Friday, October 09, 2009

The RoseAnn Ashby Story!

Employing the Disabled is a Great Idea!
Celebrating Disability Employment Awareness Month!

Job: Branch Chief in the Rehabilitation Services Administration
Who: Department of Education

My name is RoseAnn Ashby. I have been employed at the U.S. Department of Education since 1987. Currently, I am a GS-14 Branch Chief in the Rehabilitation Services Administration, an agency within the Department primarily responsible for funding and overseeing the vocational rehabilitation program.

I am blind and use a computer equipped with a screen reader with speech output to enable me to review and edit the work of my staff. I have had access to accessible computer technology since 1990 when our agency first began equipping professional staff with personal computers. I also use the services of a reader-assistant. She reads documents to me that are not available in electronic format; helps me with such tasks as copying, faxing, and filing; and performs tasks on the computer requiring more complex Word skills than I possess or utilizes software with which I am unfamiliar (e.g., Excel).

Prior to my having a personal computer adapted with speech, I had to do all of my writing by typing documents on an electric typewriter or dictating my work to a reader; this was a burdensome process. With the advent of accessible computer technology, I now find that I am as efficient and productive as any employee with sight, and I am considered a high performing staff member of the agency. I am responsible for supervising a 15-member branch, the largest branch in the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

I received a Master's Degree in Community Counseling from the University of Miami in 1981. I worked at a center for independent living in Miami, Florida for six years. Desiring a major change in my life, I then applied for employment with the Federal Government in the Washington, DC area. I was hired as a GS-12 in 1987 under the Schedule A excepted appointment authority for hiring individuals with disabilities. My agency is particularly interested in hiring qualified individuals with disabilities because the programs that we administer provide training and employment for adults with disabilities. I converted to career status when given the opportunity. When I applied for my GS-13 in 1990 and my GS-14 in 1995, I competed for the position and maintained my regular career status.

I am very positive about my employment with the Federal Government. I believe my work is rewarding, and I feel valued by the organization employing me. I do not believe my disability is a barrier to my success on the job.

http://www.opm.gov/disability/success_1-06.asp#jump-1

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 (202) 606-1800 TTY (202) 606-2532

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