Objective Thinker

Denver, CO USA

Voicemail:  303.362.8425

www.geocities.com/gpdenp

Contact information available on website

My Desire: What I wanted to accomplish

At the request of the State Conservationist, assume the collateral role of becoming the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Arizona Employees with Disabilities Program Manager.

Develop a network of contacts to enable me to carry out the NRCS Arizona Employees with Disabilities Program.  This program encourages employment and advancement for people with disabilities in Arizona.

Arrange to accommodate a low-vision field office employee computer use need.

Some kind of obstacle or restraint I faced

Lack of leads or network of individuals, organizations, and resources from which information can be gathered.

What I did step-by-step

All typed communications were developed using Microsoft Word computer software unless otherwise indicated.

Developed and achieved consensus on the Employees with Disabilities Program Understanding Memorandum between the State Conservationist, my supervisor, and myself.

Developed a work plan complete with action items, tasks, and resources.

Served as a communication link between NRCS employees and the Employees with Disabilities Program.

Coordinated Employees with Disabilities Program Manager schedule with the supervisor.

Submitted two Fiscal Year 1996 Operation Plan progress tables to the supervisor after significant tasks were accomplished.  Operation plan was developed using Lotus 1-2-3 computer software.

Established contact, by phone, with the NRCS Regional Employees with Disabilities Program Manager and four other NRCS Employees with Disabilities Program Managers in surrounding states regarding issues relative to the Employees with Disabilities Program.

Inform, as needed, NRCS Arizona employees on upcoming Employees with Disabilities Program events.

Solicited Arizona employees’ direction to determine which scheduled Arizona Rehabilitation Service Administration training conference sessions I should attend.  This communication was accomplished by using electronic mail via a personal computer.

Presented Employees with Disabilities Awareness Month special event(s) possibilities to Arizona employees to solicit their preferences and sponsorship via electronic mail.

Participated as a member of the NRCS Arizona Civil Rights Council.

Initiate the formation of a network of Federal Employees with Disabilities Program Managers to enable future collaboration in planning events during upcoming National Employees with Disabilities Awareness Months.

Phoenix Federal Executive Association.  Contacted, by phone, association president and the secretary.  They arranged to contact all Federal Employees with Disabilities Program Managers in Arizona to begin collaboration.

Yuma Federal Executive Association.  Contacted, by phone, the association president.

Developed Arizona memorandum announcing the Employees with Disabilities Awareness Month and arranged to have it distributed throughout Arizona.

Served as the Employees with Disabilities Program Manager at local, regional, and national forums that meet the needs of the Employees with Disabilities Program.

Attended, as needed, available, and feasible, local and national meetings relative to the Employees with Disabilities Program.

Attended the combined NRCS National Disabilities Perspectives and annual Employees with Disabilities Program Manager Conference.

Participated in a regional Employees with Disabilities Program Managers meeting initiated by the Regional Manager.

Participated in events sponsored by disability organizations to build ties between the NRCS and the disabled community.

Attended the Arizona Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) and Arizona Rehabilitation Association Training Conference.

Observed a Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities meeting.

Observed a Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues meeting.

Attended, as needed and available, training courses relative to the Employees with Disabilities Program.

Attended the Arizona Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) and Arizona Rehabilitation Association Training Conference.

Established contacts in the Arizona university and college system to facilitate outreach efforts.

Established three contacts among university and college counselors for people with disabilities (Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona).

Established seven contacts among state vocational rehabilitation centers.

Provided university and college contacts a vacancy announcement for a summer position.

Established contact with a professional association catering to people with disabilities in the United States to facilitate outreach efforts.

American Association for the Advancement of Science--Project on Science, Technology, and Disability.  Received a Resource Directory of Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities.

Description of the result

Advised the Leadership Team and the State Conservationist on accommodating a low-vision field office employee.

Visited the Phoenix Foundation for the Blind chapter with Information Resource Management (IRM) Specialist and low-vision employee.  An assessment was made on the employee’s current limited use of computers and the employee had the opportunity to experiment with new low-vision computer accommodations.

Any measure or quantities to prove my accomplishment

Advised the Leadership Team regarding low-vision employee accommodation is being considered.

Twenty-one solid individual contacts were developed within three months among NRCS Employees with Disabilities Program Managers, federal executive associations, a rehabilitation service administration, university and college career counselors, and a professional association catering to people with disabilities.