Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of those conditions that affects a person’s quality of life in many ways. This year, 2020, researchers estimate almost 1 million people will be living with this disease according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Although approximately 60,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this life-changing disease each year, it seems to affect men more than women. Studies show that men are 1.5 times more likely to have PD.

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

People with Parkinson’s disease face challenges with movement. It is a neurological disorder that happens when the brain produces less and less dopamine, a chemical in the brain referred to as the “feel-good neurotransmitter.” Dopamine is released in the brain during or after experiencing feelings of pleasure. For example, eating the forbidden bowl of ice cream or taking a cool shower after running a marathon. It is also responsible for improving mood, alertness and controls movement. People who believe they have this disease should seek medical advice, diagnosis or treatment immediately.

Most Common Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease gradually develop. The symptoms may manifest differently from person to person. The most common symptoms include:

• shaky hands or tremors in the hands, arms, legs or jaws
• slow movements called bradykinesia
• muscle stiffness that affects your range of motion
• Problems with posture and balance that affects walking or standing

These are just a few PD symptoms that progressively get worse over time. Other problems that may develop as the disease progresses include the inability to perform routine tasks for daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, talking and writing. Parkinson’s patients also often have symptoms around vision and bladder control. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, the good news is there are assistive devices to help patients perform daily activities.

Specially Designed Devices for Parkinson’s Patients

Patients with Parkinson’s disease may find performing certain everyday tasks challenging. Sitting down to eat, taking a bath or shower, getting dressed or going for a walk can be challenging for people with Parkinson’s, even dangerous. As we age, accidental falls become commonplace. However, people with Parkinson’s risk of falling is two times greater than the average older adult.

There is a simple solution to help people with Parkinson’s disease regain their sense of independence — to use specially designed adaptive devices made specifically for Parkinson’s patients. A few of those devices are listed below along with a brief description of what they do.

Eating and Drinking Aids for Parkinson’s Patients

There are several options for assistance with eating and drinking. A few of those options include eating with heavy weighted eating utensils or utensils with handles that swivel. Weighted eating utensils are designed to help steady the hand while utensils with swiveling handles help steady the eating utensil. Likewise with weighted drinking cups and cups with swiveling handles. The weight of the cup keeps the shaking hand steady and the swiveling handle keeps the cup steady when filled with liquid.

In addition to eating utensils and drinking adaptive devices, using inner-lip plates and bowls with non-skid bottoms are also options. For those having trouble getting food onto the eating utensil, adding plate guards will help. Another option is placing Dycem under plates and bowls. This special non-slip material keeps plates and bowls from sliding off the table.

Dressing and Grooming Aids for Parkinson’s Patients

Essential hand tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease make it challenging to button your shirt or brush your teeth. Just like the weighted eating utensils, there are weighted button aids and weighted universal holders. The weighted universal holder works with your toothbrush, razor, hair comb and hair brush. Just add any one of these personal grooming items to the weighted handle and it helps steady the hand for users to complete the task.

Bathing and Toileting Aids for Parkinson’s Patients

The best solution for bathing is to add grab bars or tub rails. Installation is usually easy and the devices are relatively inexpensive. Use the grab bars or tub rails to steady yourself while bathing. In addition, add toilet rails around the toilet or raised toilet seats to prevent accidental falls when using the toilet.

Mobility Aids and for Parkinson’s Patients

Parkinson’s patients who have problems with walking or standing, should consider investing in a mobility walker or rollator. They both are designed to help you steady yourself while walking or standing, and the rollator offers a convenient seat for resting.

These are just a few adaptive devices to aid Parkinson’s patients. The use of these enable users to maintain their independence to perform daily living activities for themselves. There may be times when assistance from a caregiver or family member is required. In those cases, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Belo Cipriani: Where are you from and where do you live now?

Jim Blacksten: I was born in Oroville, California. I attended junior high and senior high school in Chico and I graduated from Chico Senior High School.

I currently live in San Francisco. My office is at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services (BHHS), Drysdale Properties, 1715 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

Also, I have lived in Burlingame and in Daly City, California.

BC: What inspired you to become a real estate agent?

JB: Back in 2010, I was reading emails from people who decided to go into real estate — buying and selling homes. A number of these people just bought homes, fixed them up, and flipped for profits. Many of them made very good money, and they performed a lot of their work online. I am inspired to do the same as a visually impaired person.

I am also inspired to build part of my business with U.S. service members and veterans in San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay, South Bay, and throughout northern California. I’d like to assist veterans, as buyers here in San Francisco, to find their homes.

