Dear AccessWorld readers,
As I'm sure you have noticed, the days are now growing noticeably shorter. Students have returned to school, and it's now time to begin thinking about work and careers. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, so next month AccessWorld will take a closer look at employment resources for people with vision loss as well as revisit tried-and-true job search strategies. Of course, we will also look at technology to support and enhance your career and work life.
Over the past several months, AccessWorld has been publishing additional content in the areas of business and employment. AccessWorld began this process last October with an article by Deborah Kendrick that detailed an employment initiative at BOSMA Enterprises. Many readers commented on this article and from your responses it sounds like you found it very useful. In early spring of this year AccessWorld instituted the “Employment Matters” column. This column shares the lives and career experiences of gainfully employed people who are blind or visually impaired. The goal of this column is to give readers the opportunity to learn from the challenges faced by those profiled in the articles, and to use the information shared in the column to adjust job search strategies, identify new skills or attributes to master, or apply new insights into joining the workforce, advancing a current career, or changing careers. In August, AccessWorld also published its first entrepreneur-focused issue, which highlighted the work of Two Blind Brothers and featured accessible accounting software you may want to investigate if you are looking to start your own business. Employment is an area of significant emphasis at AFB, and AccessWorld is excited to be supporting this work at a higher level.
Our mission at AFB and AccessWorld is to expand possibilities for people with vision loss. That is why the entire AccessWorld team investigates, tests, and reports on the many aspects of technology we cover. Technology is the "game changer." It's the single most significant tool people with visual impairments have to obtain and maintain independence in education, work, transportation, personal finances, personal healthcare, home maintenance—really in every aspect of our lives. In order to reach our highest level of accomplishment, technology is critical.
AccessWorld publishes technology-related information for you to use to the best of your ability and in your best interest. We expect and encourage our readers to be information seekers and problem solvers. If there is one thread that runs through every issue of AccessWorld, it's that we are working through these technology challenges together. Don't think for one minute that AccessWorld authors never become frustrated, overwhelmed, or even disappointed by technology. Believe me, it happens to all of us. After cooling off and trying again, though, the "I got it!" moment happens and the challenge becomes worth the effort. It happens for us, and it will happen for you. I encourage you and challenge you to stay with it.
Every article in AccessWorld may not pique your interest or provide the most relevant information for your specific circumstances, so send me your suggestions or questions. You may know of information or resources that we do not. Sharing what you know in a Letter to the Editor may provide another reader with information they need. That is how it works: by sharing information, tools, and tips with one another, we strengthen and empower our entire community, and that is the ultimate goal of AccessWorld.
The AccessWorld team hopes you will read each article in this and every issue to gain as much access information as possible. Please remember to like and share on social media the articles you find most helpful and informative, or send links via email to a specific friend, relative, student, or colleague. As technology is always advancing, we encourage you to stay diligent and proactive in seeking out new access strategies that better meet your situation. Tune in next month as we continue this journey!
Sincerely,
Lee Huffman
AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
American Foundation for the Blind
