Meet Melinda Slovernick, Administrative Assistant for the AbilityOne Base Supply Centers. Her story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the profound impact of organizations that believe in the potential of every individual, regardless of their circumstances.
“In 2002, I was in a horrific car accident that took my eyesight. It took me a long time to adjust to it. At that time, I was a single mom,” Melinda shares.
Despite her accounting background, finding employment was difficult following her accident. Many employers were unwilling to provide training and accommodations. “After going blind, I could not find anybody to employ me. And nobody was willing to see if I could even do the job,” Melinda shares. “It was very, very difficult.”
Discovering the Lighthouse
In 2015, while seeking mobility training, Melinda discovered The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. At the Lighthouse she found the training she was looking for, but also a job opportunity.
Melinda’s eagerness to learn has led her through various roles at the Lighthouse. “I have worked several jobs at the Lighthouse. I started in packing, and then I did an internship at the contact center, part-time. And then from there, I worked in the contact center in the morning, and in the afternoons, I worked in felt, making what we called little purses,” Melinda recalls. Her journey continued upward, as she took on the role of Administrative Assistant for the AbilityOne Base Supply Centers, which is a business line of the Lighthouse, a position she has held since 2008.
A Day in the Life
Melinda’s favorite part of her job is the satisfaction of knowing that her contributions help everything run smoothly. “I love my job,” she says. “I can now say after working for AbilityOne Base Supply Centers that this is the best job that I’ve ever had, sighted or not. I just love being a part of our team.”
Adapting to New Tools
“I use a lot of adaptive equipment to complete my job,” she shares. These tools enable her to manage her administrative tasks efficiently, despite her visual impairment. “ZoomText is a screen enhancer where you can enlarge the print on the computer screen. It makes things bigger so that I’m able to see it. I also use the CCTV for printed items that I need to enlarge.”
A Grateful Heart
“I will always be eternally grateful to the Lighthouse because they’ve given me a life that I never, ever thought that I would ever have.”
Melinda hopes that her experience will inspire others with disabilities to seek out opportunities and believe in their capabilities. “The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. is a great place for people who are blind to get employment, where they are able to be placed utilizing the abilities that they have. For people out there that are blind and have been turned down like I had at different stages of their blindness, it really is a great place to work where everybody is treated fairly and appropriately.”
