Beyond Vision is one of the 550 nonprofit agencies across the country that participate in the AbilityOne Program. This Milwaukee-based organization is an agent for positive change in the lives of those who are blind within their community.
Making a Real Difference
Many of us don’t realize it, but going to work each day is a privilege, and we’re fortunate to have the sense of purpose a steady job provides. Beyond Vision and the AbilityOne Program are doing good things for the community of Milwaukee, Wisconsin by giving individuals like Israel and Sarah a context in which to shine as the smart, talented professionals they are.
Israel & Beyond Vision
Israel Cazares-Zurita joined Beyond Vision in March of 2016. Originally from Texas, Israel made the move to Wisconsin to be with his wife, who is a Wisconsin native. Moving meant the only person Israel knew locally was his wife, but that quickly changed when he got in contact with Beyond Vision.
“I started working in the machine shop.” he says. “A man came over to me and says ‘Who are you and what’s your story?’ When we got done talking, he says, ‘Welcome to Beyond Vision. I’m Jim, the CEO.’ That impressed me a lot, and I thought to myself, this is going to be fun.”
A “100% Employment” Household
Israel now works as a Customer Care Center Rep, and he’s in sales training with the company. His wife, also blind, is employed by Industries for the Blind.
“I consider myself to be a very blessed person.” says Israel. “I tell myself that in my house, there is 100% employment. When you have a job that gives you a purpose to get out of bed, that’s step one. I ride the bus to work everyday, and I sometimes hear people talking and I’ll talk to them. I’ll hear people complaining. I told this young homeless guy: ‘There are jobs to be had, and you’ve got to get out there and fight for them.’”
Israel knows what he’s talking about. He lost his sight when he was six years old, and during that same year, he and his family moved from Mexico to the US. Israel started school while adjusting to being blind in a new country where he didn’t speak the language at all. School is challenging enough without these added factors in the mix, but Israel pushed through.
He’s never allowed his lack of vision to dictate what he can and can’t do.
Israel’s Thoughts Regarding Beyond Vision
“At Beyond Vision, we promote the idea that blind people can have gainful employment, and if you want to work hard, you can go places and show your talents and skills.” says Israel. “Beyond Vision teaches people to go after what they want. You want to be a team lead? You want to be a blind machine operator? Beyond Vision is going to put you in cool places and have you doing cool things.”
Meet Sarah
Sarah Zellmer joined Beyond Vision in June, 2016. After four years at home with her son, Sarah was ready to reenter the workforce. The single mom started out at Beyond Vision’s call center and now works as a recruiter.
“The need to make money doesn’t wait for you to get used to being blind. People say to me: ‘I feel like I can’t do anything!’ and I say to them: ‘Wait – There’s hope!’ I love helping people out that way.”
Guidance, Direction and Inspiration
Sarah’s role in Talent Acquisition makes her uniquely positioned to help individuals who are blind or visually impaired at a pivotal moment in their lives. Many are newly blind and struggling to become accustomed to the change.
“Just a few weeks ago, someone called me and said, ‘I used to do CNC work. Obviously, I can’t do that anymore.’ and I got to say ‘we’ve got 5 blind people working CNC right now.’”
Sarah and Beyond Vision are there to provide hope, support and direction to these people during this critical transitional period.
A Positive Place to Work
Beyond Vision’s work environment is one that Sarah and Israel appreciate.
“It’s like a family here, and it’s not at all cliquish.” Sarah says. “We all take different lunches to make sure we’re with different people every day. It’s a nice family atmosphere. We’re all in this together, on the same mission.”
“A lot of people have master’s degrees here.” Israel says. “It’s the culture at Beyond Vision. We are very reliable. We have very low turnover. We show up, work hard and care about giving our customers our best.”
“Being a recruiter is my favorite thing.” says Sarah. “I come to work and I don’t even take off my coat… I check my email ASAP.”
“Proud. That word summarizes my feeling about Beyond Vision.” says Israel. “I take pride in the fact that I can sustain my family, and I’m proud of the work that I do.”
Beyond Vision’s Culture and Core
Beyond Vision’s goal is to serve as a “career runway” for those with significant vision impairments. It’s a good place to land, but it’s also a good place to take off from. Their mission is to serve as a launchpad for careers.
Through accommodations and adaptations, Beyond Vision gives people who are blind the chance to learn how to work around their visual limitations. Screen readers, JAWS, braille and other tools are freely available and utilized by employees at Beyond Vision. These tools are expensive, making them difficult for people to afford and access. By providing these tools for their employees, Beyond Vision is bridging the gap between needs and means.
“Many people come to work because they want a promotion and success. What drives us at Beyond Vision to come to work and why I sit here until all hours of the night is that I’m making a real difference in people’s lives.” says Ryan Hoffman, Government Product Supervisor for Beyond Vision. “Most of the people who work here had careers just like anyone else prior to losing their sight, and we’re helping them to return to that – to the pride and self-esteem that go along with that.”
Climbing the Career Ladder
If someone decides that they would like to pursue career advancement, opportunities are there within the company itself. Whenever possible, Beyond Vision promotes from within, giving employees a chance to gain valuable on-the-job experience.
Regardless of whether or not an employee decides to pursue these options, Beyond Vision wants each and every member of their company to know that anything is possible. If you work hard, you can accomplish great things.
“It’s in our name.” says Israel. “We don’t look at someone’s visual abilities. If you’re willing to work, we want you.”
“I see that Beyond Vision has changed lives.” says Sarah. “They help people change their lives for the better.”
Beyond Vision’s History
In 1903, Beyond Vision, then called the Wisconsin Workshop for the Blind, was established as a state agency. This agency originally provided employment for sixteen men. The workshop grew from there, and by 1920, Wisconsin Workshop for the Blind began doing work for Harley-Davidson. Two years later, they expanded to include assembly work for Briggs. These relationships extend to this day.
By 1958, Wisconsin Workshop for the Blind officially started their machine shop, giving blind Americans the opportunity to become machinists if they so desired. Clever adaptations made by creative engineers laid the foundation for a machine shop utterly safe for those with limited or no vision. To date, no blind person has ever been injured at the machine shop.
In 1985, Wisconsin Workshop for the Blind became the first Wisconsin agency to privatize, separating from the state. Their transition was a success, and in 2005, they were named Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year – Excellence in the Face of Adversity.
Today, Beyond Vision works with Harley Davidson, Briggs and Stratton, Oshkosh Truck, Pentair, P&H and Morris Material Handling. They currently operate nine base supply stores that provide our military with the supplies needed to achieve their aims and missions. They also maintain a successful call center fully staffed by those who are visually impaired.
The Power of a Purchase
Federal purchasers, support nonprofits like Beyond Vision by purchasing AbilityOne products, such as Privacy Filters.
Support Beyond Vision directly via the donation page on their site.
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