{"id":9568,"date":"2026-06-29T20:37:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9568"},"modified":"2026-06-29T20:37:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:37:58","slug":"helping-people-reach-their-goals-lindsay-escaleras-journey-in-vocational-rehabilitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9568","title":{"rendered":"Helping People Reach Their Goals: Lindsay Escalera\u2019s Journey in Vocational Rehabilitation"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2650\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9568-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Podcast Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This episode offers an inside look at the rewarding role of a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at State Services for the Blind of Minnesota through the journey of Lindsay Escalera. From an undecided college student to a passionate rehabilitation professional, Lindsay shares how hands-on experiences, mentorship, and a desire to help others shaped her career. She explains how counselors guide students and adults through career planning, adjustment to blindness training, assistive technology, college, trades, and employment, all supported by a collaborative team of specialists. Lindsay also reflects on participating in Minnesota\u2019s immersive Adjustment to Blindness training, describing how the experience gave her a deeper understanding of the challenges, emotions, and successes that blind individuals experience. Whether you\u2019re a teacher, rehabilitation professional, student exploring a meaningful career, or someone interested in the services available through State Services for the Blind, this conversation highlights the power of teamwork, lifelong learning, and helping people achieve independence and meaningful employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9565\">Full Transcript<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Links of interests:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/deed\/ssb\/teens\/news.jsp\">The Spectacle Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/deed\/ssb\/teens\/\">Youth Services at SSB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:shane.desantis@state.mn.us\">shane.desantis@state.mn.us<\/a>&nbsp;or call Shane at&nbsp;651-385-5205.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks for listening!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2652\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9568-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/LindsayEscalera.mp3 Podcast Summary: This episode offers an inside look at the rewarding role of a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at State Services for the Blind of Minnesota through the journey of Lindsay Escalera. From an undecided college student to a passionate rehabilitation professional, Lindsay shares how hands-on experiences, mentorship, and a desire to help others shaped [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17,373,263,559],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-career","category-college","category-ssb","post_format-post-format-audio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-2uk","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9563,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9563","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":0},"title":"From Passion to Purpose: Building a Career at State Services for the Blind","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"June 28, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson welcomes Sarina Boley, a Vocational Rehabilitation Technician at State Services for the Blind, to share her journey into the world of Vocational Rehabilitation and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Sarina explains how VR Technicians support counselors behind the scenes while helping students prepare\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3506,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3506","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":1},"title":"Job Insights Episode 2 &#8211; Vocational Rehab 101: Demystifying the Myths and Planning For Employment (Transcript provided)","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the second episode of Job Insights with Serina Gilbert and Jef 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4909,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4909","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":2},"title":"Partnering with VR: All About the First Steps. A Blog Posts by Serina Gilbert","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Starting your partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation is highly individualized and will look different for every single person.\u00a0\u00a0With that said, however, there are general procedures and timelines to keep in mind when preparing for your very first meeting with Vocational Rehabilitation. The first step towards receiving services with Vocational Rehabilitation is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=239"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image of man with cane and woman with service dog and City Skyline with Job Insights in bold letters.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7521,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=7521","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":3},"title":"Job Insights: Accepting Blindness, Job Readiness and Building Confidence&#8230; Let&#8217;s Get that Job!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Full Transcript In this Job Insights episode, Serina Gilbert and jeff Thompson welcome Sarlie Drakos to the Job Insights Team. 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In this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image of man with cane and woman with service dog and City Skyline with Job Insights in bold letters.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/jobinsights.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3491,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3491","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":4},"title":"Job Insights: Helping Find Careers and Gainful Employment Through Innovations and Opportunities (Transcript Provided)","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Job Insights introductory podcast with Serina Gilbert and Jef 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.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1985,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=1985","url_meta":{"origin":9568,"position":5},"title":"CareerExpo2016: Charlotte Czarnecki Federal Investigator","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"June 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Charlotte Czarnecki Federal Investigator, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Charlotte graduated with her masters degree in communication arts and sciences in 1995. She worked in the Independent Living movement for three years, then earned a dual masters degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;CareerExpo&quot;","block_context":{"text":"CareerExpo","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=348"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9570,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9568\/revisions\/9570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}