When Susan applied for a volunteer job at her local library, she did not think she stood a chance because she had been told that her vision would make it impossible to succeed in such a position. She gave it a shot anyway.

When Susan went for the interview, the Director liked her but was unsure how to accommodate her in the job. After doing some research, the Director found WORKink Alberta and referred Susan there. WORKink Alberta was quickly able to connect Susan to Dagmar who coordinated the Opportunities Fund, offered through Human Resources Development Canada.

Dagmar was able to help Susan obtain the financing she required for assistive devices. One device is the Flipper Port, which can be aimed at text to enlarge the print onto a display or monitor, enhancing Susan’s abilities to do the job. Since the computers at the library were already accessible to persons who are blind, it was easy for Susan to adapt.

By using assistive devices, Susan is able to perform such diverse tasks as opening the morning mail, sorting and checking books, filling out forms to identify who a book belongs to, performing inter-library transfers and notifying customers when the book they reserved is available.

Susan enjoys her job immensely and has done such a good job that, with some assistance from the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, the library was able to hire Susan to perform these duties she had been doing voluntarily.

Now Susan is “flying high” doing a job she loves! She feels that self-esteem can be a challenge for many people with disabilities. But, having found a job she loves and is good at, Susan’s self-esteem is soaring.

Susan and her “partner in crime” Kendall (her guide dog) would like to remind everyone that it is possible try anything and success at anything!