~ An Interview by PATRICIA ROY of the Journal Pioneer ~
Normand Richard courage and perseverance to return to school to go to study and it was not a easy task. After working for 29 Years in a Irving service station in Mont-Carmel as a Service attendant. I had a Vision Impair and I didn’t let that border me and It was really hard and difficult for me to except it and I took it all in stride and I did achieved my goals and I surpassed them. I never thought that I would have to change job. Then I didn’t wait to the last minute to meet with a disability counsellor to have a few advice to guide me the right direction. When I heard that my uncle was planning to retire in 1997 and He was the owner of the Service Station in Mont-Carmel. But Irving Oils Company ask my Uncle if he would stay for the next Year and he told them he had to ask me if I would stay with him and when I told him that I would stay he except to stay for another Year. I have more longer times to prepare me. I find out if I don’t want to stay at home doing nothing after the Service Station would close down. I would have to go for upgrading my GED Equivalent Grade 12. Because I had my GED Equivalent of grade 12, I wanted to go further. I didn’t have no choice because I had just my Grade 9.When I was waiting in 1998 that Mrs. Colette Aucoin, the Head Director of the College of l'Acadie.The morning that he was coming to meet with me and to see my special equipment that I was using for my Computer.By then she had received a telephone call from the Department of Education that I could study for my GED equivalent for grade 12.Then she came to met me. She was amazed how I was getting along with my Computer. Then I had to decide to upgrade my Educationsby obtaining myGED Equivalent to Grade 12.
On March the 10, 1998 the Department needed some special GED programs in orderto accomplish the GED course and then he had the permission to recorded the important lesson on an audio cassette, then I could send them back to Department of Education and then I could take as long as I want to memorizeand to study them.When hebelieved that I was ready to do the GED test, he would contact the Department of Education.Alvin Curley was the teacher that would give me the GED test and he was a retired education retirement teacher and he was the supervisor in charge of GED testing for Prince County.He said testing a visually impaired person and he said that it would be a new experience for him.But he added that I certainly knew the material.At the beginning of the test he started with the audio cassette tapes for me to listen to the question to answer them.I told him that it was going to slow.I ask him if he could ask me the question because I told him that it would be easier and faster for me to understand the questions.He was really delighted for me.He said this was quite an achievement for me. Because I had a really good memory and he was surprise how I could work the Math problem so easy. Because he did not have the option of working the math problem on the paper and he had to calculate all in his head. Normand Richard started to receive the cassettes at the beginning of March, 1998 and by June of 1998 and he was surprise when he received his GED diploma on the 25 of June, 1998.I never admitted that I didn't always believed that I would be able to have my GED equivalent for Grade 12 certificate.It was because I was a visual impaired person and I had to quit the school at Grade 9.Sometimes I would get discouraged but I didn’t let that stop me to continue.
On the weekend of July 24,25 and 26, 1985. We had a Richard descendant family reunion.It was that weekend thatmy cousin started to explain to me that I should begin to realize that you have a visual impairment problem but you should not let that bother youand change your own path .You should change your life and become more independent,because you don’t have to depend from your eyes.She said your eyes are only a small part of who you are and go out and change your life.Although she said many people had told her approximately the same thing.Then I don’t know why it entered into my head but it was at that time, that I change my life style. In the summer of 1999.I had to have a job to make my stamps to go back to the College of l' Acadie in Wellington and I was luckyto have a summer job for 13 weeks and then in falls of 1999 I went back to study at the College of Acadie in Wellington. It was to learn better my two languages and it was the French and the English languages.It was to improve my ability to writeand read better. I did learn the grade one basic braille languages and I was lucky to have had the help from the Government. They helped me to have software to work with my computer and it was theJaws for Windows and The Open Books that would be added on the computer.It allowedhim to type about 45 wpm.My memory help me to have no problem to used a computer as a person that have his full vision.