Also, I’d like to eventually become a real estate investor, which is really what inspired me to secure my California real estate license.

BC: What were some of the initial challenges in selecting real estate as a career path?

JB: I have taken and passed nine courses in real estate from City College of San Francisco (CCSF), which qualifies me to obtain a broker’s license after working for two years in the field. I have also taken and passed the California real estate exam for realtors, and am under contract with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services as a realtor.

One large challenge had to do with the CCSF Disabled Students Program Services (DSPS) converting printed books and materials into a digital, readable format for my text-to-speech software program (JAWS), which is keyboard driven to read the text and charts to me. Also, I had the challenge of working with instructors to make sure they explained what materials were being printed by them (i.e. on the class blackboard, or on projectors in PowerPoint format).

Then, I had to find a brokerage firm interested in bringing me on under contract as a realtor, as well as a manager who would be ready, willing, and able to champion my cause. Fortunately, I had an instructor (Carol Jensen), who taught the class I took in property management who believed in me, and what I could do. She introduced me to James Caldwell who is my manager today with BHHS.

BC: What adaptive technology do you use to do your work?

JB: I use the text-to-speech program Job Access with Speech (JAWS), which is a software program that is keyboard driven to assist me with reading the text information on the computer screen. Also, I use a device called a braille display, which converts the information on the computer screen into electronic braille, which I can read with my fingers. In other words, this BAUM Braille Display works as text-to-braille, and works in conjunction with JAWS. The BAUM Braille Display produces 40 characters of information at a time: I press the advance bar allowing me to read the next line of 40 characters, and so forth. Also, I have a unit called the Hims Notetaker, which is a personal data assistant with a built-in braille display of 32 characters. This unit has its own text-to-speech program that works in conjunction with the braille display for this particular Hims unit.

BC: How do clients respond to your disability?

JB: Thus far, everyone has responded favorably to me as a visually impaired person. I have also served as a Senior Accounts Representative as well as a consultant, and have met quite a number of clients, all of which were positive experiences. As long as I have a very positive attitude, and appear to know exactly what I am doing as a professional California realtor, clients and colleagues respond favorably. I have to say that Acura, my guide dog, in some cases, is a strong ally, and helps to break the ice in some introductory conversations.

BC: Do you know of any other blind real estate agents?

JB: I do not know of any other visually impaired persons that are realtors here in California. There are two others that I’ve heard of, though. One is located in the eastern U.S. and the other is in Canada.

BC: What projects are you working on now?

JB: I am currently working with Eddie Ramirez, who spearheads OneVet OneVoice and is sponsoring veteran home buyers workshops. We are scheduled to hold our first workshop this Thursday evening, July 23, 2015, at Mama’s Art Café on 4754 Mission Street, where Eddie Ramirez is a co-owner.

OneVet OneVoice is also working on bringing veterans together to be housed in a new building on Van Ness Avenue starting in October of 2015. We expect to assist in spearheading the home services section of this grand opening.

And, I am working toward becoming a successful listing agent.

BC: How may people contact you?

JB: Jim Blacksten, Realtor (CALBRE #01951334) at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Drysdale Properties. I can be reached by phone (Cell: 415-297-3084; Office: 415-655-9007) or email (jim.blacksten@bhhsdrysdale.com or jimeblacksten@gmail.com). You can also find me on the web at www.jimblacksten.com.

Photo courtesy of Jim Blacksten

Belo Cipriani: Why did you feel the need to put together an audiobook?

Ashok Rajamani: For one simple reason: to make my book accessible to members of my family, i.e., the brain injury community and the blind/visually handicapped community.

These were my most important readers, and it broke my heart that they weren’t able to fully enjoy the book. Many of my blind and/or brain-injured readers were having difficulties accessing the story. Plus, I always think it’s a great experience for any reader to hear a memoir — a true, personal journey — told in the memoirist’s own voice.

BC: What was the process of producing the audiobook?

AR: To begin with, there was the issue of getting back my audio rights. Many authors, when they get their book contract, give their publisher audio rights. Do not do that! You end up with your publisher doing the parking garage scenario: Buying a car just to own it, but never actually driving it. They get your audio rights, and never do anything with it — and you end up missing out. You lose the possibility of taking your book to new creative lengths and bringing it to customers who cannot read print books. I’m delighted that I was able to regain my rights with the help of a good lawyer.

