Lori Fuller is a deaf woman who works as a counselor for the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in St. Petersburg, FL. She has seen many deaf jobseekers in her office, and she knows what the challenges are, what it takes to begin and build a career, and how to make it happen. We caught her on a weekday at work for a few questions.

i711.com: What kind of career did you imagine having when you were in college?

Lori: I imagined that I would continue to develop and expand a non-profit agency that was established in my community in Wisconsin called "Deaf Empowerment" with my co-founder Melanie Blechl.

i711.com: How did you begin at VR?

Lori: I started with VR as a consumer when VR supported me through my college years. Then I relocated to Florida 3 years ago from Wisconsin. After about a year here in Florida, I found out there was a position open in this area that focuses on Deaf/Hard of Hearing people. I felt like it was the right match for me to be in this field with my experience being a consumer with VR.

i711.com: How long have you worked for VR?

Lori: I have been working with VR a little over a year.

i711.com: What is a typical day at work like for you?

Lori: A typical day involves completing paperwork, researching, reviewing medical, psychological, and vocational reports, meeting with consumers, finding resources, and collaborating with various agencies in the area.

i711.com: How many clients does the average VR counselor have?

Lori: It varies, depending on the counselor and unit. In my unit, the range is currently 104 to 145.

i711.com: What is the average placement rate for VR clients? Are there times of the year when you have better luck placing clients in jobs?

Lori: Each year, we calculate a rehabilitation rate, which focuses on the percentage of customers in service who are successfully closed. The goal is to keep the percentage above 50%. During the fiscal year 2006-2007, we closed 11,089 customers successfully, which is the highest number in the past 5 years.

i711.com: Do you work with both hearing and deaf clients?

Lori: No, I only work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who sign.

i711.com: Do you know of other deaf VR counselors?

Lori: Yes, there are 3 others in the state of Florida that I am aware of.

i711.com: How do the contractors who work for VR select employers for your deaf clients?

Lori: Each placement vendor uses their own methods for job development, so that's a difficult question to answer. They use a wide range of resources, such as contacts they have already established in the community; companies that participate in disability outreach events (such as Disability Mentoring Day); companies that advertise openings through such venues as One Stop Centers, the yellow pages, employment web sites, classified ads, etc.; companies that have expressed an interest in hiring people with disabilities (such as those who post positions with Project EARN); companies who have successfully hired VR customers in the past; companies that send representatives to job fairs; companies that are recommended by vocational training instructors and schools; etc.

i711.com: Does VR have any programs for people interested in starting their own business?

Lori: VR has policies and procedures in place for customers interested in self employment. We have vendors who act as business consultants to help explore self-employment as an option and develop business plans.

i711.com: For deaf job hunters who don't have VR services available, what do you recommend as the next best option?

Lori: There are a number of resources in the community to assist with employment, such as One Stop Centers (WorkNet Pinellas is our local One Stop Center), internet resources (e.g. the Job Accommodation Network, Project EARN), and deaf resource agencies that might be able to assist (e.g. Family Center on Deafness, Deaf Service Bureau, Deaf & Hearing Connection).

i711.com: What three things would you like to see more of your clients do to improve their chances of finding good jobs?

Lori: First of all, I'd like for clients to believe in themselves. Secondly, be assertive, and do not be afraid to find out information. Finally but not least, don't give up!

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