I was known in my community for having a fantastic memory.He confirmed that he had to memorized all the information on the accounts of the service station. Because I had no choice if I want to work in the service station because I had a visual impairment problem and I want to prove that I could work at the service station allthose years that I workthere.I am also a CB operator. My interest began in 1976 and I obtain the 2 meter amateur radio operator's license in 1992 and the HF meter amateur radio operator License in the middle of 1974I can make contacts all over with the world.It allowed me to communicate everywhere.I am taking his responsibilities as trying to help the Fishermen and to used them as a hobbies. I am very serious with my amateur radios.I am hoping that my future work would be a radio dispatcher.Which is a field that Iam already familiar with, amateur radio. I studied the areas and I learned all the locations of Mont-Carmel because when I was working at the service station I was often giving directions to the Tourists, R.C.M.P. and the Fire Department when they didn’t know where to go.I also assisted in a sea rescue mission a few years ago.It was involving a localfisherman.I volunteered many hours as a dispatcher during the Acadian Games of1990 and I did really enjoyed it.It is just to show to the people that a visual impaired person can do almost as a person that had their full vision.
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~ Mon Document de Concour pour quand j'ai gagner mon Odinateur en 2002 ~
The English version of this document.
~ Du courage à revendre! ~
Voici mon histoire. Une histoire de courage face aux changements de la vie. Il faut s’adapter, accepter ce qui arrive, et surtout.. continuer!
Lorsque j‘ai commencé l’école à Mont-Carmel, il y avait plusieurs niveaux dans la même classe. J’ai été obligé de répéter ma première année parce que j’avais beaucoup de misère à l’école. Ensuite, j’ai répété quelques années avant qu’on trouve la cause de ma difficulté : en huitième année, à 14 ans, on a découvert que je ne voyais pas bien! J’avais de la misère à apprendre à l’école et c’était pour cette raison! Maintenant je le réalise!
Je suis allé voir plusieurs spécialistes afin d’obtenir un diagnostic définitif. Quinze ans de visites! Finalement, à Moncton, on a réalisé qu’il n’y avait rien de mal avec mes yeux. Je pourrais faire un don d’organe si je le voulais ! Mon problème est que mon nerf optique est endommagé.
Mon père a voulu d’autres évaluations. À Montréal, au Maine, en Floride : ils ont la même opinion. L’opération est trop délicate et je risquerais de perdre ce que j’ai de vision : lumière et ombrages.
Ça m’a pris longtemps à accepter mon problème. Lors d’une rencontre de la famille Richard en 1985, une de mes cousines, Line, m’a parlé bien fermement : « Il faut que tu acceptes ta situation. Tu as 4 autres sens à bien développer. Vis ta vie comme une autre personne! » Depuis, j’ai plus d’ambition.
En 1969, j’ai commencé à travailler à la station service Irving à Mont-Carmel à temps partiel. Cinq ans plus tard, je travaillais pour ce garage à plein temps. Je suis resté là jusqu’à l’automne 1998. Mon travail consistait à vendre de l’essence, tenir tous les records des clients dans ma mémoire, donner des directions aux touristes, faire des commandes et retenir tous les numéros de téléphone des compagnies qu’on contactait souvent, etc.
En 1998, mon oncle qui était mon patron, s’est retiré. J’ai dû envisager une nouvelle façon de voir mon avenir.
Puisque je ne voulais pas rester à la maison, j’ai décidé d’aller voir un conseiller pour les personnes ayant des déficiences physiques. J’ai réalisé que je n’avais pas trop de chances de me trouver une nouvelle occupation. Prenant mon courage à deux mains, j’ai décidé de passer les tests du GED. J’ai étudié chez moi à l’aide de 42 vidéocassettes et je suis allé au Collège de l’Acadie, vers la fin, pour avoir un peu d’aide.
Après 3 mois, j’ai passé mon examen oralement. J’étais très content d’avoir réussi mon GED parce que c’était un rêve réalisé pour moi!
À la fin d’octobre 1998, M. Arthur Irving m’a envoyé une lettre de félicitations. Il soulignait mon courage et ma patience d’avoir poursuivi jusqu’à la fin mes études secondaires. Il voulait montrer à ses employés que j’avais persévéré malgré mon problème visuel. Il a fait paraître un article sur moi dans la revue Irving de l’année 1999 qui est distribuée à tous ses membres.
En 1998, je suis allé voir une conseillère d’emploi pour qu’elle évalue mes habiletés. Voici les quatre choix de carrière qui m’ont été suggérés : répartiteur dans les radios, réceptionniste, courtier de l’information dans les ordinateurs et aide-journaliste. Je dois donc me donner un nouveau défi de carrière , apprendre le braille et l’utilisation de la canne de direction afin d’être prêt à l’emploi.
