Through Our Eyes: The Working Man

“Some people think that we just sit around at home and do nothing …”
-Tom Jones

Speaking from personal experience, one of the more difficult challenges for someone with any level of vision loss is finding a job.

The first and probably largest challenge of seeking gainful employment as someone with a visual impairment is simply being given the opportunity to prove yourself. Unfortunately, it is all too common to be turned away at the door because of your eye condition.

Once inside that door you face other challenges. Dealing with a world built for the sighted, acclimating to a new environment and, of course, the daily wrestling match with transportation. Many working age adults might see these challenges as a deterrent but for Tom Jones, who has been a custodian, a machine operator, a theme park worker, a blind tour guide and, most importantly, a full-time father, he would not be discouraged.

Blind from birth

Cataracts are an extremely common cause of vision loss and they are mostly found in middle to older aged adults, but this is not always the case. Born and raised in Blue Springs, Missouri, Tom has had cataracts since birth.

“I love working for Alphapointe,” he says. “I fully expect that I will retire from Alphapointe and that is just fine with me.”

“Doctors worked on one eye for six months and on the other for six months,” Tom says. “I was able to get a little vision, not a lot, but some, and I call that lucky.”

Entering the work force

Tom graduated from public school and immediately found his first job as a custodian, but he quickly found the work unfulfilling and wanted something else.

“My mom told me about a place called the Kansas City Association for the Blind,” he says. “She told me that that was where I needed to be in Kansas City.”

Tom moved the short distance to Kansas City.

Alphapointe and other ventures

Tom began his Alphapointe career in 1988 when he was just 19 years old when the sign on the building still read “Kansas City Association for the Blind.”

Over the course of nearly 40 years, Tom has worked in just about every position in our manufacturing division. From machine operator, to shipping and packaging and assembly, he is truly Alphapointe’s Jones of all trades.  

While no one would question his dedication to his job, Tom took a hiatus from Alphapointe – twice – one for 17 years so he could raise his daughter.

During his time away Tom worked a seasonal job at local amusement park “Worlds of Fun” taking tickets.

“For a lot of the guests and employees of the park, I was the first blind person they had ever met,” Tom admits. “They would ask me questions about my blindness, and the kids were always relieved that I didn’t operate the rides.”

In 2007-2008, Tom teamed up with another Alphapointe alumni, Will Hawkins, to work an exhibit at Union Station known as “Dialog in the Dark.”

“Being blind is not the end of the world,” Tom says. “And if you take the time to look at other people’s lives, everyone is dealing with something and it could always be so much worse.”

During this activity participants would be given a cane and have to navigate their way through a series of dark rooms relying on their four remaining senses to get them to the other side. Tom worked for the duration of Dialog in the Dark as one of the guides, but while Tom tried his hand at other jobs, and got married and raised a daughter, he would always find his way back to Alphapointe.

“I love working for Alphapointe,” he says. “I fully expect that I will retire from Alphapointe and that is just fine with me.”

Taking care of business.

From the time he was 19 years old to now at age 56, Tom has refused to take no for an answer. He has worked any job that came his way, been a full-time father, and still shows no signs of slowing down. For Tom, his vision loss is a non-issue. It’s just one more aspect of his life that he must factor in as he gets up every morning and gets ready for work.

“Being blind is not the end of the world,” Tom says. “And if you take the time to look at other people’s lives, everyone is dealing with something and it could always be so much worse.”

What might surprise some people is that Tom is not an outlier. In the BVI community, Tom is in good company; he is the rule rather than the exception. Speaking as a blind man who has known many others who are blind or visually impaired in my lifetime, most people with vision loss are just waiting to be given a chance to show how skilled, dedicated, and industrious they can be. Most of us have families to support, mortgages to pay, and a fair bit of ambition to do more than fill a spot on the couch. 

As another Tom Jones might have said … its not unusual.