Don't shortchange the blind

When David Paterson stepped into his new role as New York's governor last month, blind people across the nation experienced a moment of pride.

Paterson is legally blind. He's also proof of what blind people already know, that we are capable of ascending to the highest levels of office; that, with technological advances and training, we are capable of successfully performing any job, with the exception of those involving driving a car.

Paterson is not alone. Blind people are increasingly rising to the top ranks of employment and succeeding in jobs as diverse as machinists, teachers and CEOs. I am personally acquainted with blind people in Washington state in a wide variety of positions: judge, attorney, middle-school math teacher, clinical psychologist, network-systems administrator and food-service entrepreneur, to name a few.

But the fact remains: Seven out of 10 of the 10 million visually impaired Americans are unemployed. Why is that, when people like Gov. Paterson and many others have demonstrated that blind people are not only employable, but employable at the highest levels of society? Why does the blind community face an unemployment rate that's on average 65 percentage points higher than the national average?

The general public assumes that the biggest barrier to employment blind people face is their blindness. In actuality, the biggest barrier is assumptions employers make about what blind people can or cannot do.

A blind friend of mine interviewed for a job for which she was highly qualified, perhaps overqualified. After she presented her skills and experience to demonstrate her ability to fulfill the functions of the job, the interviewer asked, "Yes, but how will you find the bathroom?" To a blind person, trained and experienced in traveling independently, this type of question is beyond silly.

We all see the world through the lens of our own experience. Employers see a blind candidate and think to themselves, if I woke up blind tomorrow, I couldn't find the bathroom, let alone operate a computer or machinery.

Their subjective lens fails to account for blind people's years of learning how to successfully navigate the world. Many blind people, by necessity, have developed superior memory, organization and listening skills, but employers often don't recognize them.

It also shows a lack of knowledge about the technological advances that enable blind people to perform a full range of job functions. Assistive computer technology, including screen-reading software, refreshable Braille displays, GPS devices and many more have leveled the playing field for blind employees.

Employers may be hesitant to hire blind candidates because of the potential cost of making their workplace accessible. They don't know about the tax credits, employee training and, in some cases, financial assistance available through the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind.

New technologies are expensive, but the vast majority of visually impaired Americans don't need them. Making a workplace accessible might be as easy as providing an employee with a bigger monitor or downloading screen-magnification software.

Not all blind kids are receiving the level of specialized blindness-skills training they need growing up. If young blind people are to fulfill their real potential and take full advantage of the employment opportunities open to them, they need comprehensive blindness skills — not just high-tech computer skills but Braille literacy, and orientation and mobility skills, like how to travel safely and independently using a white cane or a guide dog.

The employment gap between sighted and blind adults often starts in the teenage years. Blind kids are at a disadvantage when applying for typical first jobs, which often involve manual labor (flipping burgers, mowing lawns, waiting tables). The gap widens as these young people move through to adulthood. We need more transition programs to assist blind young adults in getting a solid start to their careers.

Given the right resources, there will be many more David Patersons. One day, the conversation Americans will be having around the dinner table will not be whether a woman or an African American is qualified to be president, but if a blind person is capable of holding the highest office in this land.

And the answer, just like the answer to our present day's question, will be a resounding yes.