Next, after getting back those rights, I had to figure out how to get the audiobook made. At first I planned to go to ACX, Amazon’s audiobook wing that offers narrators and producers who can work for a fee, or free with royalty share. ACX used to have a great royalty program, which would award authors up to 90% of royalties. But now, it’s just 20% or 40% for exclusive distribution. This didn’t feel right to me, as I would be narrating the audiobook myself. Also, ACX gets your audiobook out digitally only, and, like I said, I wanted my book to have a physical release as well.

BC: Sounds like quite a major journey!

AR: That was just the beginning. Since I wanted to narrate it myself, I had to figure out where to record it. I couldn’t just use the mic on my computer. I had to find a professional studio, and finding the right studio takes time. Studios can cost insane amounts of money. Many narrators have their own home studios, so high cost isn’t an issue. But if you want to do it yourself, do the obvious: research, research, research. Do enough research and you can find a studio with the right price for you. That’s how I found mine.

BC: After finding a studio, what was the process of recording like, and did you have to do anything differently because of your disability?

AR: The studio was pretty glamorous, all sleek and shiny. There was an enclosed recording booth, facing the sound engineer and director. I had to sit on a stool and read my book from an iPad. This is an unabridged audiobook, which means I had to say EVERY word correctly. For example, if I said ‘a’ instead of ‘an,’ I had to say the sentence all over again! Due to my form of bisected blindness, I could barely see half the pages, so I made quite a few mistakes. Because of the brain injury, I would miss pages and have to re-read. And because of that damn director, I would have to re-pronounce the word ‘figure’ every time it was in the book. I say the word figure like ‘trigger,’ and he wanted me to say it like ‘fig-year.’ But I’m proud to say, I finished the whole recording, even though it was the hardest thing to do. I also foolishly chose a studio that was situated in the heart of Times Square. And this was recorded during the height of summer. So not only did I have to deal with the stress of recording, but I had to deal with trying to navigate through mobs and mobs of people in sweat-soaked New York City. For normal-sighted people, this means major trouble. For blinded and visually handicapped people, this is a downright nightmare! But after the 6 weeks of being in the studio, I finished. Busted, exhausted and torn up like a Vietnam vet.

BC: You got your rights back, decided how to produce it, and recorded it in the studio. What was the next step?

AR: Well, now that the whole shebang was done, I had to find the right distributor, one who could get my book out everywhere, in all versions. Again, that took research. I’m happy with the distributor I eventually chose.

BC: What was your family’s reaction to your audiobook?

AR: My folks had three reactions. The first one was expected: they found it hilarious and loved the comedy. The second reaction was expected too: they found it very difficult to hear me recount my pain. It was hard enough for them to read my book; the difficult health situations and hospital horrors hurt them deeply. Obviously, listening to one’s child recounting his/her pain is a tough thing for any parent to handle. The last reaction was expected too: they wanted to shoot me for the way I performed my father’s accent.

BC: Where can people buy your audiobook?

AR: People can buy it it through many retailers, with multiple options. It is available as a digital work, an actual physical CD and an MP3 CD, and it is also available for loan on some sites. Here are the stores where it is available for purchase — physical edition or digital edition:
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble.com and store
Audible
iTunes

Plus, audiobooks.com, Simply Audiobooks, Findaway World, Overdrive, spoken word, Midwest Tape, Downpour, Blackstone Audio, Ambling Books, eMusic, Baker & Taylor, Follett, LearnoutLoud, Midwest Tapes, Recorded Books

BC: What’s next for you?

AR: I’m excited to say that after releasing The Day My Brain Exploded through a traditional publisher, Algonquin Books, I’ve decided to abandon the old ways. The issues of dealing with a traditional publisher are really not worth it — life is too short. So I’ve now decided to go indie, enter the modern era, and release all my work electronically. As such, I formed my own entertainment production company called Spiral Mirror Entertainment. It is so named because the company intends to take on e-based projects that shake up society and offer a reflection that spirals the norm. The Day My Brain Exploded: The Audiobook is our first project. Coming up next is my second work, an e-book entitled If These Saris Could Talk, which reveals the lives of a group of subversive, transgressive Indian women, presenting a whole new definition of what femininity means. It will accompany a fabulous audiobook performed by a famous British Indian actress. Other upcoming projects include “Prose on Peace” — an e-collection of blog posts by a post-modern Catholic Peace Director, which will show entirely new ways true peace can be achieved spiritually.

BC: Ashok, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Making an audiobook on your own, especially for a person with disabilities, really does seem like a daunting mission. If you had a chance to do this all over again, would you?

AR: In a heartbeat.

To learn more about Ashok Rajamani, you can visit his website, AshokRajamani.com, and find him on Facebook.

