How I haven't had support for one month

The initial meeting to update my CV and covering letter was on (4th April 2012 @ 2.30) this was changed to (24 April 2012 @15.45) because of a Orthotic appointment I had, the same day, however the times did not clash,,and I thought it polite to inform that I might be in a bit of a rush, however they wrote back with an appointment on the 24th this has sorted the issue, but it means that I have not had any support in a month!

how this makes me feel
the thing that I want to be able to develop is a more independent way of dealing with everyday job finding e.g. CV's and job applications, there is no easy answer if there was I would have found it myself by now. until I am able to develop a independent way of coping with these things I am restrained by the amount of time people can give me. I haven't been idle however it is incredibly difficult to live up to my jobseekers agreement without support. And that makes me feel despondent with the process,

Things that I can do!

• I've been looking for jobs, but it is just lip service because there is no support for filling in the application, but it will be a good test for the new diary.
• The letter from Enham about the CAD course came, and I have an interview with them on the 12 of April.
• working out what I can do with the new computer, I am gradually getting the accuracy with the dictation software and it was a pleasant surprise when my screen reader worked directly from Microsoft Word this should make my life a little easier.
• I so I can finish the outstanding paperwork that I have with a4e.

A4E last meeting and two past projects

There is a new button on my blog it is a link to my calendar, I have not yet got it to work properly (at present anyone can access it)
but I hope that it will aid me in organising all the different things that I am doing. The biggest obstacle I want to overcome with it is the time that it takes me to put in a job application, I am very good at looking for jobs. However because of the not so accessible application forms that the majority of companies put out, it becomes a impossible task without help to filling these things on time. Hopefully the calendar will highlight some of the issues that I have and the time that it takes me to complete an application form.

a4e found me some paperwork that were Microsoft Word files, in the hope that it would be easier for me to filling the stuff required to sign up to the program. I managed to complete the straightforward ones, some would not open clearly on open office, this should not be a problem as my new computer has arrived and it has MS word on it! I will set the new computer up on Thursday! The document entitled About You initial assessment was a pain in the ass to complete because of the level of fields in it to make it look pretty, my screen reader could not read it I tried to simplify it but this was difficult as I could not read what I was doing I tried cutting and pasting paragraphs into WordPad but this was tedious! After five hours by chance my sister called me from Cornwall, she could tell I was tired and angry, and said that if I came down to see her (as I haven't seen her for four years) she would help me fill in the form. A little around the houses but at least it got, done.


Things completed
the CAD course at Enham would not affect the stuff that I am doing with a4e
the disabled adviser with BCoT college, can ring me direct to see if they would be able to deal with my literacy needs
Things to be done
we spoke about the jobs that I have found and an appointment has been made for me to look over my CV and covering letter (on 4th April 2012 @ 2.30)

I have put a few links to two past projects on this blog they show what is possible for me to do when there are no obstacles in my way. The two projects were created from the ground up and each one needed critical thought and problem-solving of the highest level to get them completed.

The first is viables under pass feb 06. I have also put the video here. This was a concept project and although it was never built it won awards, unfortunately what the council decided to do instead was pretty lame, however nothing would be done at all if it was not for the original project. The digital model contained all of the electrical and lighting infrastructure so as well as being a model to show off the concept it could be used to build the installation in real life

the second is a piece of site-specific sculpture that was placed around the living tree magazine article here the wall was thin unfortunately not show by photographs and although three stories high I had to design new foundations because, I could not dig down into the tree roots that would hurt the tree, and the wall itself needed to let the wind pass through it because the increase surface area could of uprooted the pine tree so I designed new concrete to do this!

It's always going to be a struggle for someone with the mind of Sherlock Holmes and the combine reading and writing age of Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po! However the little things like having the right format so my computer can read information really does make a difference.

a4e meeting

• We discussed the Enham CAD course.
• contact was made with BCoT college, tried to get in touch with the disabled adviser there, their CAD course would start in September.
• Contact was also made to a private provider of CAD courses, at the moment the name escapes me.
• ask Sue 2 about next appointment.

As soon as I got home a letter came through the door, which confirmed the paperwork was being processed by the job centre for Enham CAD course.
I also got in touch with Enham earlier last week and they supplied me with the course notes,

We talked about systems to improve access for disability and that it can be as simple as changing the format of their literature
and this can aids many types of disabled access, whether that be deafness or blindness or even dyslexia.

There are a few simple rules to make a document readable by accessibility software!
A simple file format such as Rich text text or HTML. HTML is a good format because it works the same way as a website.
It is Important to have basic formatting. You can probably get away with a table, but images ain't good, why have a logo when text will do the same job. If you have to put a logo on a form, remember to label it, most screen readers will then be able to read it just as a word.( The process is called the screen focal point.)
Once literature has been changed into a standardised file type (for access ability) there is still the issue of application forms and such, however I have been told that there is help for me to fill these in.
I have no problem with the support for application forms, however anything that I need to complete involving my jobseekers allowance, I need to do independently.

We discussed how my behaviour can sometimes be misinterpreted, if you didn't know my issues with accessing information from reading below, and gave me the task to complete an application form, I would naturally get frustrated, this so often gets interpreted as lazy and/or angry. The same can be said about publishing this blog, but the truth of it is simply if a4e are as good at finding jobs as they say on their website, I am just changing the system so that I can access the program and feel part of the process. (Doing is better than just saying) The blog, is good for me to put my feelings down into words, and recalled my process of working. Up until recently I have lost my dictation software and I was getting very frustrated with organisations which said they understood how to work with me but I was unable to put across to them, how difficult it was for me to access their program. My blog has made me feel at ease with this whole process.

