you guys.” So they offered me the position, and I started in September of 2012. It was awesome, awesome, awesome. I’ve been there for six years.
Serena Gilbert:
Tell me a little bit about some of the accommodations that you utilize on your current job.
Lori Thompson:
I was using OpenBook. I was using JAWS. I have a Perkins Brailler. That was in the beginning. Now, an OAS intermediate, and now I deal with all the complaints that come through. So if you got to the pharmacy and you have a bad experience, you can file a complaint with the Board of Pharmacy, and that complaint comes to me, and I will enter that complaint into our computer system. Now, my job that I have I think is a lot more accessible. Not only just because of what I do, but because of the technology that there is out there now, in such a short period of time, in just the six years.
Lori Thompson:
So I continue to use JAWS. I use less and less of the CCTV, because of the changes in my vision. I don’t use OpenBook as much. I use Seeing AI for the handwriting a lot. When I scan the information into my computer, they bought a program that’s a voice recognition program that goes with the Cannon copy and fax machine. I don’t use it with the voice recognition. I use it with the numpad. So I can navigate the copy and fax machine by using the numpad, and I can scan these documents to my email.
Lori Thompson:
Then, once it comes into my computer, I have Adobe Pro on my computer, and it OCRs everything. That works with JAWS. So it’ll run it through. I don’t have to rotate. I don’t have to fix anything. It just automatically scans it, and then when it’s all done scanning, then JAWS starts reading it to me, and then I can save that into my computer where I need to save it so that the inspectors and the other board members can retrieve that information to look at it to make their decision whether they want to dismiss or enforce something against this complaint.
Lori Thompson:
Another thing that I use, I do have Aira. I’m very fortunate that the agency that I work for has been completely accommodating to anything that I ask for, within reason. How that works is a lot of times I have to … if a new facility is being licensed here in Minnesota, but they’re from, say Colorado, once the file is made it comes to my desk. I have to verify their home state license. A lot of times, I need to retrieve the name of the facility, the state that they’re in, their home state license, so I will call up Aira and I will flip through the file until I find the license. They’ll take a picture so that they can read that information to me, and then I go to the Colorado Board of Pharmacy’s website, and I will look up either the name or the license number, and I will retrieve a verification that they have an active license in their home state that’s in good standing.
Lori Thompson:
I do come across some websites … I can name like South Carolina, and I think it’s Kentucky, they have the CAPTCHA, and I hate that.
Serena Gilbert:
Oh, I hate those. Oh, they’re the worst.
Lori Thompson:
I’ll call up Aira and say, “Okay, I need you guys to help me.” Instead of trying to do the audio CAPTCHA, where they’ll read the CAPTCHA to me from the website-
Serena Gilbert:
Which is useless.
Lori Thompson:
Absolutely useless, because it’s 15 different voices, and it’s like, “What did they just say?” So I-
Serena Gilbert:
And then you’re like, “Did it start over, or am I still typing the whole thing?” You know?
Lori Thompson:
Yes. The one that I really hate is when they have the pictures. I hate it.
Serena Gilbert:
“Click the pictures that have six cars in it,” and you’re like …
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. I know. I’m like, “Really?” So Aira has been very helpful with that. They’re really helpful with that. If I have issues with my computer … I could probably ask a coworker, which is fine, but they all have their own responsibilities. I can call up Aira and say, “What’s going on with my computer? What’s going on?” Because you know that there’s like a box on your screen, but you don’t know what it says.
Serena Gilbert:
Yep. That’s happened to me several times.
Lori Thompson:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). It’s like, “Uh.” And you can’t close anything. You can’t shut down anything. It’s like, “Oh my gosh.” So Aira’s really good for that.
Serena Gilbert:
That’s a great way to increase your independence at work, for sure.