“The FingerReader is a wearable device that assists in reading printed text. It is a tool both for visually impaired people that require help with accessing printed text, as well as an aid for language translation. Wearers scan a text line with their finger and receive an audio feedback of the words and a haptic feedback of the layout: start and end of line, new line, and other cues. The FingerReader algorithm knows to detect and give feedback when the user veers away from the baseline of the text, and helps them maintain a straight scanning motion within the line.” (MIT Media Lab)

Recently, we were able to speak with Roy Shilkrot, a 4th year PhD student that works at the MIT Media Lab, to learn a bit more about the FingerReader.

Belo Cipriani: How did the FingerReader project come together?

Roy Shilkrot: The FingerReader came together after spending about 3 years developing a number of finger-worn prototypes, focusing on assisting people with visual impairments. Finally, we closed in on reading printed text, as we realized this application could make a big impact, and we actually have some interesting new approaches to suggest to traditional methods.

BC: What were some of the early challenges?

RS: The challenges are getting the device to work consistently and robustly for different people and text material. We are still looking for the right way to guide people effectively in reading text without being able to see it.

BC: How many blind people have helped with the testing of the FingerReader?

RS: We relied very much on the Visually Impaired and Blind User Group (VIBUG) that meets at MIT. They are a big group of people with different conditions of low vision, and multiple people from the group helped us shape it and test it.

BC: When do you think it may hit the market?

RS: The process to productize such a device is estimated at a one to two year period, during which we would focus on further development, manufacturing and preparing the distribution methods.

BC: Are you working on other accessibility projects?

RS: My work is in assistive technology, but not necessarily for people with any sensorial impairment, as I believe certain situations put all people in a position of lesser capacity. It happens every time we learn a new language or learn to use a new tool… So, my work spans the spectrum of assisting people with special needs to people with temporary or voluntary special needs.

To learn more about the FingerReader, visit the MIT Media Lab website and/or view this product Q&A.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, a contributing columnist for South Florida Gay News, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Photo: Courtesy of Fluid Interfaces Group, MIT Media Lab

Belo Cipriani: You have an MFA in creative writing and you are a chef. Do you split your time evenly between writing and cooking?

Christine Ha: I very much would like to, but it’s been quite difficult carving out the time to sit down and write seriously since completing my MFA last year. I have been working on a memoir, but nowadays, I seem to do a lot more food-related things. As an outlet, however, I think it’s important to keep a balance in life, which means a chef shouldn’t always be in the kitchen, but rather, he/she needs to find other hobbies that can renew the mind and soul and feed the creativity. I do make time to write my blog (www.theblindcook.com) weekly, so that keeps me a little sane.

BC: What was the process like for organizing the recipes in your cookbook?

CH: First, I thought about what sort of recipes I’d like to include, and immediately a theme emerged: comfort food. After collecting the recipes I’d had thus far, the editor and I played around with the recipes, trying to see how we could divide them into categories or sub-themes that made the most sense. Then we went back and rounded out the chapters so the numbers of recipes were relatively even throughout. For example, my “Something Sweet”/dessert chapter was minimal, because I’m not a baker nor much of a sweets person, so I had to think of what additional dishes I could include. Then came a lot of recipe testing and kitchen experimenting.

BC: Do you use any assistive technology for the blind to cook?

CH: I mostly depend on tactile stickers marking my burner knobs and appliances. When necessary, I use a digital talking scale, a talking thermometer, a liquid level indicator, and Braille labels (mostly on my spices). I also have many other devices like the iGrill, but they are not a part of my daily use.

BC: How does your family deal with your blindness?

CH: My husband is great. He doesn’t ever patronize me — in fact, we joke that he kind of gives me “tough love.” He is not the most careful sighted guide, but I think it encourages me to be more independent. The rest of my family is good, too. When I first lost my vision, they were unsure of what I needed, i.e. how much help vs. how little to give. They felt helpless and had never dealt with a visually impaired person before, so their gauge of assistance or how they treated me was polar. But now, they know my capabilities and also my needs, and they’re good.

BC: Do you have any plans for writing a novel?

CH: I have a novel, a collection of short stories, a one-act play, and some poetry. The novel and collection are quite incomplete, though the play and poems are more or less closer to their final drafts, if not already there. My memoir has been my focus.

BC: What’s your favorite cookbook?

