On July 9^th of this year, Peter Apgar started a position doing financial analysis and resource budgeting at a logistics laboratory of the Department of Defense in Columbus, Ohio.  This job marks the culmination of a journey of perseverance that began a number of years ago.

In 1999, Peter was just 20 years old when he first began to lose his vision - a complication of diabetes.  One morning he woke up and couldn't read the clock on the VCR just 12 feet away.  He says of that time that he experienced "a whole new understanding of fear", worrying that if he lost his ability to drive, his life would be over.  Very independent and spontaneous, the freedom that came with driving meant everything to him. 

At first, Peter was optimistic that his vision could be restored.   A series of laser treatments gave him good vision 90% of the time.  He was able to continue with his job running a labeling system at H.P. Hood.   Then, after a laser treatment, he woke up and everything was blurry.  It hit home for him that he might lose his sight entirely.   While his employers at Hood were supportive and accommodating, eventually Peter decided it was better to leave that job and focus on transitioning to other employment.  Ultimately, he underwent four unsuccessful surgeries on his eyes, and shortly after his 21^st birthday, he lost his sight completely.

At that point, Peter realized that he needed to move on and look at his life in a more mature way.  Shifting gears, he began to take full advantage of the support and services offered by the Vermont State Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI).  Over a series of meetings, Peter set some goals:  1) to get on with his life; 2) to become independent and self supporting; and 3) to become competitive with the sighted world in employment, developing and implementing a career working either for himself, the government, or the public sector.  Furthermore, recognizing that he wanted to pursue something other than manual labor, Peter recognized that the only way to be competitive was to go back to school.

First, however, he needed to learn skills and techniques for independent living.  DBVI helped him learn fundamental computer skills and then sent him to a 12 week program at The Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Massachusetts, which offers innovative methods, evolving technologies and personalized attention to help blind persons gain independence at home, school, and work.  There Peter learned additional computer and independent living skills.  As a result, he was able to approach school and daily life in a very positive fashion and as close to "normal" as one could get.

One of the most important - and perhaps unexpected - outcomes for Peter from his time at Carroll was his attitude.  The young man whose initial concerns were around his immediate loss of mobility and freedom to drive came away from Carroll with a new, "take no prisoners" approach to his future.   He learned a great deal about himself, and about his own capabilities.  He emerged with an extraordinary work ethic, believing that you do what you need to do to accomplish the task in front of you.  Making excuses doesn't work, he says, because people question your value when you begin making excuses.

By 2002 Peter was enrolled full time at The University of Vermont and living on campus.  He found further support from UVM's ACCESS program, which supports students with disabilities so that they may enjoy a barrier-free learning environment.  The counselors explained how UVM and the professors could support him, as well as his legal rights regarding accommodations.  This allowed Peter to easily talk to his professors about what he needed to be successful. 

A crucial tool for Peter's academic success was the JAWS screen reading software.  Running on his regular laptop, this software program reads aloud the text on the computer screen.  With the benefit of this software, the accommodations needed for classroom success were minimal:  professors would e-mail him class notes, power point presentations, and any classroom handouts; Peter would submit papers on line instead of in print or hand-written format; and he could use excel spreadsheets for his homework.

Ultimately Peter settled into the School of Business, majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in finance, where he found great satisfaction in things such as assessing a business' value and return on its investment.  Finally, in December of 2006, Peter completed his coursework for his Bachelor's Degree, and his job hunt began in earnest.  Working with career counselors in the business school, his professors, and networking with alumni and others, Peter gained an appreciation for how he wanted to use his degree and where he could be competitive, efficient and successful, given the fast pace of the financial industry.  Just being an "average" employee would not do; Peter was ready to excel. 

Peter soon learned about the Federal Government's Workforce Recruiting Program, which specializes in recruiting individuals with disabilities.  He went through an interview process, was put into the Government's database, and began to receive calls about jobs from various agencies associated with the Government.  After considering a variety of opportunities, Peter accepted his current position with the Department of Defense in Columbus, Ohio. 

So, once again Peter is stepping out and bringing his take charge attitude to the workforce.  Now 28, Peter is prepared to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead for him.  His career goals are many:  to manage people; to apply his education to analyze financial information; to be financially successful; to advance in his career.  His aspirations include being a CEO one day, and he looks forward to learning all he needs to get there. 

In a certain sense, Peter brings a unique competitive edge to his work.  If someone tells him he can't do something, he will find a way to do it just to prove he can.  His unwillingness to accept defeat allows Peter to know that he will find the solution to any business problem posed to him.  It may take a few extra minutes, but it will be a solid solution.

Peter exemplifies an important principle he would like all businesses to understand: business solutions can come from listening to and learning from the unique experience of individuals with disabilities.  They understand how to make adjustments to increase efficiencies, which can be invaluable to a business.  They can help businesses to break down barriers they don't even realize exist and to recognize corresponding opportunities when considering business or development projects.   

With this kind of insight, coupled with his work ethic, tenacity, and intense desire to succeed, it is clear that Peter has come a long way from that morning in 1999 and is well on his way to excelling in his life and career.

A Message from Bruce Erwin, President, Good News Garage:

As President of Good News Garage, I have the good fortune of employing Barbara Buchanan as our Receptionist and Donor Coordinator.  Barbara has been with us for seven and a half years.  Her work includes answering the telephone, assisting people who donate their cars, recording vehicle data into the database, explaining the donation process and tax deduction opportunities, taking donations from the website, and following up with donors.  We receive several thousand donor calls per year, so this is quite an important position within our organization. 

Barbara also happens to be blind.  To support her in her work, we have made minimal accommodations.  JAWS (Job Access with Speech) software allows her to use her computer and enter information into the database. She has an individual label printer that allows her to print one label at a time, a Perkins brailler, and a dual headset which allows her to hear the phone in one ear and JAWS in the other.  She also uses a PAC Mate, which is something like a PDA for blind and visually impaired people.  These accommodations do not impact our organization in any way, and she does essentially the same job a sighted person would do.

According to Barbara, the most satisfying part of the job is working with her colleagues to provide affordable transportation and enhance the quality of life for low income Vermonters.

Here's my message to you.  Blind or visually impaired individuals can contribute greatly to the success of an organization through their desire to succeed.  I have experienced first hand how much visually impaired workers want to prove that they are as effective as people with sight.  We do not view Barbara any differently than any other staff person; she is there to contribute and we value her work.  People who are blind or visually impaired are no less driven to achieve than a sighted person; they may well be more dedicated than one would expect.

So, Barbara and I agree on this recommendation:  the next time you have a position to fill, contact the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  DBVI provides accommodations and on-the-job training for its consumers when necessary, and these services usually come at no cost to the employer.  It is quite possible that you might find someone with the qualifications you need and a work ethic you have only dreamed about.