THE ALLIANCE OF AND FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED TEXANS (AVIT) and
THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF TEXAS (ACBT)
PRESENT
BLINDNESS SUMMIT
State Capitol Auditorium
1100 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Working together we can do more to overcome barriers
to EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND INDEPENDENT LIVING
for Texans who are blind and visually impaired
BLINDNESS SUMMIT CONFERENCE PROGRAM – EMPLOYMENT TRACK
8:30-9:30AM and 3:30-4:30 PM
Focusing on programs and initiatives reducing chronic high unemployment among working-age adults who are visually impaired
INTRODUCTION
There are an estimated 124,000 persons of working age in Texas who are blind or visually impaired. These individuals possess many valuable talents and skills which can contribute significantly to the prosperity of our state.
Notwithstanding the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 22 years ago, Texans who are blind or visually impaired continue to experience an unemployment rate more than 7 times that of persons without disabilities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 42.1% of visually impaired adults in Texas are employed. This means more than half (57.9%) of visually impaired persons of working age are unemployed. Our community and our economy must take advantage of the important resource of human talent from all its citizens.
So, where are the jobs of tomorrow? And what critical skills are employers looking for?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the present High Demand Occupations in Texas are:
· Retail Salesperson
· Customer Service Representative
· Executive Secretary / Admin Assistant
· Accountant and Bookkeeper
· Audit Clerk
And the Top Five Expected Growth Occupations for Texas for the decade 2008-2018 are:
1. Fast Food Prep Worker
2. Elementary School Teacher
3. Retail Salesperson
4. Registered Nurse
5. Home Health Aide.
The kind of employees that Texas employers say they want are those with good communication skills; critical thinking skills; technical knowledge; a “can do” attitude; and the ability to work with people who are of a different age, race, gender or educational background.
Our distinguished panelists are going to expand on these points and share their perspectives and experiences.
Texas Workforce Commission
WorkInTexas.com Business Team
Sue Crowson, (512) 463-4167
What is WorkInTexas.com?
WorkInTexas.com is a comprehensive online job search resource and matching system developed and maintained by the Texas Workforce Commission and the state workforce network, Texas Workforce Solutions. It is intended to provide recruiting assistance to Texas employers of all types and sizes, and job search assistance to any individual seeking work in Texas.
WorkInTexas.com is Texas' Labor Exchange System as mandated by the Wagner Peyser Act, and operates in cooperative effort with JobCentral, the National Labor Exchange System.
WorkInTexas.com is provided at no cost, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and seeks to match qualified job seekers with potential job opportunities by comparing experience, skills, abilities, education, and other factors.
Employers can post jobs, search resumes, recruit candidates, get labor market information, and receive a variety of other services available via a network of Workforce Solutions Offices throughout the state.
Individuals seeking a new job, different job, or an additional job can post their resume, search job listings (including all Texas state agency jobs), obtain employer contact information to apply for jobs, get information about the job market, and receive a variety of other services also available via Workforce Solutions Offices throughout the state.
The Texas Workforce Commission is continually upgrading WorkInTexas.com to ensure it remains a useful and relevant tool and welcomes any comments you may have: Tell Us What You Think.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is the state government agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. For employers, TWC offers recruiting, retention, training and retraining, and outplacement services as well as valuable information on labor law and labor market statistics. For job seekers, TWC offers career development information, job search resources, training programs, and, as appropriate, unemployment benefits. While targeted populations receive intensive assistance to overcome barriers to employment all Texans can benefit from the services offered by TWC and our network of workforce partners.
TWC is part of a local/state network dedicated to developing the workforce of Texas. The network is comprised of the statewide efforts of the Commission coupled with planning and service provision on a regional level by 28 local Workforce Solutions boards. This network gives customers access to local workforce solutions and statewide services in a single location — Workforce Solutions Offices.
Primary services provided by TWC and Texas Workforce Solutions are funded by federal tax revenue and are generally free to all Texans.
Albertson’s Southern Division
Andy Rodriguez
Human Resources manager
817.568.3907 817.568.3997 (fax)
Albertson’s Policy: Albertson’s LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company does not make employment decisions based on race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual preference or any other status protected by law.
Partnership with DARS: Consistent with our EEO Policy, Albertson’s LLC believes that individuals who are blind or visually impaired should be given the same opportunities as other applicants. We have had much success in employing individuals who are visually impaired; in fact, many of them are highly motivated and have been very successful in their Albertson’s careers. Our strong partnership with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) has enabled us to identify people with visual impairments who have the abilities and commitment to be successful Albertson’s associates. Together, we created an Employment Pre-screening Checklist that DARS uses before referring their consumers to Albertson’s. Once they have been referred by DARS, we partner with our stores to see if there are any job openings for which the consumers are interested and able to perform. If there is a vacancy for which the Store Director is seeking outside applicants, we ask the DARS consumer to apply through our on-line application. If the consumer needs assistance with the application process, they may reach out to DARS, Albertson’s Human Resources Department or make contact with the Administrative Coordinator or Store Director at the store where they are interested in working.
Associates with Visual Impairments: Currently, to our knowledge, Albertson’s employs 23 associates in Texas who are blind or visually impaired – there may be others of whom we are not aware. These associates work in a variety of positions: courtesy clerks, cashiers, stockers, produce clerks, customer service clerks, a service supervisor and an assistant bakery manager. We have found that most of the DARS referrals who we have hired are very dependable, self-motivated, friendly, high performers, very responsive and enthusiastic.