Lori Thompson:
Oh, for sure. Yes. Like I said, I’ve been very grateful. I fill out a reasonable accommodation form. All I have to do is put my name on it, what I’m wanting, why I want it, and I submit it to the HR people, and then they’ve always come back and said, “Yeah. Sure.”
Serena Gilbert:
You are so, so lucky to have that support.
Lori Thompson:
I am so lucky. Like I said, getting this job … Honestly, when I got the email for the interview for the Board of Pharmacy, I’m like, “I don’t even remember applying for this.” You know what I mean? I was just applying for everything.
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
Like I said, timing’s everything. Timing is everything. I’m very, very grateful. I haven’t had any issues. I think in the beginning, they were kind of like … everybody was sitting back, eating their popcorn, watching me doing my just, thinking, “How is she going to do this?” But here I am, six years later, and I moved up two job positions. I had to apply for the current position that I am in, and I had to interview for it as well, but here I am. I’m thankful every day. I just had my yearly job review, and she’s a fairly new office manager. She goes, “I’m asking everybody, what do you like about your job? What brings you to work every day?” And I’m like, “I’m a person that can’t …” I can’t say I can’t go out and find another job easily, but I can’t.
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah. Once you find that setting where you have all you need, you’re making a good enough income where you feel like you’re self-sufficient and those sorts of things, you’re almost like, “Yeah, it’d be nice to investigate some other things, but what if I get in a situation that’s not as accommodating as this one?”
Lori Thompson:
Exactly. I’m grateful every day to come to work. I said, “I’m in a position where I can’t … I mean, I could apply for a hundred different jobs,” I said, “but as soon as I walk in the door, people don’t … they don’t see me for me. They see the cane, or they see the dog.” They already make up their mind. I said, “Unfortunately, that’s how society is.” I said, “So, I come to work every day, and yeah, it’s a struggle sometimes getting up in the morning, but once I’m at work, I love what I do, and I love the people I work with.” I got a good gig. You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
We license all the pharmacies, wholesalers, manufacturers, and medical gas distributors that do business in the state of Minnesota, but we also license the pharmacists, interns, and technicians. So I tell people, “Anyone who does drugs legally in Minnesota, we license them.”
Serena Gilbert:
Nice.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah.
Serena Gilbert:
Lori, I understand you are a fellow guide dog user. Tell me a little bit about how that is in your office environment.
Lori Thompson:
When I started working there, I was using a cane, and then I incorporated a guide dog a couple years into being there. I didn’t even think twice about, “How’s this going to affect anybody in the office? What are they going to think?” They all have taken my guide dog in, and they love him. They abide by the rules that I set forth. You know, “Don’t feed my dog.” They’ve all been great. They’ve all been great with Logan, and they understand I need to take him out at certain times, and I need to give him water and let him run around a little bit just to … it’s important. He doesn’t run around the office, but I don’t have his harness on all day. I’m sure you don’t have your … Westin probably doesn’t have his harness on all day either.
Serena Gilbert:
Oh gosh. My Westin sleeps all day, Lori.
Lori Thompson:
Yes. So does Logan.
Serena Gilbert:
That’s why they gave him to … because they [inaudible] the evaluation and learned … I’m like, “I’m in an office eight hours a day.”
Lori Thompson:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yep.
Serena Gilbert:
At the time, the caseload that I had, I didn’t have to go out into the community a whole lot, so I was pretty planted. I’m like, “He’s going to get up and take me down the hallway to the bathroom, and downstairs and back.” You know?
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, right.
Serena Gilbert:
They’re like, “Oh.” Yeah, he’s so mellow. He’s happy. He just sleeps on his little bed.
Lori Thompson:
It’s funny because there’s times where I don’t use … I don’t use him to go to the bathroom. I’ll leave him in the office, and I use my cane. We have a door that goes out to the lobby, that shuts, and then we have an outside door that goes out to the hallway that shuts. As soon as that second door shuts, he’s up. He’s up looking for me. You know what I mean? It’s funny how-
Serena Gilbert:
A little social butterfly.