CH: I actually don’t have one. I used to read them a lot more when I had my vision — a lot of the cookbook reading experience, I’ve found, lies in the visual stimulation of the food photos. I will, however, tell you what I’m currently listening to: Becoming A Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg (for the second time), and The Professional Chef, by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Just for kicks, here are other books I’m currently reading (I’m always reading a bunch at once): The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole (in Braille), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey (for the second time), The 4-Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris, and The New Yorker and InStyle magazines.

BC: Any cooking advice for people who are newly blind and are still shy around the kitchen?

CH: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Yes, play it safe at the beginning by having a sighted person around to help. But you only get stronger by making and learning from your mistakes. I still make mistakes all the time in the kitchen. Learn to laugh about it.

You can learn more about Christine Ha by visiting her website, TheBlindCook.com. She also invites you to connect with her on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, at @theblindcook and @ChristineHHa.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and  YouTube.

Photo: Mitch Mandel Rondale

The paratransit driver lurches to a stop outside the Tribune Towers in downtown Chicago, but I don’t hear the driver bark my name because I am deep in a book, as I have been ever since the two-hour site-seeing tour began. When I finally hear the driver barking my name, I immediately spring up, grab my cane, portfolio, and waltz down the bus steps onto pavement. From past experience, I know that the drivers drop me off at the entrance, plus I see masses of colorful blurs opening something ahead of me where a cool breeze tickles my skin. I follow the breeze until I am in the Chicago Tribune lobby, my portfolio ignorant of the opportunity I’m advocating for. If my resume hadn’t been so flashy, I never would have landed the job interview. If my letters of recommendation didn’t warble with the practiced fervor of a songster, the interviewer would not have considered me. I’m glad my old age of 24 doesn’t hold me back from epic chances to prove I have the chops to write without a bachelor’s degree.

As I take a step closer toward this different world, the world of big time news, I think to myself, “I know these older folks are wishing they had as wicked of a hairstyle as I do.” As I tap my way inside, leading a marching band that only I can see, I begin to wonder what my blindness will do for me. I saunter up to the handsome black security guard and wave my state ID at him like a baton. My cane pines for attention as well, as it decides to linger upright in my armpit. I want him to marry me. He looks dashing.

“Welcome sir. How can I help you?”

“I’m here for a job interview with Tracy.” There’s a pause where the guard contemplates how he will handle the fate of the future by letting me through to the waiting room.

“A job interview?” he asks, knowing my blindness better than I do.

“Yes, I’m here to see Tracy D for a 1:00 job interview.”

“Really?” he asks, able to predict how my blindness will be the death of the Chicago Tribune.

“Yes. Really. I even dressed up!” I say gleefully, silently thanking the gay gods for a gay friend who is darker than this man, cuter, and smarter about fashion than I am. The guard makes a few phone calls and when he, indeed, learns that I am here for a job interview, his voice drowns in apologies as he helps me to a chair in the lobby. I notice that there’s new paint and this becomes more apparent the longer I sit in the waiting room. People clip clop their way past me. A few editors are barking into their cell phones yelling at their writers about deadlines. Perfumes and colognes keep wafting past my nostrils every few minutes as I tap my cane on the wood floor, learning all the emergency exits and procedures and policies thanks to a repeating training video to my left. I wonder if it’s closed-captioned. The longer I sit there, because I’m early, the more astonished I am at how many different perfumes and colognes someone can drown in. I don’t smell the same fragrant twice. I think I’m going crazy. I’m nervous. I don’t know if I should be a blind guy and jam ear buds in my ears and continue reading Star Wars or if I should concentrate for different pairs of shoes. Surely, the hiring manager would have shoes that sound more elegant as they tap the wood.

I hoist my writing portfolio in my lap, wondering if I have too many letters of recommendation and not enough clippings. I wonder if I should have even brought paper clippings, because I sent links the other day when they gave a small email interview, because I have a stutter. I’m wondering if people are staring at my youth as they walk past, wafting every fragrance in the United States with each step.

I suddenly decide that I really want to finish this chapter, so I jam the ear buds into my BookSense, refusing to care about how stereotypical I look. Besides, I had another gay guy dress me up this morning, because I would have also stereotypically walked in with mismatched shirts and sweaters. I wonder why braille is so confusing. Who will I meet here? What kind of questions will they ask in the interview? Why did I skip the tea this morning despite Jamaal’s urgings? How can I get him to think of new racial jokes?

Just as the chapter finishes, and Luke gets captured, elegant sounding shoes step towards me with purpose and slight hesitation. I know this is the woman interviewing me because her perfume is the best I have smelled all day and it doesn’t want to make me write an editorial. She steps closer, thinning the visual thread, allowing me to see what she looks like. Her face makes me believe she smiles for a living.

