Joe Strechay

Last weekend, my wife and I went to go see Anchorman 2. We love going to the movies, and I love the experience even more now that we have a local theatre that provides video description (hat-tip to Cinemark. I hope the other theaters in my area follow their example). I was pretty excited, because I loved the first Anchorman. First, a little background: It is an outrageous and inappropriate comedy that is not meant for children. Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgandy, an anchorman who leads a team…

On October 15, we celebrate National White Cane Safety Day, or as I call it more plainly, White Cane Day. So, you might remember that the nickname for my long white cane is "Slim," as I have written about him on the AFB Blog and FamilyConnect Blog in past years. That's right: I am 35 years old, and have a nickname for my long white cane. You know, my white cane and I travel the country, and I depend on this tool to protect me in many environments. No, I am not a member of Seal Team Six, I am…

As my favorite month of the year kicks off, I think of all of the exciting updates I will be providing about AFB CareerConnect—new content and stories. I don't just love October because of Halloween, and getting to dress up (though I have been known to enjoy the whole costume tradition and Halloween parties—I make a mean pirate). No, the real reason I love October is because it's National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It focuses on my favorite topics: employment and persons with…

As you likely already know, today is the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, DC. I think about how appreciative I am to live in a country where people such as King have stood up for the rights of all individuals, including persons who are blind or visually impaired. Helen Keller is also one of those people who stood up for the rights of all. She educated populations about how persons with disabilities can be an integral part of society.…

Imagine my surprise when I read the following in Monday’s edition of the New York Post: Liars use phony vests and ID tags to get fake service dogs into posh New York restaurants. Huh? No surprise here, but was just blown away by this. As you may know, AFB headquarters are located in New York City (although I mainly work out of the Huntington, WV, office), as are over three dozen other blindness agencies. Over the last few years, service dogs have been introduced for a variety of different…

The American Foundation for the Blind is getting started with the AFB Access Awards process earlier than in past years, because the awards will be presented on February 28, 2014, at the AFB Leadership Conference in Brooklyn, NY. You will find everything you need on the Access Award Nomination Submission Guidelines and Format. Visit the Previous Access Award Winners page, too, and find out if your nomination is up to snuff to be a 2014 AFB Access Awards winner. All submissions are due by August…

I am pretty psyched to let you all know about a cool opportunity. I know some of you were involved in the past National Transition Network Forum work, and some of you were not. But I wanted to let you know that we will be having a section of the pre-conference at the 2014 AFB Leadership Conference focused on the National Transition Network. For those who don't know what the National Transition Network is about, it was framed around sharing innovative programs and methods for the transition…

Are you ready for a blog full of career pointers, employment tips, job seeking advice, and CareerConnect updates (plus all kinds of related rambling) from yours truly; my colleague, Detra Bannister; CareerConnect Mentors; and a slew of friends out there? I hope so—because we have some exciting news! Without further ado, here is the new CareerConnect blog! Our first post is up and running, and contains some important news—Lesson Plans for Professionals. As a rule, I tend to “decorate” my…

You may have caught the recent New York Times about Charlotte Brown and Aria Ottmueller, two high school track athletes with visual impairments. They are not being publicized for competing against other athletes with vision loss, but against their sighted peers. These athletes are examples of the roads being paved in the United States for persons with disabilities. Many could not imagine athletes with limited sight competing and succeeding in the pole vault or high jump, yet they are doing it…