Concerned with barriers to employment, the NYC Placement Consortium was born in 1985 with a membership of 24 rehabilitation counselors. There are now 40 dues paying members. Marcia Shaw, Lighthouse International Ms. Shaw, an Employment Specialist in the Career Services Department made a presentation on the services offered by her agency that was established in 1905. The service area includes NYC and parts of the Hudson Valley. Career counseling, job readiness and resume writing as well as on the job support are offered to blind individuals new to the world of work and to those who need adjustment because of low vision.
Specialists consider an individual's background, mobility, needs for accommodation.
Types of accommodation include voice output software, adaptive devices, large print, talking calculators, etc. Harriet Findlay, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Ms. Findlay is the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services at the Institute. The program operates by preparing a skills profile and assessment of independent living skills, job sampling to locate the right job, and a referral source with mentors. The course generally runs 8 to 10 weeks and covers the range of 'hard' and 'soft' skills.