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CREATING NEW POSSIBILITIES - Cindy
I am more than “just” a blind person. Even though some people can’t see past my dark glasses, there’s a lot more to me than meets the eye.
I am a college graduate. I entered first grade when I was 10 years old. My mother had little formal education and just didn't know what to do with a daughter with a disability. I struggled in school, but worked hard and graduated from high school when I was 21.
After high school, I didn’t go directly to college—it wasn’t expected or encouraged. So I worked for a couple of years, first in a workshop with other people who were blind and then for the Immigration and Naturalization Service—they needed someone who spoke Spanish and I fit the bill.
When I was laid off, I decided to go back to school. I mean, I had fun working at my jobs, and they brought in much-needed money, but that is all behind me now. I wanted bigger and better things. I started taking classes at Wright Community College.
When one of my instructors assigned a group project, the other members of my group said, “How is Cindy going to do her part?” I told them, “Just give me the assignment. I can do it. You just worry about your part.” I still struggled in school, but graduated with my Associate's Degree.
I next enrolled at Northeastern University—and, suddenly, it was so easy! I no longer had to struggle. My teachers were more understanding and were willing to work with me, even reading the exams and quizzes to me. For the first time I was getting A’s and it felt great! I graduated with a 3.13 grade point average with a Bachelor’s Degree in social work/psychology.
I am a member of the Guild for the Blind. At the Guild, I participate in the Employment Connection program. I work with Lauri, the manager of career services, to determine how I can pursue my goal of helping battered women.
Lauri spends time with me one-on-one, helping me get a better idea about what types of job are available in my field and how to go about searching for and applying for employment. We discuss which jobs best fit my personality, drive and personal experience. She is also teaching me how to interview effectively.
I am learning about the websites that focus on employment opportunities. Computers and the Internet are so important when you are looking for employment. There are so many jobs sites on the Internet, but you have to know how to use it first!
People ask how someone who is blind can use a computer. I tell them about JAWS, a computer program that reads all the information on the screen, announces every keystroke you make and allows a blind person to use a computer just as well as a sighted person.
The Guild offers computer training on JAWS. I want to take their course on using JAWS with the Internet. This way I will know how to read all the different sites, post my resume on-line, and apply for a job over the Internet.
I am a proud mother. My son Michael is 24 years old. I raised Michael on my own after my first marriage ended in divorce. I made sure that my son had a positive male role model by participating in the Big Brothers program. I made sure he got a good education—he graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a B.S. degree in Architecture and Computer Engineering. I taught him responsibility. Michael is an officer in the United States Army, stationed in Afghanistan. It was really hard for me to let him go and I worry about him constantly, but this is something he has wanted to do since he was a little boy.
I am a mentor. One thing my mother taught me was to be independent. She was always saying “I’m not going to be around forever. You have to learn to take care of yourself.” As a mentor, I encourage teenage girls with disabilities to be independent and career-oriented. Everybody has to leave home one day, so I teach them how to manage money, how to do laundry and encourage them to go to college to get some kind of training for a future career.
I am a volunteer. I volunteer for a women’s crisis hotline, talking to women who have been abused. I do this one day a week. It is a little intense. Most of the women just want someone to talk to, someone who will be sympathetic. I am a great listener. All of my life my friends have called me and told me their problems. This is one of the reasons I decided to get my degree in social work.
People ask me, “Who dresses you?” and “Who matches your clothes?” I tell them I do it myself. I ask the sales people the color of the clothes I buy and I memorize the different items by the feel of the material. There are also all sorts of aids from braille tags to electronic color identifiers that people can use.
People are always asking me how I can live by myself. I know they mean well, and I try to think in a positive way and educate them.
I am a college graduate, a member of the Guild for the Blind, a proud mother, a mentor, and a volunteer. I am also a blind woman. Being blind is part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me. That’s why the Guild for the Blind is so important. The Guild gives me the support I need to pursue my dreams. They provide important training so that people who are blind can succeed in school, do our jobs, stay involved in the community, and remain active and independent. Return to Success Stories
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