Some challenges that these associates have had are that sunlight may hurt their eyes, they may have trouble seeing things very close or too far away, they may not be able to see certain items, paperwork may be difficult to read or fill out because the font is too small, they may not be able to work after sunset, and some lack self-confidence and are shy (like many newly hired associates). We have been able to find reasonable accommodations to enable them to perform the essential functions of their jobs. Examples of accommodations are not working past sunset, wearing sunglasses, managers or coworkers verbally reading to them their duty list and any other information, etc. Most visually impaired associates do not receive special training.
Conclusion: At Albertson’s we highly value our partnership with DARS and look forward to working with them to continue to employ qualified individuals with visual impairments. Albertson’s does not focus on the disability; rather we simply focus on the requirements of the job and what the applicant can do with or without reasonable accommodations.
Marriott Global Reservation Sales & Customer Care, San Antonio
For questions, contact Viviane Klumpp at 210-482-2300 or by email at .
San Antonio Reservation Center:
· Originally opened in February 1999 and now has 600 associates
· Over half of staff works from their home in the myPlace program
· Typically hire over 200 associates per year externally and then promote from within to elevated sales and administrative teams
· 4 week training program including brand training, system training, and service
· Recognized as an employer of the year from the Division for Blind Services in 2011
The San Antonio Center as well as all of Marriott’s Global Reservation Centers has had great success recruiting, hiring, and working with individuals with disabilities including visual impairments.
· Marriott Global Reservation Sales piloted the first class of 5 visually impaired reservation associates in California using JAWS in 1999. During this pilot, we experienced some challenges with the technology with getting the reservation system to work with JAWS. But with the dedication and commitment of the team, we were able to work through the challenges and create a system that worked.
· Throughout the various system upgrades and changes we have had throughout the years, we have partnered with the Lighthouse for the Blind and worked with our own visually impaired associates to learn about the systems and figure out ways to ensure we continue to grow in a way that works from a technical standpoint with JAWS and MAGic. Each system upgrade is a learning process and our associates are very flexible and willing to learn and adapt to the changes.
The program in San Antonio is continuing at a strong pace. While we have not necessarily seen a huge increase in the number of associates with disabilities, we are actively engaged and working with our community partners to find new ways to recruit, train, and engage associates with disabilities.
· Participate in various job fairs with the Division for Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and Division for Blind Services (DBS)
· Attend the Alamo Area Disability Alliance Meeting regularly and our General Manager has been asked to speak on their employer panel to share with other businesses how we work to recruit and retain individuals with disabilities
· Participated in the Workplace Roundup event with DARS and one of our visually impaired associates attended to help inspire young children with disabilities and share what it is like to be a Customer Care Sales Specialist at Marriott
· Partner with The Lighthouse for the Blind to assist with training new hires on JAWS as well as retrain existing associates when new technology is introduced
· We have an existing associate who recently became visually impaired and she was trained through the Lighthouse on JAWS and transitioned to be a myPlace Agent to continue her employment
· In response to an associate suggestion, the Lighthouse for the Blind also came to our Center and labeled several of our microwave ovens with Braille
· Offer flexibility with accommodations in reduced or modified scheduling, ability to work from home, as well as JAWS and MAGic technology which works with our current reservation systems
· One of our visually impaired associates was also recognized as the Sales Associate of the Year for all of Global Reservation Sales for his outstanding performance in sales and service in 2012
Although we have worked hard to identify and work through the obstacles that have risen from new technology and determining appropriate accommodations as necessary, we still experience some challenges.
· VIA Trans hours of operations do not extend through our business hours
· VIA Trans pick up and drop off location is approximately ¼ mile from our office
· With the increase in new systems, ensuring new hires have adequate training for success in the position
Come be a part of one of the top workplaces in San Antonio!
Our San Antonio Global Reservations Sales and Customer Care Center has the following opportunities available: Customer Care Sales Specialist.
Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, Inc.
Cindy Watson, Manager, Contract Services
(336)245-5665
Why IFB Solutions?
Two years ago, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, as a part of our strategic planning process, began work on identifying the next opportunity that would create significant employment for people who are blind. Recognizing that due to the advances in assistive technologies and the internet, people who are blind have unprecedented access to education and accessing knowledge-based work with personal computers. In order to remain relevant to the population we serve, we needed to identify a way to provide employment opportunities outside of manufacturing and support staff directly supporting our operations. As a result, we decided to explore creating services business lines and IFB Solutions was created. We engaged business development consultants to assist us in building a business strategy around contact center services specifically. With the long-term goal of building competency in providing total out-sourced solutions, our initial approach has centered in providing staffing services to existing contact centers. This strategy also gives us the flexibility to provide a wide variety of employment opportunities for people who are blind, based on their interests, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
We have a unique value to our customers in providing a remarkable workforce with a documented lower turnover rate and the supports to make accommodations necessary to access the job.
We are currently providing staff in 5 locations across the country. The locations include Sacramento, California, Irving, Texas, El Paso, Texas, Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Montgomery, Alabama. Our contract staff is highly valued for their contribution to the team. Our staff continues to exceed performance expectations in the areas of attendance, productivity, and quality. The positions range in the technical requirements and scope of work in support of local-state and federal contracts.
Overview of employment opportunities currently in El Paso, TX
Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, Inc. (WSIFB) is currently seeking customer service representatives to staff a newly awarded sub-contract by HPES and to be performed in the
El Paso, Texas area. The representatives will provide customers with information related to immigrant and non-immigrant benefits, in support of the National Contact Service Center for US Citizenship and Immigration Services by the US Department of Homeland Security. WSIFB is looking to hire 18 legally-blind representatives in 2013 to work in the El Paso HPES facility.