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Introduction to the Course by Priscilla Rogers 1
This curriculum, Successful Placement of the Older Consumer with Visual Impairment, came about as a result of the National Agenda on Vision and Aging which was established by the American Foundation for the Blind and the Aging Network in 1998. One of the goals of the curriculum is to expand access to employment for older people with visual impairment. As a result, a Goal Committee was formed to work on this goal and this curriculum was developed by that committee. The individuals involved in the development were myself (Priscilla Rogers), Peggy Anderson from Alabama, Mike Beck from North Dakota, Paige Berry from Helen Keller, Julie Brock from Alabama, Cathy Gallagher from the National Industries for the Blind, Rita Houston from Alabama, David Gibson from Texas, Judy Miller from Missouri, Alberta Orr from the American Foundation for the Blind, Marie Simpson from Florida, Frank Synaground from Oregon and Helen Thomas from Florida. 1
One of the main concerns of the Goal Committee is that society has not valued older workers in general, thus older persons with visual impairment often devalue themselves and their capacity for work. Yet, as much as millions of us dread getting out of bed in the morning and getting on to work, we dread even more the possibility that we will wake one day and our livelihood will be gone. Goal Five Group wants to give back the option of work to older consumers who may want to work for personal fulfillment or who may need to work to bolster their income. The group designed a curriculum that builds upon itself. The modules are as follows: Module 1 - The Changing Work Environment; Module 2 - Understanding Psycho-Social Transitions and how these relate to employment of older persons who are visually impaired; Module 3 - Understanding Physical Capabilities and how these relate to older persons who are visually impaired; 1
Module 4 - Understanding Your Role as Counselor; Module 5 - Marketing the Older Consumer; Module 6 - Evaluating the Workplace Environment and how this would meet the older worker’s needs and Module 7 - Knowing National and Local Resources available to help with placement. We also have several references and appendices in this curriculum. We will be referring to those during the course of the curriculum. 1
The curriculum is designed to provide vocational rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation teachers and other vision rehabilitation professionals the information which they need to work objectively with older persons with visual impairment in order to achieve their employment goals. It is critical that vision rehabilitation professionals make sure that older consumers realize that employment is an option. They should encourage older consumers on their case loads to work and to not dismiss the vocational potentials due to age or disability. 1
To place older individuals successfully, vision and rehabilitation professionals need to build on the strengths and life experiences that older individuals with visual impairment possess. There are a lot of strengths that older people have - they have a great value for work, they feel a sense of accomplishment, they like working with other workers for the most part, and often build good relationships with them, they have good work histories, they understand the mission of the company and try to live by it and they have an interest in and an ability to learn new things. Another very, very important strength is that older people have a group motivation to work. They want to feel useful, they often need supplementary income, they like getting out of the house and therefore arrive a lot of benefit from meeting people. They like a challenge, they want to do something different. They may need fringe benefits and some of them may need medical insurance. Older workers often find reward in the act of work and in the work environment itself. The possibility of coming to work and seeing other people is often enough reward for them. Although older individuals have a great potential for work and great motivation, they often need your support to get back to work and to feel like they can re-enter the workforce. Indeed you are the key to their success.