Lori Thompson:
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And everybody loves him. You know?
Serena Gilbert:
You think he’s looking for you. Really, he’s just going to say hi to everybody.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, exactly. But he’s a good boy. Everybody loves him. Sometimes he’ll get up, and he’ll go move by the girl by me, but he does that I think when she’s stressed out. They just pick up on so much. You know what I mean?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, so he’s been great.
Serena Gilbert:
Tell me a little bit about your commute to work. How do you get to and from work?
Lori Thompson:
I’m very grateful and very thankful that I have a bus line right out front of my house. So I cross over like four lanes of traffic. Or sometimes-
Serena Gilbert:
Safely, of course.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, safely. Yes. Sometimes I’ll walk a couple blocks up, and I’ll cross at the light. When I cross here at the house, the four lanes, I’m not working Logan across the street, because there’s no light. There’s a median, so we can go halfway. I walk halfway across, and then I walk the rest of the way halfway across. In the summertime, when there’s no snow, I can go up two blocks and cross at the light and work him across there, but once we get snow, they don’t clean off the sidewalks so it’s really hard for me to walk up that way, so I usually just cross here. So I have a bus. I get on the bus about five til 6:
00 in the morning. It’s an express bus, and then I’m usually downtown within 15 minutes or so. I’m usually downtown by a quarter after 6:
00. If the bus is really, really good I can walk right from the bus onto the platform, onto the train. So I take a train over to where I work, and that’s another 15 minutes. So in the morning, I can be at work within a half hour.
Serena Gilbert:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). That’s not bad.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. Not bad at all. The platform that drops me off at work is like right across the street from my building, so it’s not a bad commute at all. Coming home, I usually leave around 3:30, and catch the train, get back downtown. My bus only runs like every half hour during rush hour in the afternoon, and I usually just miss it by five, ten minutes. So I’m usually waiting downtown about 20 minutes to catch the bus to come back home, and then it drops me right in front of the house pretty much. So it’s pretty sweet.
Serena Gilbert:
Very cool.
Lori Thompson:
Yep. Yep. It’s tough in the wintertime when it’s minus 35 degrees, and I’m waiting downtown for 20 minutes outside.
Serena Gilbert:
Oh gosh, that’s torture.
Lori Thompson:
It is torture, but we do it. Logan gets his coat on and his boots, and we just hang out until the bus gets there. Hopefully, it’s on time.
Serena Gilbert:
Do you use the little like … It’s funny, they’re called little hotties. The little warmers that you can put in your gloves and stuff. You just open them up, and they get warm, stay warm for like eight hours.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. I usually put those on my toes, in my boots. I’m usually got my hands in my pockets with my gloves on. It’s usually my ears and my head that I keep wrapped up really well. I’ve even gotten to where, with Logan, I bought some like 4T little kids socks.
Serena Gilbert:
Oh, how cute. Oh my gosh.
Lori Thompson:
I put them on, and then I put his boots on. Yeah, because it’s just so cold, and he’s sitting on concrete. You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah.
Lori Thompson:
Then, we’ve got to deal with, with the snow, they’ll keep the streets plowed, and they’ll keep the sidewalks plowed, however the edge of the curb where you have to cross to get onto the bus, that’s why it’s always-
Serena Gilbert:
Where there’s like two feet piled up.
Lori Thompson:
… a snowdrift. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah. And ice.
Serena Gilbert:
Yes.
Lori Thompson:
And they use salt here, so I try to-
Serena Gilbert:
So that’s hurting his paws, yeah.
Lori Thompson:
I usually put the boots on … if it’s going to be 10 below, his boots are on. If it’s above that and not windy, I use Musher’s Secret as well.
Serena Gilbert:
You use what?
Lori Thompson:
Musher’s Secret.
Serena Gilbert:
What’s that.
Lori Thompson:
They use it on the sled dogs up north, on their paws, to keep them soft.