“Robert Kingett?” she asks, wondering if I will be the downfall of the Chicago Tribune because of my lack of cologne.

“Yes,” I say, standing up and smiling wider than a final contraction before shaking her hand. I’m thankful my teeth are white. I’m also thankful I sent her links to my work and my resume the day before. My print portfolio feels heavier than it did a minute ago. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here!” I boast. Her smile competes with mine. We’re in a smiling contest. I will lose because she’s an expert and I’m an intermediate.

“I’m really excited to have you here, too! How do you want to do this? Do you want to grab my elbow or follow me?” I decide that the world can be safe from me bumping into things today and take her elbow. As we walk into a carpeted hallway, I excitedly listen to my possible future as we navigate various turns. Phones ring, air swooshes past me at random intervals, people are saying that the coffee needs more sugar even though it’s 1pm, people laugh at funny quotes, and  atmospheric and furniture smells trickle in and out of my nose as we race towards the finish line, with her explaining that we entered different parts of the newsroom. Doors halt our steady march for a few seconds but we continue onward talking as if we’re already in a clique. She tells me she really likes the articles that she’s been reading and sharing, and I manage to say much more clever things than “thank you” repeatedly.

We finally make it to the room that will decide my future and she and I sit in very comfy chairs that I want to steal so I can watch Netflix on them. A few more people come into the room, including a few more editors, an assistant, and laptops. Before long, the interview begins. She’s read about me online, so she has different questions for me than I expect.

“Your letters of recommendation were utterly glowing! You’re only 24?”

“Yes,” I say, not knowing if I should add to this. I add to this by saying, “I’m thankful they wrote so much about me! I’m also very happy about the work I’ve produced. I’m very passionate about my quality.”

“I know! Do you know how many times I’ve shared your articles and interviews? A lot! Now, you’ve said that you are still in school, yes? Community college, right?”

“Yes,” I say, wishing I had Denzel Washington there to stroke my hand and still my screaming heart. The stutter draws all of my answers out, as if I’m stretching vowels because I’m marveling at my own sentence structure. I want to go on a date soon. I wonder what question she will ask. Chairs produce noises of shifting bodies. I’m wondering if any of these African American men think I’m attractive. Should I say less, more? Should I stop imagining myself in the newsroom?

“You’re only a freshman, judging by your resume. How did you get to be published in so many venues?” I’m about to have a heart attack. I think my hair is utterly wonderful.

“I’m just a diligent person. When I set my sites on a goal, I do everything I can to achieve it, including learning from my past mistakes, such as with editing and the like. I just worked very hard and learned because I wanted to achieve my goal. I want to be a valuable reporter anywhere that I go.” My cerebral palsy is making me jerk slightly as I talk. I hear typing on keyboards, knowing that the other editors are taking notes on what pizza they want to have tonight. A few look my way as if I’m the chief reporter. Perhaps I will be. I imagine myself going out with one of them. I think I have said too much.

“Well, can I just say I am amazed at how calm you look? Usually college students are sweating bullets in here.” I smile.

“Thank you! I’ve learned that everything works epically with a collective noggin. Otherwise, pizza delivery guys would get lost.” There are a lot of genuine chuckles that dance around the table as if we’re doing a microphone test.

“I totally agree,” Tracy says, wondering why I am so young. “So did you learn AP style on your own?”

“Well, yes. I had to. I know that’s a style I will use, so why wait for someone to teach it to me? For example, I know that…” I forget what I’m going to say. “I know that with states, there’s a three letter abbreviation instead of the two letter abbreviation, among other things. AP style is a standard and I want to be the best I can be, so I just decided to learn it.”

“Interesting! How many times are you out in the field?” She means interviewing. Should I tell her about the BookSense I have? I think I will. I brandish it as I talk.

“I’m usually out in the field interviewing people rather than doing email and or phone interviews because I’ve had stories where, say, an email interview wouldn’t give me the information I needed for the story. When I write human interest stories, I want to tell their stories how they tell it, in their own voices. I record interviews on this BookSense. It’s a really cool player that will allow me to listen to books, recorded notes, and documents.” I show them the player, playing a Star Wars excerpt, knowing any professional journalist would never describe something as a cool device. I’m sure I won’t get the job. I imagine myself going on an assignment, telling someone I’m with the Tribune.

There’s a collective gasp around the table as if I’m doing brain surgery.

“Oh my god! I need one of these!” one of the editors says as I demonstrate the recording function.

