[blindza] Re: Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness

Makes some sense - my wife used to be quite adept/active in labour law - but 
who knows.

Again also comes down to the one occupational therapist, back in 2007 telling 
me that roundabout the most common job for blindies, apart from call centre 
operators was to sit in a corner, drink coffee, and be part of AA as such - no, 
thank, you...

Stay well

Jacob Kruger
Blind Biker
Skype: BlindZA
'...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carel Ewald 
  To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:35 PM
  Subject: [blindza] Re: Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness


  Jip, been thinking a lot about using this as a marketing strategy, where I 
would get the agent to send me to the interview without actually seeing the 
agent, going to the interview and explaining to the customer why he would 
rather be using me as a recruiting agent that a company who in the first place 
cannot read a CV, and also not even screen candidates.

   

  The only way to get this right, is when some blind person takes a recruiting 
company to the CCMA, get a judgment against the recruitment firm and the 
company using the services of that recruiting agent and get this case law 
publicized and used in every training course.

   

  Trust me, every training provider would use this as case law - just ask any 
industrial relations person who attended a training course of the case law of 
Mrs. Whitehead vs. Woolworths..

   

   

  Thanks,

   

  Carel Ewald

   

  From: Jacob Kruger [mailto:jacobk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:26 PM
  To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [blindza] Re: Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness

   

  Main thing with my field is that I would specifically want an active job as 
such, so first thing you want them to understand is how you can handle it/the 
fact that some things aren't really an issue as such - if that makes sense - 
but another thing that makes me want to laugh at them is they know my one 
e-mail address is @blindza.co.za, and that my skype username is BlindZA - hint! 
hint!

   

  Stay well


  Jacob Kruger
  Blind Biker
  Skype: BlindZA
  '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Carel Ewald 

    To: blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

    Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:18 PM

    Subject: [blindza] Re: Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness

     

    Hi,

     

    Now, I am a recruiting agent and kind of understand the legal implications 
behind this.

     

    If a recruiting agent phones you (and I must add that the persons doing 
recruitment these days are a sad bunch of people that have done the profession 
a great deal of harm - and yes there is still some good ones), discuss the job, 
ask him/her name, get the company he/she is recruiting for  and  if he/she 
invites you for an interview, ask him if he has noticed on your CV that you are 
blind. If he has not, he can unfortunately not tell you that he does not want 
to see you anymore because of your disability, because that would be 
discrimination. If he/she  does say he does not think you would be qualified 
for the job, ask him to explain to him why he thinks that and most of the time 
you will find ignorance on his/her part. In my case I have studied engineering 
and worked in maintenance, definitely a job a blind person cannot do, so the 
agent is now in a predicament  - based on discrimination charges and the fact 
that I can take him to the CCMA to which he/she and the company he/she is 
recruiting for is held separately and jointly accountable for the 
discrimination where they need to prove that I was unable to do the job or were 
not selected because another person was better qualified then me.

     

    After explaining to the person in what predicament he has let himself into, 
tell him to in future read the CV decently. Not sure if it is working but 
trying to educate them one at a time. 

     

     

    Thanks,

     

    Carel Ewald

     

    From: Robin Barker [mailto:robinb@xxxxxxxxxx] 
    Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 2:54 PM
    To: Blindza Free List
    Subject: [blindza] Re: Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness
    Importance: High

     

    Hi Jacob,

    This is one of life's great mystries.  This permanently happens.  
Unfortunately they just want bodies to send for interviews etc.  They see the 
name and qualifications, and are not interested in the rest.  

    This is what you call "selective viewing" or stupidity to put it bluntly.

    I have the same problem with my surname, Barker, everyone says Baker, which 
makes me "see" red.  Every time they do it I correct them, they appologize and 
promptly do it again.  That is called "selective hearing".

    My suggestion to you is:  When they call to say they have a possible job, 
ask them if it is suitable for a "blind person".  If they say no, take their 
details and contact the manager and "throw your toys out the cot".  It feels 
great afterwards.

    Cheers

    Robin

     


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: blindza-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:blindza-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Jacob Kruger
    Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 2:34 PM
    To: BlindZA
    Subject: [blindza] Bit of a rant - about 'true' blindness

    I would like to know why some sighted people apparently make a point of 
ignoring somewhat obvious/clearly stated/relatively important facts...?

     

    In other words, where on my CV, in the top piece of details, along with my 
ID number, phone number, etc. which they can't ignore, they seem to repeatedly 
bypass the line that says:

    Disabled: Yes - Visually Impaired

     

    Also the very first, sort of intro paragraph states a few more details, 
etc., but seems like every single time a personnel agent looks at the thing, 
they don't 'see' this at all...

     

    In other words, selective vision makes some sighties a heck of a lot 
blinder than us blindies.

     

    Makes me want to laugh in their faces, but also somewhat frustrating 
sometimes.

     

    Stay well


    Jacob Kruger
    Blind Biker
    Skype: BlindZA
    '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'


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