BLIND, AMBITIOUS FINDING JOB A CHALLENGE, BUT FAR FROM IMPOSSIBLE FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED FOLK WITH TALENT.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

For Maria Perez, seeking employment was an arduous task as some employers were unable to fathom hiring someone that lacks a skill usually omitted from a resume: eyesight.

``I can just remember a lot of people saying that a blind person doesn't belong in banking with all those numbers involved,'' said Perez, 28, now a telephone banker with Washington Mutual in Chatsworth.

About 75 percent of the visually impaired in the U.S. are unemployed, while approximately 14 million people in the U.S. are legally blind, according to the Braille Institute.

``We just need to educate more employers,'' said John Silver, career services coordinator for the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.

A smattering of local businesses had tables rife with pamphlets about employment at the institute's job fair Thursday. Among the attendees: Volkswagen, Vons, United California Bank and Kaiser Permanente.

``But we have a hiring freeze right now with the economy and all, so we're just accepting resumes,'' said Esther Jimenez, an employment specialist with United California Bank.

An ailing economy coupled with a visual impairment is a double dose of impediments for the legally blind searching for a job. However, Silver said he doesn't think the economy has had a major impact on the job market for visually impaired people.

``Since 9-11, I don't think we've felt the implications of that,'' he said. ``I find that as long as we can continue to educate employers with assisted technologies (for the visually impaired), they will understand they can perform like anyone else.''

Still, the Braille Institute's main focus is educating the visually impaired to balance out the competition faced by many job seekers. The institute offers a free 21-week course to prepare legally blind people for employment opportunities in general office administration.

``After the course I just sent out a bunch of resumes, not thinking I'd actually get hired,'' said Perez, who lost her vision completely nine years ago.

With plans to pursue psychology postponed, Perez enrolled in the Braille Institute's career services course. She now meticulously balances the checkbooks of others, while her own savings account accrues interest.

``I plan on going back to school to pursue psychology once I have enough money saved up,'' said Perez, who lost her vision due to retinal detachment.

When she's not at the beach, or spending time with her family at her home in Pacoima, Perez is surrounded by pages of Braille, a computer monitor and various devices that decipher the often cryptic world of banking for the visually impaired.

For nine months, Perez has successfully felt her way through acres of cubicles to her terminal.

``It has been very challenging and frustrating. They (Washington Mutual) didn't know much about the visually impaired. But the people here have been so patient,'' Perez said.

A speaker on the right side of her monitor reads every word off the screen, while an object that sits in front of the keyboard displays words and numbers in Braille. Her phone has a bunch of sticky tape with bumps representing different extensions and another device to her left aids with transactions.

``The problem is, the software I use doesn't communicate well with the software Washington Mutual uses,'' she said.

But management is working on those glitches, according to her supervisor, Richard Lovato.

As Perez is the first visually impaired employee Washington Mutual has hired in California, Lovato said its been a learning experience for the company.

``When we first heard about her situation, we thought it would be really easy. We assumed everything would work out,'' he said. ``And Maria has been such a trooper. She's terrific. I know it's frustrating for her when she can't finish a call because of the system.''

As Perez is a pioneer in her quest to adapt to Washington Mutual's world, she's not alone.

``Its been an uphill learning experience for me,'' said Julie Helliwell, who lost most of her vision a decade ago after giving birth as a diabetic.

Until recently, Helliwell was unemployed, with previous work experience as a secretary. She had sent out several resumes, which left out her visual impairment, before she landed a job with Volkswagen of Van Nuys.

Helliwell said she was very careful not to draw attention to her poor vision, usually mentioning the condition toward the end of the interview. Though the 38-year-old Helliwell has the ability to see in one eye, she still relies on her 7-year-old black Lab, Maren. Helliwell said on some interviews, she would quickly collapse her cane if Maren wasn't around.

``You just can't give up, even if you are rejected so many times,'' she said. ``I just tried to pitch my abilities, never giving the employer the chance to doubt them. People also need to have more than one resume. I recommend that they are scannable.''

At Volkswagen, Helliwell scours the Internet for car orders that come in from various auto dealer sites. She increases the font size on her screen so she can make out the orders.

Liz Chase, e-business leader for Volkswagen of Van Nuys, was responsible for hiring Helliwell.

``When I met Julie, I noticed her presentation, her attention to detail. She also knew the Internet,'' Chase said. ``I had no idea how blind she was until she said she uses her hands to see. And she's so organized, always putting things back where they came from. She's really improved my own habits.''

After about five months of work, Helliwell, who often compares herself to Mr. Magoo, ``always bumping into things,'' recently received her license to sell cars.

``But, I don't actually want to be a car salesman, I just want to know the ins and outs of this business,'' she said.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Maria Perez, who has been blind for nine years, uses a variety of assisting devices at her desk as a phone banker for Washington Mutual.

(2 -- color) A device attached to the keyboard at her desk in Chatsworth allows Maria Perez to read, in Braille, letters and numbers she's typed.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(3) Julie Helliwell, who is legally blind, reads enlarged text for her job at Volkswagen of Van Nuys.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer