Job Fair for Individuals with Visual Impairments in Cambridge

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Dozens of businesses and nonprofits will meet with talented job seekers at a job fair in Cambridge as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, according to an announcement from the organizers.

WHAT:  National jobless rates are below 5 percent for the first time since 2008, but the picture is less rosy for those who are visually impaired. U.S. Census data reveals that only 40 percent of working-age adults with impaired vision are working, compared with 72 percent of the total population. Many job seekers with vision loss never get an interview, despite having the skills needed to succeed in a wide range of jobs.

On Wednesday, October 25th, at the Job Fair for Individuals with Visual Impairments, the Vision Works Consortium (Perkins School for the Blind, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, The Carroll Center for the Blind) unites with National Braille Press and Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University to put qualified candidates face to face with recruiters from dozens of nonprofits and businesses. Their goals are to build a stronger, more diverse workforce and open up job opportunities. Attendees and the public can engage in a conversation about workplace inclusion at #InclusionWorks on Twitter.

Candidates’ knowledge and experience are front and center at the Job Fair, a chance for proactive networking during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM on Twitter).

WHO:   Speakers at the event will include:

  • Dean Lizabeth Cohen, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University
  • Commissioner Paul Saner Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
  • Lydia Greene, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Tufts Health Plan
  • Mary Brown, Adolescent Outreach Counselor, Mass. Department of Children and Families

 WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 – 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

WHERE: Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, Knafel Center/Gymnasium, 3 James Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Vision Works Consortium 

A collaboration of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, The Carroll Center for the Blind and Perkins School for the Blind connecting Massachusetts businesses and individuals who are blind and visually impaired to foster a strong workforce and career opportunities.

The Carroll Center empowers individuals who are blind and low vision by providing rehabilitation skills, technology training, and career development opportunities so they can achieve independence and self-fulfillment. www.carroll.org

The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), an agency of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, provides the highest quality rehabilitation and social services to individuals who are legally blind, leading to independence and full community participation. MCB accomplishes this critical mission by working in partnership with consumers who are legally blind, families, community agencies, health care providers, and employers. www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/mcb/

Perkins School for the Blind
Leading since 1829, Perkins’ global mission fosters access and inclusion through education. Perkins prepares students for the world and the world for our students because every person can maximize their independence and fulfill their unique potential. Learn more at Perkins.org.

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