DSB Celebrates Customers' Successes!

Fall is the time when we look back at the year and celebrate the successes of all of our customers who completed their Vocational Rehabilitation programs and went to work in, or kept, good jobs.

This year 169 individuals are now employed in competitive jobs with benefits. Three others gained independence as homemakers in order to free up a family member to go to work, for a total of 172 successes. This is not just about numbers, but about each person who is able to take charge of their life, support their family, pay taxes, and give back to their community.

Everyone is encouraged to view the list of jobs and employers.  The list is always exciting because it illustrates in what an unlimited range of professions individuals who are blind or visually impaired succeed.  It also shows the wide variety of employers who benefit from qualified employees who are blind or visually impaired.

It is interesting that out of this year’s 172, three (3) are self-employment/ small business start-ups. Ninety-five (95) are new employment outcomes. Sixty-eight (68) are individuals who were able to the gain the skills, assistive technology, and confidence needed to keep their jobs. This includes two individuals, age 84, who now work competitively as an electrical engineer and an installation helper.

More details of DSB’s customer achievements will be available in the coming weeks.

Please Touch: A Tactile Art Exhibition

Join Mount Baker Neighborhood Center for the Arts for the exhibition Please Touch, an exciting art show featuring 19 regional artists, emerging to established, providing artwork you can TOUCH and experience through the tactile sense.

Featuring: Deborah Kapoor, Nancy Stokely, Lucy Mae Martin, Randy Warren, Suzanne Tidwell, Laura Castellanos, Stacy Thurston, Elise Koncsek, Hawo Ali, Camille Jassny, Karel Hendee, Carolyn Autenrieth, Canyon Bowden, Betty Laughlin, Cara Franklin-Moytoy, John Lucas, Jane Walster, Randy Warren, and Robert Ross.

Also on display will be select work from MBNCA's collection of artwork by visually impaired artists from around the world, including the famous Turkish artist Eşref Armağan.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Location: 2919 Rainier Ave S., Seattle, WA 98144
Contact: Barbara, voice line: 206-734-1994

This special exhibition is supported by 4Culture.

Mount Baker Neighborhood Center for the Arts is a South Seattle nonprofit exhibition space focusing on artists with disabilities and from under-served communities. MBNCA exhibitions, workshops, and events are designed to provide creative experiences for ALL artists and audiences. For more information, please visit https://mtbakerarts.wordpress.com/news/.

'Access For All' technology open houses at The Seattle Public Library this fall

The Seattle Public Library and the Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) are proud to launch "Access for All: Accessibility Kits & Software" for low vision and blind patrons.

New accessibility software will be available on public computers at every Library location. All computer workstations will have ZoomText, a text-enlargement software program for low vision patrons, and JAWS, screen reading software to assist blind users.

To learn more about the software and kits, everyone is invited to attend an "Access for All" technology open house this fall. The open houses will be happening at Library locations across the city from Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Saturday, Dec. 19. Free parking is available at the branch library locations. Parking in the Central Library's parking garage is $6 after 5 p.m. and will be covered for attendees of the LEAP technology open house.

At the open houses, Library staff will give patrons hands-on access to computers with the assistive software. They will also demonstrate how to use magnifiers, Braille systems and other items in the new Accessibility Kits. Dates, times and locations for the "Access for All" technology open houses are as follows.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 at the Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., 206-386-1908.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 at the Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., 206-684-7455.

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-684-4063.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Broadview Branch, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-684-7519.

The "Access for All" kits and software are generously supported by the Safeco Insurance Fund's "Access for All" inclusion grant and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

For more information visit the Access for All page, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Department of Services for the Blind supports community events state-wide

(Seattle, WA) — September 30, 2015 — The Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is joining in commemoration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "My disability is one part of who I am."

The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Reflecting this year's theme, throughout the month, DSB will be engaging in activities to educate the community on disability employment issues and its commitment to an inclusive work culture. These efforts include hosting Open Houses in Lacey, Seattle, Tacoma, and Vancouver; promoting White Cane Safety Day proclamations at city council meetings; and participating in the Spokane Tribe of Indians Disability Access and Employment Fair, the Access Tri-Cities: 2nd Annual "Building Bridges and Breaking Down Barriers" Job Fair, and the Access Spokane Expo. More information and event times can be found at www.dsb.wa.gov.

"This year's theme encapsulates the important message that people with disabilities are just that — people," said Jennifer Sheehy, acting assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "And like all people, we are the sum of many parts, including our work experiences. Disability is an important perspective we bring to the table, but, of course, it's not the only one."

Employers and employees in all industries can learn more about National Disability Employment Awareness Month by visiting the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind at www.dsb.wa.gov or the U.S. Department of Labor at www.dol.gov/ndeam.

Opportunity for blind and visually impaired youth to share their stories

Through the Light: Profiles in Blindness

Jack Straw Cultural Center is this year’s recipient of the newly created Washington Stories Fund, which supports projects that record and share with the broader community the little-known stories of people or groups whose contributions add to the cultural richness and health of Washington state communities.  

Through the Light: Profiles in Blindness will provide opportunities for blind and visually impaired youth and adults to collect, record, and distribute their rarely heard stories to the broader public.

In this project, visually impaired youth will interview visually impaired adults about their professions, the hurdles they faced, and the successes they have achieved. Blind adults, in turn, will talk with youth about issues that concern them, including assumptions about blindness, and the resulting behaviors of blind and sighted people towards each other.  Project participants will also have opportunities to interact with the general public through a series of conversations at Seattle Public libraries.  Stories will be shared via a webpage with content recorded and produced during the project.

Jack Straw Cultural Center is currently seeking interested blind and visually impaired youth to participate in this project. If interested, please contact Daniel Guenther, engineer, at danielguenther1@hotmail.com, or call Jack Straw Cultural Center at 206-634-0919.

For more information on the Jack Straw Cultural Center, visit www.jackstraw.org.

DSB Issues RFQQ Announcement

The Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is initiating a Request for Qualifications and Quotation (RFQQ) to solicit proposals from firms interested in entering into a two-year Lease Agreement to lease student housing for the Youth Employment Solutions (YES) II Program. The Consultant will serve as the Landlord and provide the housing to accommodate the students enrolled in the YES II Program. The Agency will serve as the Tenant.

Proposals are due February 2, 2015. Interested vendors should download the complete RFQQ or get more information about working with the State of Washington.