Julie lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa (new window), meaning she experiences near complete blindness, but this doesn’t stop her from living life to the fullest and achieving her goals.
You can find her walking her dog around town, surfing the internet, or volunteering with CNIB (new window). Julie is a good listener and a hard worker who loves helping people.
However, she was still looking for a job, after being laid off of as a Customer Service Representative in 2009. With certificates in Customer Service and Human Services, Julie had the skills necessary to rejoin the workforce, but her confidence had decreased since she hadn’t worked in seven years.
Dedicated in her goal of finding work, she looked up the Neil Squire Society on the internet, having heard of them from a friend, and found a service that would be a great help — the Working Together program. She contacted the Moncton, New Brunswick office and got started immediately.
With the goal of finding the tools necessary to return to work, Julie worked with a Career Facilitator to increase her confidence and prepare for interviews. Julie was concerned about how and when to address her disability with employers. She found new confidence in her skills and came to see herself as a capable worker who has a lot to contribute to the workforce.
Once she had regained her confidence, Julie began working with the Job Developer in order to look for employment. She had been volunteering and gaining experience at the CNIB, so it was a natural fit for her to start working there in order to gain some additional skills that would be helpful in updating her resume with current employment.
With the help of a wage subsidy, Julie started work with CNIB. Here, she gained many skills including customer service, the use of assistive technologies and different software, data entry and public speaking. She has also had the opportunity to do presentations to employees of the City of Moncton (new window) about her experiences with disability and inclusion. Above all, she has been happy to help others with vision loss and impairments, and enjoys being a support and helping others who she can relate to.
Julie is very pleased with the help that was given to her through the Neil Squire Society’s Working Together program. She found that the Working Together program helped her develop skills and provided necessary tools for employment before jumping right into the workforce. Julie notes that the Neil Squire Society staff has been very understanding of her needs and goals, and says she would recommend the society to friends or family.
The next step for Julie is to find permanent employment. She continues her job search and hopes to gain a position with CNIB’s national contact centre. Julie continues to volunteer with CNIB regularly.
