Employment and Career Advice for Young Adults who are Blind or Have Low Vision by John Zamora, M.S., CDMS

John has been a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Consultant for 28 years. He was the president of Independent Consultants, Vocational Rehabilitation Inc., and initiated the position of Youth/Career Coordinator with the Braille Institute of America. The California State Rehabilitation Bureau appointed him as an Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE) on more than 200 cases, and he has served as an expert witness for numerous legal cases pertaining to disability and work issues.

He served as Co-Chairperson of the 2006 California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped Conference, and as a Board Member of the Southern California chapter of AER. While at the Braille Institute, he developed job fairs and work training programs that resulted in dozens of individuals returning to and maintaining employment.

John also spearheaded the development of the "Braille Challenge," an annual braille skills contest that involves hundreds of braille reading students across the United States and Canada. He has published a number of articles and is a frequent instructor and speaker at conferences and professional training programs.

Starting Your Career

Now that you’re nearing the end of your formal education, are you beginning to worry that your vision loss might prevent you from succeeding in today’s competitive job market? Are you unclear about the educational and vocational opportunities that are available to you? If these are your concerns, or those of your parents, relatives, family members, and friends, be assured that you don’t have to face these challenges alone.

Today, men and women who are blind or have low vision can succeed in a wide variety of fields, such as law, education, business, and government. With a positive attitude, family support, and good work habits and social skills, you can succeed too!

The following Questions and Answers can help you learn more about gaining work experience, locating Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and vocational services, developing a resume, sharpening your interview skills, locating funds for college support, understanding Social Security benefits and programs, obtaining a Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED), and accessing a wide range of job and employment resources.