Quelques mois plus tard, une conseillère de l’Institut national canadien pour les aveugles (I.N.C.A.) est venue chez nous. Maintenant, je connais la base du braille comme troisième langue et je me sers de mieux en mieux de la canne. Les deux conseillères se sont trouvées vraiment surprises de voir que ma mémoire est si bien développée!
Le 7 juin 1999, mon père et moi avons eu une réunion avec le Directeur du Conseil des personnes vivant avec des handicaps, une conseillère du Collège de l’Acadie, une représentante de l’I.N.C.A. et une conseillère du Centre d’emploi. Le comité m’a suggéré de me trouver un emploi pour l’été afin de pouvoir recevoir de l’assurance-emploi. Donc, pendant l’été 1999, j’ai eu la chance de travailler 12 semaines à la Société-Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin. Mes tâches étaient d’aider à faire un bottin téléphonique, apprendre à utiliser la photocopieuse, répondre au téléphone et faire d’autres petits travaux dans le bureau. Un virage bien exécuté!
À l’automne 1999, j’ai pu m’inscrire en études générales au Collège de l’Acadie. Je dois apprendre à mieux écrire et lire en français et en anglais et améliorer mes connaissances en informatique. C’est un autre défi à relever!
J’ai eu l’appui du gouvernement fédéral et du gouvernement provincial afin d’acheter de l’équipement que je peux utiliser en classe et avec mon ordinateur à la maison. Les deux logiciels que j’utilise sont le Jaws for Windows et le Open Book avec un numérisateur à balayage» Le premier logiciel, Jaws, me dit ce que je tape sur l’écran. Et le deuxième, Open Book, me lit des textes et je peux faire des exercices de compréhension. Ces deux logiciels sont très utiles et me font explorer des chemin inconnus! ( lecture rapide, écriture, Internet, etc.)
J’ai travaillé à plusieurs projets avec la Société-Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin. À partir de la maison, j’ai fait l’entrée de données en utilisant le logiciel Microsoft Excel. J’ai fait la liste des familles acadiennes dans les cinq régions principales de l’Île et… j’ai bien aimé ça! De plus, j’ai été employé des Jeux de l’Acadie affairé à l’ordinateur pour entrer de l’information pour des cartes. J’ai aussi travaillé pour la SSTA pour de la sollicitation téléphonique. Ces emplois d’été m’ont permis de continuer mes études et d’acquérir un bagage d’expérience inestimable!
Je suis en études générales depuis 3 ans maintenant. J’ai appris comment me présenter en entrevue ainsi que les techniques de politesse pour répondre au téléphone. Je continue à améliorer mes connaissances du français et de l’anglais. Vous devriez voir mes dictées! J’ai beaucoup appris! Je souhaite pouvoir me trouver un emploi à temps plein qui me donnera la chance de mettre tout ça en pratique!
Lorsqu’on a un problème avec la vue, il faut accepter de faire différentes choses que les voyants ne font pas! Il faut s’adapter à toutes sortes d’équipements (les logiciels pour non voyants, le braille, la canne, etc.) Tu dois d’abord apprendre à accepter ton handicap et c’est là que tu t’aperçois que c’est plus facile ensuite. l faut faire plusieurs changements dans la vie, des changements dont on ne s’attend pas!
Pour entreprendre une nouvelle direction, ça prend du courage et de l’endurance. Je suis chanceux d’avoir eu le Collège de l’Acadie pour trouver de l’aide! C’est à cause d’eux que je suis rendu là où je suis! Je les remercie profondément. Je veux remercier aussi ma famille pour leur encouragement. Ils sont très fiers de voir que je fais du progrès. On est tous proches ensemble et on communique bien.
Je suis très fier de tous mes accomplissements depuis le début de mes études. Ça prend du courage mais j’en ai à revendre!
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~ Courage to Spare! ~
This is my story. A story of courage to deal with life's changes. A person must adapt, accept what happens and, especially, carry on!