I was happy with how the meeting went . I felt I was not just being listened to, but that my issues were being heard, and although we are still at the very beginning of this process, I can honestly say I feel at peace with it.

Reading and writing are both vegetables, but they are as different as carrots and peas, this shows up more with me because of the programs that I used to access these skills.

Two completely separate programs
screen reading = reading (input typed text output synthetic digital voice)
dictation programs = writing (input spoken word output typed text

Screen reading and dictation programs only have one thing in common, on the whole they work with other programs e.g. Internet Explorer open office Wordpad and such. My screen reader for example will read directly off of open office, but not from Microsoft Word. (I do not know about the latest version.) My dictation program will work pretty much where you can input text, but with PDFs there very rarely is a text field, unless they are set up for form filling. Because of the closed way PDFs are made very few screen readers will read PDFs either.

Screen reading and dictation programs give me a level of independence, for e-mail and the blog both programs are perfect. If I had two identical forms one in PDF one in HTML, and just say they were two pages long, they both need filling in the questions are straightforward (do not need to think about the answers.) The HTML form would take me 20 min start to finish. The PDF form could take me hours. And that's if I can get somebody to read me the questions! as my screen reader would not. It sounds obvious but these programs are not a replacement for reading and writing, and the formats that are given to me to read or write on need to be fought about because it makes the difference between a task being straightforward or impossible.

The images are what happens to the word files when I put them into OpenOffice. So I was not able to read them or sign them at the same time. And I like to remember what I am signing for but I have read them! when I get the new computer it will have Microsoft Word so there should not be a problem.

a4e

My initial meeting with A4E seemed promising

I spoke about my difficulties in accessing back to work programmes, because of my limited reading and writing skills and how these programs on the whole do not cope with my level of need.

• How on earth will I fill in the paperwork
• keep track of what I want to do and how I am progressing
• maintain a level of control of what is going on on the program.

we talked about getting an amanuensis (someone to read and write for me?) And although that seems a solution, we discussed how I would not know what is being written on the forms (it could be anything) and then I would have signed for it, I need a level of oversight which is in my control. Because I do not want to be pushed down a road that ends up with an outcome which isn't right for me. I would rather have any written material in a digital format because my computer can do the reading and writing. It is important to be as independent as I can because if I cannot cope with the program how am I supposed to deal with a workplace.

I discussed how in the last 10 years I have been pushed into jobs which either do not suit my main body of experience or physical jobs which tire me out due to my cerebral palsy, I've been happy to volunteer for roles in the past however they have not let to anything fulfilling or long-term.
It is very hard to access the right employment for me.

• Labouring work tends to make me tired and uncoordinated in a situation like a factory I become a danger to myself and others stumbling around when I am tired.
• Getting a driving job would be a solution however I need a converted automatic car with a left-hand accelerator pedal.
• And reading and writing is very stressful in a workplace for me unless everything is completely digital

A4E have assured me that they will work with me to find something that is fulfilling and sustainable I hope this is true.

Also spoke about self-employment and I talked about my experience with having a small craft business for three years in the past, and how when I needed to get extra money to help me pay the rent on the studio, it was so very hard to get even part-time work, because of my learning issues. 10 years ago when times were supposedly good, I have been on lots of employment programs in that time some directed towards disability some not but none of them have been able to address my level of dyslexia and how that affects me in my working life. And I have been on a downward spiral ever since I gave up self-employment. Even while running the business I had to have some support, from a lady called Marlene Rose who was from the Inland Revenue, she helped me with my books. I would like to develop away I can keep track of my books independently. I have been on courses in the past two facilitate me doing this, but again because they do not work with my level of dyslexia they have very little relevance for me.

And I spoke about the business idea that I have which I've been working on for some time, (further down in the blog)

I also stated that right now my confidence is at rock bottom and that I would like to go back into training to learn CAD this will help me in the long-term with some of the business ideas and also the difficulties I have these days with putting technical drawings down onto paper.

Things that have already been done to address my needs

The one of the two Sues at Basingstoke JobCentre helped me here! I have been having trouble with my computer, they put me in touch with Leonard Cheshire disability which reconditions computers with voice assist software which should help me cope better with organising myself to find a job. (At the moment I have managed to temporarily fix my old computer but it will not last as it has reached the grand age of six years, and I don't think the sparks that are coming out of it in intervals are a good sign.)


I am hoping that this blog will help me organise what I am doing with my work needs. Primarily it gives me the ability to read and write. It also helps me arrange what I am doing, and overcomes some of my organisation and memory problems by keeping everything in the same place, with the added bonus of being able to access the information from different locations so I do not need to carry loads of paper around with me. I will also tie this in with an online calendar,

I have also arranged with Sue 2 to sign-on with her, so that if I have a problem. I can report it to her before it causes me too much stress.

Things to do

a4e for their part said that they would look into 2 things for the next meeting which is on 9th March at 9.30

• to look into digitising the written information I need to access the program. (I have an e-mail confirming this already)
• to see who is the best contractor to support my needs (Whether that would be the CAD course and/or self-employment)

I have been working on some ways of getting funding to start a business already, however I am not quite ready to start a business. The first meeting seemed strongest with the self-employment that is good but I will still need funds to develop my initial idea, as I do not want to be stuck on the same stage for any longer than I have to be. Ideas can only get you so far, I need cash to develop them and for living.