SPARE CHANGE: The New Mexico Commission for the Blind ranks No. 1 in the nation for providing the highest starting wage for the people it serves, according to a national study. The Rehabilitation Service Administration of the U.S. Department of Education reports that the average hourly starting wage for blind individuals provided employment opportunities by the commission is $17.71. The national average is $15.68. Greg Trapp, the commission's executive director, said $15.27 is the average wage for all workers in New Mexico. Trapp, a native New Mexican and University of New Mexico Law School graduate, said the commission's purpose is to help the visually impaired reach their employment goals.

"It is all about choice, and we provide the tools for them to succeed in their careers," said Trapp, who was appointed to head the commission seven years ago by Gov. Gary Johnson and retained by Gov. Bill Richardson. "We're not just talking about jobs but a career, a lifestyle that we all aspire to have," added Trapp, who is blind. He said the commission helped him to go to law school.

"We have achieved this by providing our consumers with the tools they need, the most important being a positive attitude toward blindness," he said. "The commission is led by persons who are blind, and we have a fundamental belief in the abilities of blind persons." This sentiment was echoed by Jim Salas, the commission's deputy director, who said people can survive on benefits but they need a "real job" to do more, such as "to go to concerts, to see the Rolling Stones. You can't afford that if you don't have real employment." Salas, who also is blind, has been with the commission 7 1/2 years. He holds a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in human resources development from Webster University. He supervises eight counselors who work with the blind to help them receive the technology services needed to obtain higher employment goals.

"We want to turn that person into a taxpayer. We want them to go off benefits with jobs that are good enough to provide health insurance," Trapp said. The state estimates there are between 25,000 and 35,000 New Mexicans who are classified as blind in varying degrees- total blindness, low vision, no light perception and tunnel vision. Of that number, about 800 are public school students in kindergarten through the 12th grade. The commission places about 40 persons a year in a wide range of occupations including engineers, scientists, social workers, teachers, as well as those who are self-employed or in retail and food service fields.

"Other than driving, it is hard to come up with a job that a blind person can't do," Salas said. "There is a skilled tile-setter as well as a magistrate judge in New Mexico who are blind." Trapp said the commission can't guarantee success, but "our belief is we help people to set goals that are appropriate for them." About 450 people are being served by the commission's employment programs.

Linda Thayer, the commission's vocational rehabilitation counselor for its Las Vegas office serving northern New Mexico, said that in some cases a change of career is appropriate. "We provide a complete technology of accommodations. There is now technology that will scan and read a document for a blind person," she said. "We urge people to get as much education as possible. Whatever is necessary is what we support. For example, in college, we work to see that textbooks are accessible by electronic format. Some colleges are still learning how to provide accommodation."

The commission will start working with students at age 14, providing a job coach and technology to build confidence. Salas said that because it is often more difficult for blind students to find summer jobs, the commission has set that as one of its target goals.

Thayer, who has been with the commission five years, helped place 14 visually impaired people in jobs last year. She advises those facing blindness to contact the commission before quitting their current jobs. "It is easier to maintain a job rather than getting a new job," Trapp said. "It is a win-win. The employer retains a qualified employee. "Employers also deserve credit for approaching blindness as a disability, not a permanent impediment for gainful employment."

In January, Trapp will take on another responsibility in addition to his role at the commission. He has been elected president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.

For more information, E-mail us at: info@nfbct.org