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CREATING NEW POSSIBILITIES - Maria
I couldn't believe that so much could be taken from me so quickly.
I had a wonderful career at the Chicago Board of Trade. My co-workers were my friends. I felt productive, useful, and necessary. I interacted daily with lots of people—and since I'm a people-person this made every day just fly by.
Then Macular Degeneration took my vision, my career, and my confidence. At the Board I was responsible for managing all requests for literature. With my vision loss I could no longer read or see the details of customer's requests. I had to rely on my co-workers to look over my work. Just as I was declared legally blind, the Board laid off my co-workers, leaving me solely responsible for the entire department.
It was more than I could handle—losing all my co-workers and my vision. I felt my life was in one way or another coming to an end. I decided I had to leave my position at the Board. I was overwhelmed and thought I could no longer do the job.
I knew it was a step I had to take, but I kept asking myself if I had done the right thing--if I should have stayed and weathered the storm, the stress, the huge responsibility. To see myself without a job, without my friends, without the daily interaction, and without my vision was really depressing. I felt like a quitter, alone and in some ways useless.
After a year of staying home, I decided that I had done enough cleaning and rearranging furniture. I simply decided that I could no longer just be at home. That was when a friend told me about the Guild for the Blind.
One visit was all I needed to know this was the place I needed to help me get back on my feet. I started out with the idea of taking computer classes, but after my initial visit with the staff I also decided to participate in the Employment Connection job training program. Visit by visit, I realized that the Guild offers the environment and personal interaction that was key to feeling more confident and thinking more positively about both my disability and my abilities.
I remember the first time I attended an Employment Connection workshop. I had a pair of thick glasses that helped me read print, but I was too embarrassed to wear them in public. However, when I arrived at the meeting, I didn't hesitate to put them on because I felt so much at home—and home is the only place I had ever worn them.
Working with Lauri, the Manager of Career Services, has been one of the best learning experiences I've ever had. She spent so much time working with me individually. I feel that she truly understands my needs and knows which tools and resources will best help me reach my goals. Lauri helped me realized how important it is to find the right job for myself, how to believe that I can make a difference. She helped me believe that no matter what my limitations might be, my goals can be met with the right attitude, with faith, with realistic expectations, and most importantly, with believing in myself.
The staff at the Guild is such an important part of the healing process. Each of them is part of a team in which there is a common goal—helping those of us who have experienced vision loss regain our confidence and fulfill our goals.
I now feel ready to return to work. In addition to attending the classes and workshops, I have been volunteering at the Guild to improve all my skills and to give something back. I am looking forward to finding a new position in my field of customer service and that exciting first day of work! Return to Success Stories
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