When I started school in Mont Carmel, there were several grade levels in the same classroom. I had to repeat the first grade because I was having difficulty in school. I then repeated a few other grades before the cause of my difficulty was identified. In grade 8, at the age of 14, it was discovered that I could not see properly! I had learning problems in school and that was the reason why! Now I realize it! I saw several specialists to obtain a definite diagnosis. Fifteen years of visits! Finally, in Moncton, I was told nothing was wrong with my eyes; I could even make an organ donation if I wanted to! The problem was that my optic nerve was damaged. My father wanted other opinions. In Montreal, Maine and Florida, everyone gave the same diagnosis. The operation was too delicate and I could risk losing the little vision I had: light and shadows.
It took me a long time to accept my condition. During a family reunion in 1985, one of my cousins, Lynn spoke to me firmly. She said, that you have to accept the situation, you have four other senses to develop, live your life like other people. Since that time, I have more ambition.
In 1969, I started working at the Irving Service Station in Mont Carmel on a part time basis. Five years later, I was working there full time. I kept that job until 1998. It included selling gas, keeping client records in memory, give directions to tourists, place orders and remember telephone numbers of companies we often contacted, etc. In 1998, my uncle, who was also my boss, retired. I had to look at something new for the future. Since I did not want to stay home, I decided to seek assistance from a counsellor for individuals with physical limitations. I realized I did not have many chances at finding a new occupation. I took my courage in both hands and decided to take the GED tests. I studied at home with the help of 42 video cassettes and went to the Collège de Acadie, towards the end, to get a bit of assistance. After three months, I passed my test orally. I was very happy to have passed the GED because that was one of my dreams!
At the end of October 1998, Mr. Arthur Irving sent me a congratulatory letter. He emphasized the courage and patience it took to pursue my high school education to the end. He wanted to show his employees that I had persevered, despite my visual limitations. He published an article on my life in a 1999 issue of the Irving magazine which is distributed to all Irving members.
In 1998, I visited an employment counsellor for a skills assessment. The following are the four career options I was given: radio dispatcher, receptionist, computer information worker and assistant-journalist. I was therefore faced with a new career challenge, learning Braille and using a cane in order to be ready for a new job. A few months later, a counsellor for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) came to my home. Now, I know the basics of Braille as a third language and I am getting used to my cane. The two counsellors were surprised to see how my memory was so well developed!
On June 7, 1999, my father and I met with the director of the Council for the Disabled, a counsellor with the Collège de Acadie, a representative of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and a counsellor at the Employment Centre. The committee suggested that I find summer employment in order to be able to receive employment insurance. Therefore, during the summer of 1999, I had the opportunity to work 12 weeks at the Société Saint-Thomas d'Aquin. My duties included preparing a telephone directory, learning to use the photocopier, answering the telephone and doing other small tasks around the office. What a turning point!
In the fall of 1999, I was able to register at the Collège de Acadie. I had to learn to improve my reading and writing skills in French and English as well as my computer abilities. Another challenge to overcome!
I received assistance from the federal and provincial governments to purchase equipment that I could use in the classroom as well as with my home computer. The two software applications that I use are Jaws for Windows and Open Book with a scanner. Jaws tells me what I am typing on the screen and Open Book, reads texts to enable me to do comprehension exercises. The two software applications are very useful and allow me to explore new avenues (speed reading, writing, Internet, etc.)
I worked on several projects for the Société Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin. From my home, I did data entry using the Microsoft Excel software. I prepared a list of Acadian families in the five main areas of the Island, a job I truly enjoyed! I also worked for the Jeux de Acadie entering information on the computer to prepare identification cards. I also did telephone solicitation for the SSTA. These employment opportunities allowed me to continue my education and acquire invaluable experience!
I have been in general studies for the past three years and have learned interview and telephone answering techniques. I am now improving my French and English language skills. You should see my spelling! I have learned so much! I hope to be able to find full time employment that will give me the chance to put my skills into practice!
When visually impaired, a person must accept to do things differently than would a person with normal eyesight, and adapt to different types of equipment (special software, Braille, cane, etc.). First of all, you have to accept your handicap and that's when you realize that things get a bit easier. Several changes in life must be made, some of them quite unexpected!
Taking a new direction takes courage and perseverance. I am lucky to have had the Collège de Acadie to help! It is because of them that I have reached where I am today! I want to sincerely thank them. I also want to thank my family for their encouragement. They are very proud to see that I am making progress. We are all close and communicate well. I am very proud of my accomplishments since the beginning of my studies. It does take courage, but I have some to spare!