Serena Gilbert:
Is it like the cream?
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, it’s like a cream. Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Serena Gilbert:
Okay.
Lori Thompson:
Yep, and I rub that on his paws at night. And he doesn’t lick it off or anything, and I use that kind of repels the salt and keeps the pads soft, and they don’t crack. I haven’t had any trouble with his paws.
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah. I get whiny when it’s like seven degrees here. I’m like, “It’s so cold.”
Lori Thompson:
I get whiny when it’s minus 27 here.
Serena Gilbert:
It’s all about perspective.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. The cold probably isn’t as bad as it just being dark all the time. You know?
Serena Gilbert:
I hate that, yeah.
Lori Thompson:
I mean, I come home from work, and it’s dark. I go to work, it’s dark. I have no energy to do anything. That’s horrible. I try to get to the gym more in the winter. I broke down and got a trainer, so I have certain nights of the week where I have appointments to work with the trainer. Because then, if I have an appointment, I’m going to go. You know what I mean?
Serena Gilbert:
Yeah, it keeps you accountable.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. So I try to do that, just so I’m not like, “Okay, it’s 5:
00. I’m going to bed.” You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Exactly. Well, before we wrap up on the official part of the podcast-
Lori Thompson:
Yeah, there you go.
Serena Gilbert:
… what’s one piece of advice that you would have for a job seeker that is kind of going through the process that you went through back in, I think you said ’06, where you keep hearing, “No,” and you’re just discouraged. What’s some advice that you would have for somebody that’s in that situation right now?
Lori Thompson:
I would say, “Get as much knowledge about different pieces of technology that you can.” I mean, technology is advancing every day. Listen to your podcasts, as many podcasts as you can. I mean, I know Blind Abilities is a great podcast to get information and to learn about things. I mean, I’ve learned so much just from
Jeff doing the podcast. Get as much information about different pieces of technology, and don’t be afraid to learn different ways of doing things. You’ve got your JAWS. You’ve got your NVD, I don’t even know how to say it. NVD?
Serena Gilbert:
NVDA.
Lori Thompson:
NVDA. I was going to say “Window-Eyes,” but I don’t even know if Window-Eyes is around anymore.
Serena Gilbert:
No, it’s bye-bye.
Lori Thompson:
Yeah. Narrator. Learn as much as you can about different tools. Have plenty of tools in your toolbox. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs. Learn how to sell yourself and sell your abilities. If they say, “Well, you have to be able to use Microsoft Word,” I use Microsoft Word. I create correspondence with Microsoft Word by having the ability to use JAWS, and using the hotkeys to manipulate and create documents in Word. You’ve got to sell yourself. You’ve got to be able to explain how you’re going to do it. As a blind person, you have to take the extra step and not just say, “Yeah, I know how to use Word.” How do you use Word?
Serena Gilbert:
Because those doubts are always there.
Lori Thompson:
Yes. How are you going to be able to explain to someone that has no idea about blindness how you’re going to do something? You’ve got to be able to explain it, give examples. Like I said, if your JAWS quits one day, you better turn on Narrator, because you’ve got something that’s timely that needs to be done right now. You got to be able to be creative, utilize all the tools that you have to complete the tasks that you’re supposed to be completing. Get Adjustment to Blindness Training if you haven’t. It’s not about the skills that you learn. It’s also about the comradery of being around other blind people. Does that make sense?
Serena Gilbert:
It does, because I feel like sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not a good thing. Just to be honest, because sometimes negative people can bring you down.
Lori Thompson:
Yes.
Serena Gilbert:
But then, when you’re around other people who are working towards goals, and trying to achieve that success, that’s motivating. Then, cheering on your friends, and seeing their successes, I think that that helps a lot, that support system.
