Over the years I have become a loyal patron of the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Some of my most frequented sections include Fiction, World History, and Science & Nature (more for mathematics than actual science). On a recent visit there I purchased a book entitled “Algebra Demystified.” I later got into a conversation with the store clerk where I mentioned to her that I was not even taking a class; I was simply a nerd who liked math. But this is really only part of the story. The whole truth is that I am a legally blind nerd who likes math and is trying to keep his brain functioning in spite of his current employment situation.
I was an honor student throughout high school where I was classified as a person “of gifted intelligence.” I participated in an independent study for creative writing and Advanced Placement Calculus. Years later I attended a technical school where I received an Associate in Specialized Business degree for Paralegal Studies and then college where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.
One might think that I was aspiring to be the next Donald Trump, but all I ever wanted was an Office Assistant or Bookkeeper position. Yet sadly this dream still seems to be out of reach. Despite a combination of my own searching and assistance from various agencies I did manage to get some interviews but was never hired. Every time I would follow up on an interview I would hear the same response: “We found someone with more experience.”
I never attempted to hide my disability from potential employers as I figured there was no point to it. It would eventually come out regardless. Even so, I could never prove whether it was my lack of professional experience or my lack of vision that was the reason for not hiring me.
I did eventually find work; I am currently employed as a package assembler at a factory for people with disabilities. I assemble boxes of colored Easter bunnies for a local candy company. The work is fairly simple and more often than not tedious. It’s also piecework; I won’t give you an exact dollar amount except to say that I don’t even make minimum wage and am therefore still one of the millions of people draining the Social Security system.
I don’t intend for this to be an insult to my fellow employees, many of whom have conditions far worse than my own. I am simply saying that for me this job is no longer challenging and my office-related skills get older every day. But I still believe that I can do more than this, I want to do more than this and, as a self-described nerd who desires intellectual stimulation, I need to do more than this.
Michael P. Hill is a native of Elysburg and currently lives in Exeter. He has an Associate’s Degree in Specialized Business and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Due to the difficulty that people with visual impairments have finding employment, Michael is currently working in a sheltered workshop alongside people who are living with multiple physical and mental disabilities.
