The frustration of getting help at work

[Matthew_]

Sorry about the title, this is not a rant! Some of you may remember that I did have a bit of a moan about getting visual impairment software at work. In August 06 I applied for a bigger screen, bigger keyboard, better lighting and some software to help use my PC when I couldn't use lenses. I am in the military but work within the civil service at the present time. For months nothing happened. The civil service is very much for helping people out when they can so the answer was 'yes' but it take ages for anything to happen in government. Well now 6 months on, they are finally in the process of buying the stuff I need. I have had to cajole them every inch of the way but I wanted others to see that you can get there in the end....
I'm not celebrating just yet as there are still a few red-tape traps to clear but hopefully it will be worth the eye-squinting and headaches when I get a nice big screen to play with!
If there are any others out there just waiting, hang on in there!
I'm also glad I did not make a scene, I think that would have resulted in not getting anything to be frank. Sad but true.

[GarethB]

I never had problems when I worked for the Civil Service and that was before we had disability discrimination act and so on.

There is another forum member working for the Civil Service who is having problems too.

To get my support at work I pilferd loads of thsi site and made a KC presentation. Sat down with my employers and went through it with them. This meant occupaional health and my supervisor better understood my needs and so were willing to fight my corner because they understoon my needs better.

I work in a regulated industry so IT do become involved from time to time. When they are stuborn, then they get invited to my KC presentation, failing to turn up, I point out legal requirments under the Disability Discrimination Act so they have a legal requirment to help and part of that is my presentation. Action soon takes place because no one like the threat of action. Especially when HR and Occupational Health are coppied in too.

[donna]

I am lucky really as I work for a charity that supports deaf and deaf/blind people so the whole place is set up quite well really. We are used to producing resources and documents blown up to A3 and the PCs have a large font.

[Andrew MacLean]

Matthew

My own experience was that progress was made, not gradually but in giant leaps. Between the leaps, nothng very much happened! It is not that the people were unsympathetic; it is just that they were paralyzed by the kind of good will that knows it ought to do something but is afraid of doing the wrong thing!

In the end the involvement of the Access to Work team at JobCentre Plus was a great boon. They sent assessors to see where I work, to find out what I might need, and then they made a report back to JobCentre Plus.

Armed with this report there was rapid agreement about what ought to be provided, and this agreement met with the unequivocal support of my employers.

But it did take a bit of time. I'd say the process started in June and was completed in December.

Oh, by the way, now that I am in the system, it seems much easier to attract additional support.

Andrew

[Matthew_]

Hi all,
Thanks for your comments. Very interesting to see all your different experiences. It is interesting that you tackled it different ways but you have been mostly supported by your employers. I am sure all your different 'tactics' reflect your different personalities and also different situations.
In my case as Andrew pointed out, there is no shortage of goodwill or intentions. But unlike Andrew's case there isn't really any awkwardness or anxiety about what to do. Its just the system at my work is tortuous, it takes months to get anything done. I voted 'yes' becsause basically I have been supported. The time scales are the frustrating bit. But I will get there.....
Thanks again to all of you and keep voting if you are reading this first time over. Its interesting to see the results.

[Pat A]

I admit to being the lone "no" vote at the moment - and Matthew, Gareth, Donna and Andrew all know the reasons why. Hopefully when I do finally get back to work I will be able to vote "yes"!

Pat

[Matthew_]

I hope for that too.

[Eddie S]

I find telling grizzly stories of squint operations, constantly going to work with red eyes or letting your managers hold your scleral lenses helps quite well


Seriously, I've been really lucky with the support i've had for my KC. If eyesight is an important factor in getting your job done I've found that support comes easily. If you're not getting support, there are lots of managers out there that will help.

Big hugs to anyone who isn't being supported.

Ed