A few minutes later, the serious questions start hitting home.

“Who do you read, as far as news outlets?” I have no idea how to answer this one.

“I read a lot of different articles from a lot of different publications, but I don’t religiously read the same publication. I’ve read a bunch of articles from a number of writers on a number of websites, including the Tribune, USA Today, The Herald, BBC, and a bunch of other stuff.” I conclude with a smile, my nerves straining to be rational.

“That’s great! Diversity is really great; it means that you have different angles to the same story.”

“I know,” I say before I can stop myself, but then I quickly add, “I just enjoy all kinds of news in all places. I like examining different perspectives.” There are smiles spreading throughout the editors like they are a tidal wave.

“That’s wonderful! With all this experience, have you ever been in a newsroom before?”

“No, I have not been in a newsroom before, at all,” I say, feeling the tension shift in the room. There’s a long pause, and then Tracy says, “A newsroom is very hectic. You have a lot of people running around and the like. Boy, I tell you, sometimes it’s difficult for ME to navigate around there.” I smile because I know I’m doomed, but I want to leave them with a quote, at least, that they will remember as they are hiring someone else. I imagine myself sitting in a newsroom and Tracy approaching me, giving me a medal that touts employee of the year on it. I don’t think I will get the job. I will be the best reporter at the Tribune.

“I can imagine. I’ve been in a newsroom for meetings and stuff, but the way I look at it is, if I can fill out a tax return than a newsroom shall be no match for me!” There’s a collective chuckle and this makes me feel good. She will tell me that I’m hired in a few days and then I will be a reporter here. I know this will happen, because I won’t order pizza tonight and everything will happen smoothly if I don’t order pizza. My heart threatens to rip out of my skin a few times before the interviewee goes,

“Do you have any questions for me?”

“No. I don’t. I do want to say that I enjoy the work that you guys do, though.” Everyone stands up and shakes my hand hard, marveling at my hair and choice of clothes. The interview lasted an hour, and I wonder what happens next in the Star Wars book.

A few days later, I receive an email from Tracy telling me that, even though I was stellar, they have chosen to go ahead and hire someone with more experience. I listen to the email several times, glad that I don’t have to worry or think about it anymore. It’s done. The stellar interview is over, and I’m still a freelancer who doesn’t wear cologne. I decide to order pizza that night, because pizza makes everything better. I order one with peperoni because I want to have cold pizza tomorrow. The Tribune didn’t hire me because I didn’t have epic cologne on during the job interview. Ah well, at least they got to hear a bit of Star Wars.

Robert Kingett is a disability journalist, covering every disability in every subcategory, even business. He is also a blogger and video game critic in Chicago, who reviews mainstream titles on the basis of accessibility for mainstream gaming publications. He’s also a motivational speaker and the creator of the Accessible Netflix Project, as well as an activist for various other campaigns for LGBT equality and disability advancements. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Photo: Courtesy of Robert Kingett

Belo Cipriani: What is your background and why did you establish the Blind Institute of Technology?

Mike Hess: An English proverb states,  “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I began my journey as a disabled person at the age of 7 in a small, Midwestern town in Ohio. As an April Fools baby, I had an affinity towards acting like the class clown. In fact, I wanted to sit in the back of the class cracking jokes as early as 1^st grade. I quickly moved to the front of the class after I realized I would not be able to see the chalkboard. However, I was still unable to fully participate. After several larger town visits to more sophisticated optometrists, I ended up in a large Cleveland hospital where my mother and I were told that I was losing my sight and would be completely blind by the age of 18. At that age, I had no idea what blind even meant. When I asked my mom, she simply said that I was going to be special. At this point, in many ways, I began to fulfill her prophecy.

My mom was determined to keep me within the public schools and did not want to send me off to a school for blind and deaf children. Disabled children are placed into special learning programs within the public school system. I was no different. This established a clear line in the sand with my classmates, plainly stating, “I’m different.”  However, I maintained my belief that I was special, regardless of the large print books and dark colored paper to aid me in my learning. I learned to make friends quickly because fitting in was not an option. I also refused to allow schoolmates to bullyrag me just because I was blind. Therefore, I stayed the course throughout my thousand-mile journey because either I engaged new people through shenanigans or I played tough.

Junior high school quickly came and we ended up in Colorado and I began using low vision technologies for the first time. My secondary educational life was now a mix of learning life as a total blind person through cane training and Braille classes, and low-vision technologies.

