[msb-alumni] Fw: Article on Richard Bernstein
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:12:39 -0500
BlankBelow this message in the wrong order, is the response from Louise
Ahern, the writer of the story on Richard Bernstein in the LSJ that was also
reprinted in the Free Press, and I'm sure many other newspapers. Below that
is the letter I wrote her expressing my concerns on the impressions that her
article might leave on the general public.
I've thought about taking this up with the head of the LSJ, Stephanie Angel,
maybe a viewpoint column could be authored as a counterbalance.
I haven't decided whether to pursue this any further. Clearly, it is
pointless to pursue it with the reporter, though.
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: Ahern, Louise
To: 'Steve'
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 8:17 PM
Subject: RE: Article on Richard Bernstein
Hi Steve,
Thank you so much for your wonderful email. It is rare when someone takes
the time anymore to put together such a thoughtful response to an article. I
deeply appreciate your comments and concerns, and you make many valid
points.
One thing I'm always cognizant of when writing about anyone, frankly, is
that no one person can ever tell the full story of anything. No one veteran
tells the story of all veterans. No one student tells the story of an entire
school. No one cancer patient tells the story of all cancer patients. And no
one blind person can tell the story of every blind person.
That means there is a delicate balance to consider. This is particularly
true when writing about persons with disabilities. There is a tendency in
the media to want to compartmentalize people with disabilities into
stereotypes - the superhero, the downtrodden, the underdog, etc. What
Richard Bernstein does and how he does it is clearly not how every blind
individual does it, and his privileged background certainly makes his life
experiences unusual. But there is another side of the balance. Do we ignore
someone's legitimately impressive accomplishments because he or she might
not be reflective of the whole?
In this case, Mr. Bernstein is an elected official. That changes things.
There were, in fact, people asking how he was logistically going to do the
job that the citizens of Michigan hired him to do. His extra staff person is
paid for by tax dollars. The taxpayers of this state absolutely must know
that he requested and was granted an additional staff member to assist him.
I understand your concerns about that sending the wrong message to other
hiring managers, but that is not a detail I can leave out. Nor can I leave
out a detail which, frankly, is amazing - that he does memorize massive
legal documents. I don't believe anyone would read his story and assume that
all blind individuals must also possess the same ability. In fact, I believe
Justice Bernstein would be upset to think that his abilities and
accomplishments would actually harm someone else's chances of landing a
fulfilling job.
Mr. Bernstein is a very genuine man who wants to connect with the citizens
of Michigan. I can say with total confidence that I believe he would enjoy
hearing from you. I certainly did.
Thank you for reading.
Warm regards,
Louise Knott Ahern
Louise Knott Ahern
Columnist & Storyteller
LSJ Media
120 E. Lenawee St., Lansing, MI 48919
P: (517) 377-1206 n F: (517) 377-1298
E: lkahern@xxxxxxx
Twitter: @weezwrites
From: Steve [mailto:hamsteve64@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 3:51 PM
To: Ahern, Louise
Subject: Article on Richard Bernstein
Dear Ms. Ahern:
I am writing as a blind individual who worked in Human Resource management
for over twenty years, both here in the Lansing area, as well as in Spokane
WA for a major aluminum integrated manufacturer. I remain deeply disturbed
by the article about Richard Bernstein--not based on your reporting but more
on the misimpression it leaves in the minds of the readers and potential
hiring managers. I will summarize some points herewith, but I'd love to
discuss my concerns further with you (contact info below).
First, I don't know how conversant Mr. Bernstein actually is with current
technology, nor do I know how well he has adapted to his blindness. I do
not have a personal relationship with him; although his father did contact
me in late July or early August of 1991 expressing concern about his son's
unwillingness to use Braille. At the time, I had relocated to Lansing and
was working at the Program for Handicapper Students at MSU, since renamed
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities. Of course, there's nothing
that can be done to coerce somebody to avail themselves of certain tools,
except to point out facts such as ninety percent of the employed blind did
use Braille. Second, Mr. Bernstein did have a big advantage in that he had
ready employment possibilities in his family's law firm. As far as his
daily blindness skills (ability to do household tasks like cooking,
cleaning, personal grooming; orientation and mobility skills), I have no
knowledge. Some blind people are raised by families who may have a natural
tendency to coddle or over-protect.
Second, and more seriously, in terms of employability of the blind, the
article raises some real concerns. Primarily, it implicitly leaves the
impression that blind people will need major and/or expensive accommodations
in order to be gainfully employed. In the article itself, Mr. Bernstein
minimizes the extra accommodation he requested as "an extra staff person".
I believe Justices are allocated five and he had a sixth person as an
accommodation. This wording tends to minimize the expense, but from a
hiring manager's perspective, it would raise some red flags. The cost to
employ an additional person, even at a minimum wage, is probably over
$25,000 by the time all wages and ancillary costs are rolled in. I assure
you that I am quite certain that had I requested an additional support
person in order for me to do my job, I would have been deep-sixed forthwith.
I've discussed this with some of my other blind friends who had managerial
positions in the private as well as governmental sectors, and to an
individual, they would not have received such a huge accommodation.
Most accommodations are not that extensive. To be clear, I did need some
accommodations. Examples: a computer with a screen reader; a scanner to read
printed material; and occasionally a reader for quicker research and for
filling out some forms. I also used a refreshable Braille device which
allowed me to keep notes; as well as maintain a large amount of reference
material at my beck and call. You can certainly store the equivalent of
hundreds of books on a Braille device that makes them searchable and
portable enough. I also made arrangements with another staff member if I
needed transportation to an off-site meeting, etc. if I couldn't arrange
something myself. In Lansing, I generally took the bus to work.
I raise this because of the criticality that hiring managers, business
owners, and the general public understand that the well-adapted, independent
blind person has the ability to function quite well with few adaptations
necessary. Those of us who have acquired the basic daily living skills can
travel quite independently. I can only think of a couple instances in my
forty-five years of traveling in various cities where I've counted steps.
We learn to identify our surroundings by other senses; relying on sounds
such as traffic patterns, counting traffic lights, identifying certain
landmarks like trees, parking lot entrances, maybe the feel of a sidewalk to
find our destination. I do admit personally that I've become more dependent
on my GPS device, but those have only been available in the last ten years
or so for the blind.
Third, the article leaves the impression that only the blind who are endowed
with an incredible photographic memory or the ability to absorb a prodigious
amount of information can succeed in a complex field as Mr. Bernstein did.
Yes, there are certain super blind people out there who were blessed with
extraordinary capabilities that they can use. But, the vast majority of us
are not so well-endowed; yet, we are capable of holding down jobs in a wide
variety of fields including manufacturing, business entrepreneurs, clerical,
managerial, and the professions.
Again, I'd love to discuss this further with you, as I'm sure other blind
people would.
Steve Pollo
3404 Pickwick Pl
Lansing, MI
hamsteve64 (at) gmail.com
323-1616 (h)
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