“I was born with juvenile macular degeneration and, congenital aniridia, which means there is no iris,” shares Carla Abbott, Production Supervisor at the Lighthouse. “During the course of years, my vision has become worse. I’ve slowly learned to adapt with the vision that I have, and I just keep brushing up my skills and learning how to adapt with the changes of my vision every day,” she continues.
Upward Mobility
Carla began working at the Lighthouse in April 2005, initially taking on the role of a production worker. “A former employee told me about the Lighthouse and encouraged me to come check it out,” she recalled. Over the years, she has progressed in her role to become a Production Lead and eventually a Production Supervisor.
“Working at the Lighthouse has impacted my life greatly,” Carla shares. “I feel like I’m a member of society that contributes to our community. And that I can be a person just like everybody else.”
Supervisor Experience
Reflecting on her journey, Carla shared, “My favorite part of the job is coming to work every day, interacting with my employees and seeing them be successful at their job.”
She encourages her team to continuously learn and grow. “I motivate them every day. Don’t be afraid of learning something new. If you don’t get it the first time, it’s okay,” she advises.
Carla is proud of her role as a supervisor and the hard work she put in to get there. “I’ve taken many courses, and I have attended the National Industries for the Blind supervisor training, which was very, very empowering to me,” she shares.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology ensures that Carla has independence in her career. She uses ZoomText on her computer and a CCTV with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to read documents.
“The Lighthouse empowers me to be independent with the technology they give us, the skills that they teach us, the training, which is like in computer classes, Braille classes, sign language classes,” she said. This empowerment has translated into her personal life, allowing her to use magnifiers and CCTVs at home for everyday activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Carla’s life outside of work is equally incredible. She is a grandmaster in martial arts, a certified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member for the Redmond community, and a certified Reiki master. “I was my teacher’s first student to get the master who was blind,” she proudly states. Carla has now been teaching martial arts for over 40 years and is also a certified U.S. referee.
Carla envisions a long future at the Lighthouse, continuing to work as a team to serve their customers with high-quality products. “I see myself still at the Lighthouse for a long time. I’m grateful to have a job. I’m glad that I can make products every day. And I feel happy every day when I come to work.”