Lori Thompson:
Yes. Absolutely. Plus, you learn from other people on how they do things. There’s more than one way to do … You can’t put all blind people in one big box and say, “Okay, you’re going to use JAWS.” That doesn’t work. Some people don’t … not that they don’t want to use JAWS. Some people, maybe they’re doing a different type of something on the computer, and they need a different screen reader. You know what I mean? Every screen reader has its own purpose for what they’re aimed to do. But being around other blind people, I think that helps you come to grips with it, realize that we are still people. We’re not less of a human because we’re blind. That’s one thing I hope that people understand too. Don’t even let anyone make you feel that you’re less than what you are.
Serena Gilbert:
Exactly.
Lori Thompson:
That is very important. You go home every night to your house. You cook in your house. You clean in your house. You take care of your kids and your house. You take care of your guide dog in your house. You are doing this all, all of this. You’re no less of a person than anybody else. Yes, I think sometimes we have to work harder. Not that we have to work harder, it’s just … Well, yeah, we have to work harder, I think, sometimes.
Serena Gilbert:
Well, and it’s differently, because sometimes it’s to your advantage that you … because like for example, I’m the one that my department comes to when they need something proofread, because I will hear every single typo.
Lori Thompson:
Absolutely. Absolutely. There’s things that I hear on the computer that my coworkers don’t hear. They’re like, “Well, how do you know that?” I’m like, “Well, because JAWS just said it.” You know?
Serena Gilbert:
Exactly.
Lori Thompson:
That’s one of the things that I said in my most recent interview for the position that I have. He says, “What are some of your strengths?” And I said, “I’m hearing everything. People, I think can over view things, or look past things, or miss things by seeing.” I said, “I’m hearing everything.” And I said, “I think I’m at a advantage when it comes to some things, because I’m listening.” Not that my hearing is any better than anybody else. I mean, I don’t believe in that. I think you tune yourself in with the senses that you have, and sometimes I think I’m better at some things than other people when it comes to … if it’s a sight to hearing. Does that make sense?
Serena Gilbert:
I totally agree.
Lori Thompson:
It’s getting way too deep in here.
Serena Gilbert:
You know what though?
Jeff will be impressed, and he’ll be like, “See? I knew what I was talking about.” And then-
Lori Thompson:
Yeah.
Serena Gilbert:
… he’ll win. Darn it, Lori.
Lori Thompson:
There you go. There you go. But, no. You’ve got to learn how to sell yourself. You’ve got to gain as many tools in your toolbox as you can, and don’t give up. Don’t ever give up, because when the time is right, you’re going to get everything you want.
Serena Gilbert:
That is the perfect note to end that on.
Lori Thompson:
There you go.
Serena Gilbert:
That’s awesome, Lori.
Lori Thompson:
Thanks.
Serena Gilbert:
I’ve been chatting with Lori Thompson. Again, as we refer to her as Jeff Thompson’s much better half. She has been giving us tons of great advice regarding job searching and the journey that she has taken, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for sitting down with me and having this super honest conversation. I hope that you have a wonderful night,
Lori.
Lori Thompson:
Thank you, Serena. It has been my pleasure, and it’s been great getting to know you better. Thank you for putting up with my husband.
Serena Gilbert:
I don’t even have a response to that.
Lori Thompson:
Good luck.
Serena Gilbert:
Thanks so much, Lori.
Lori Thompson:
Uh-huh (affirmative). Bye-bye.
Jeff Thompson:
We’ll see you next time, Serena, on Job Insights. You can follow Job Insights on Twitter @JobInsightsVIP. Send us an email, JobINsights@BlindAbilities.com. We’re part of the Blind Abilities Network, and you can find us on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com. Thank you Chee Chau for the beautiful music. You can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @LCheeChau. As always, we want to thank you for listening. We 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:
For more podcasts with the blindness perspective:
Check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com On Twitter @BlindAbilities
Download our app from the App store:
‘Blind Abilities’; that’s two words.
Or send us an e-mail at:
info@blindabilities.com
Thanks for listening.