After high school and a couple years of junior college classes, I enrolled at the Community College of Denver (CCD). I studied programming while in college and began a career in Information Technology (IT). I graduated from CCD in 1995 with a certificate in application programming where I also received the Student of the Year award from The Computer Training for People with Disabilities Program (CTPD).

Of course, throughout my college career, challenges continued to present themselves. With the limited technology at that time, I needed to collaborate with others and utilize alternate methods to achieve success. As an example, I paired up with a partner that had carpal tunnel syndrome. I was able to type while she acted as our eyes. So as a blind young person, I had experienced the shunning of one who is different, the thrill of achieving like one who is not and continued to grow in the belief that my journey was meant for greatness.

Immediately after college, I married my wife and adopted my two daughters. Our family then grew again in 2008 with the addition of a little boy. I believe it is important to demonstrate to my children that my disability should not affect my life and that I am just as capable as someone who has sight. My kids experience a dad who attempts all mental, physical or emotional challenges. They have lived my mantra that my vision loss is simply a mere inconvenience and nothing more. They have watched me keep a positive attitude throughout all my trials and tribulations. They have seen me compete at martial arts tournaments, snow and water ski, run half marathons and climb 14,000-foot mountains. My kids have witnessed me working 16-hours days to create business-valued systems and spend hours on a bus each day to keep my employment. Finally, they have been my driving force when it seemed like the world was unfair. My family has been my excuse to thrive, my joy and support throughout all my successes and challenges.

My journey has been thrilling thus far, as I have climbed corporate ladders, martial arts belts and literal mountains. However, my thousand miles is far from over — the next phase of my journey is materializing before my mind’s eye with Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). BIT was founded in February 2013 with the mission of preparing the visually impaired, and the employers who hire them, for success in the workplace. BIT strives to close the gap between the blind and their sighted counterparts by providing relevant business-valued skills. Because of my personal successes, I initially focused BIT’s efforts on education, coaching, and job placement services for the blind.

Belo: How did you acquire the funds for your organization?

Mike: My wife and I went “all in.” With my wife’s support, we used our life’s savings to establish the legal entity with the Secretary of State and the IRS. My goal is to create a legacy for myself and not just a six-figure income in the corporate environment.

Belo: What services do you provide?

Mike: A list of BIT Programs:

Employer Education & Outreach: Educating employers about the untapped pool of talent found in the visually impaired community, and the actionable steps they can take to make blind employees a valuable addition to their own workforce.

Workplace Preparation: Preparing the employer’s workforce and worksite to support successful employment of visually impaired candidates.

Certifications & Training Programs: Developing and increasing the visually impaired’s access to certification programs in project management and technical skills.

Staffing & Placements: Helping Colorado employers recruit, train and maintain a talented workforce through low-cost staffing and placement services.

Belo: How many people have you helped? How did you help them?

Mike: We have secured 7 paid opportunities thus far and spoken with hundreds of executives across the country. We have delivered dozens of workshops and keynotes illustrating the many assets and advantages the visually impaired community brings to an organization. BIT has recently signed a contract with a global organization that will allow us to place hundreds of blind people.

Belo: What are some of the institute’s future plans?

Mike: We will continue to execute on all four programs and focus on opening eyes through BIT.

Belo: How can people get in touch with you?

Mike: In addition to our website, you can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Logo courtesy of the Blind Institute of Technology

When I decided to become a writer, I figured that my past experience as a recruiter coupled with a big dose of eagerness would make landing my first writing gig not as challenging. Unaware of the obstacles ahead, I retired from an eight year career in staffing and belly flopped into the competitive field of writing.

I’m now a freelance writer and I’m always looking for my next gig. Initially it was frustrating to hear undertones of fear or confusion in the voices of the hiring managers when I revealed my blind side to them over the phone or to get the novelty treatment while interviewing in person, which never lead to job offers. My luck began to change thanks to the help of a television commercial. A few years ago, Samsung was running an advertisement that featured a blind woman and her guide dog as she used her phone on the beach. Everyone mentioned the commercial to me and suggested I contact Samsung for a job; I even got the same phone she had as a gift.

Realizing the impact of demonstrating a blind person using a cell phone had on my circle of friends prompted me to carry my adaptive equipment with me to job interviews. I heard sighs of awe and admiration whenever I showed the people interviewing me my laptop and talking dictionary. I began to hear “When can you start?” instead of “We will be in touch.”

I believe that more employers would hire blind workers if movies, commercials, and print ads showed more blind people doing day to day mundane things. Currently, the media showcases people of all shades of skin and cultures; I look forward to the day more companies use disabled people in their marketing, as we also buy their products.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.