Thursday, May 25, 2017

Interviews to Empower Presents Charlene Smyth

Hello, and welcome to another Interview to Empower. Here at Adkins and Wells, we are all about independence for everyone. We believe that blindness is not a barrier for living a happy and productive life. Today, we present to you an inspiring lady who acts out this belief every day. So, come along with us and meet Charlene Smyth.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What are some things you enjoy?
A: I love to read, fall is my favorite time of year, and I enjoy being a part of my church and being with family and friends. 

Q: Are you blind? If so, what is your eye condition, and how much can you see?
A: I am totally blind due to injuries sustained from an automobile accident when I was 11 that severed the optic nerve in my left eye and caused a detached retina in my right eye. I have been totally blind in my left eye since the accident but lost the vision in my right eye when I was 12. I think the fact that I was still young and learning helped me adjust more quickly than if I had been older. I remember a couple of guys who came to the blind school when they were around 16, and it seemed more difficult for them.

Q: What type of schooling did you have?
A: I attended public school through the sixth grade. I then attended the West Virginia School for the Blind for seventh through twelfth grade, 1974-1981. I attained my Medical Secretary diploma from the West Virginia Career College. I received in-depth computer training from the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center. At WVSB, we usually started school around Aug. 20. We had a chance to go home over Thanksgiving, if our parents could pay for our trip. If not, we stayed with someone at the school. Then, we got to go home over Christmas, Easter and at the end of the year. The rest of the time, we lived on the school’s campus. I think that spending a year in and out of the hospital at Johns Hopkins prepared me for being away from my family so much. Whenever I had to go home, I found that I was bored. At school, I stayed in my room long enough to do homework, sleep and take a bath. The rest of the time, my friends and I were always into something.

Q: Are you employed? If so, what kind of work do you do?
A: Yes, I am employed. I am an Office Assistant II for the state of West Virginia. Back in my senior year of high school, I was a part of a program where we got to go off campus for half a day to work. My job was typing from dictation. I remember the reports were 10 pages single spaced. Another classmate was a transcriptionist for the hospital. Yet another was a piano tuner. I got paid minimum wage which was $3.15 at the time. Remember, this was before computers, so we used typewriters. No easy delete key. :)

Q: Wow, you really received some valuable training. What else can you tell us about how WVSB prepared you for everyday life?
A: During my senior year, we took a class where we had to learn to manage a home. We had to make up menus, shop on a budget that changed from week to week, cooked the meals we shopped for, pay bills, manage a checkbook and clean the apartment that we lived in. The apartment was a part of the dorm. Once, I had to shop then prepare breakfast for our principal.

Q: Where could someone get that type of blindness training today?
A: Training programs like the ones offered by the NFB.

Q: What accommodations, if any, do you need in order to perform your job duties?
A: I use a screen reader called Window-Eyes, a Braille printer, a Perkins Braille Writer, a Braille Note, TripleTalk Synthesizer, OpenBook software and flatbed scanner.

Q: What would you say is your greatest advantage to being blind?
A: I have learned to think outside the box, how to be creative, and how to advocate for myself.

Q: What would you say is your greatest challenge?
A: Transportation, as I am not able to drive.

Q: How do you overcome challenges resulting from your blindness?
A: I received an excellent education from WVSB where I became proficient in blindness skills and techniques. I also keep updated on technology, have a great network of blind friends, and live in an area with good public transportation.

Q: What types of community  activities or volunteer work do you do, if any?
A: I belong to the Bridgeport Lions Club, the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia, my church, and just try to help out whenever and wherever needed.

Q: You mentioned being a part of the NFB. Why did you join the organization?
A: I first joined the NFB for something to do. Later, I wanted to make a difference as well as further the initiatives and programs that make it possible for blind people to live the lives we want. Today, I am the state president for the NFB in WV.

Q: How do you travel to the places you need to go?
A: Bus, cab, friends, family, and airplane.

Q:  Do you have any advice for our readers?
A: With training to attain all the skills and techniques used by successful blind people, you can be and do all you want to do in life, your family, the workplace, and your community.

There you have it, faithful readers, no excuses. :) Thank you, Charlene for allowing us to interview you. Interviews to Empower are posted the 4th Thursday of every month. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story, please let us know, and we might feature you in an upcoming post. Send an email to adkinsandwells@gmail.com with the subject line “interviews to empower”.

Thank you for being with us this week. Be sure and come back next Thursday for inspiration, encouragement and hopefully some smiles.

Be blessed.

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