Melissa Lyon’s Story

Finding employment in today’s economy can be difficult, so imagine the struggle faced by those who are blind or visually impaired. As a less sighted woman living in Watertown, N.Y., Melissa Lyon found that getting a job that paid well enough to take care of her three teenaged sons wasn’t easy. So when her doctor told her about CABVI at her yearly appointment, she knew that seeking their assistance was something she needed to consider. Little did she know that when she made that initial call to CABVI, it would change her life.

Upon interviewing with CABVI, Melissa was offered a position at Central Industries, which she readily accepted. However, she was still living in Watertown at the time. That meant that she would have to commute from Watertown to Utica each day – a commute that was two hours one way.

“My oldest daughter was working at the time, but quit her job so she could provide transportation,” Melissa said. “She was always there for me, taking me in to Utica each morning and coming back at three o’clock every day to bring me home.” After three months of commuting, Melissa decided it was time to relocate to the Utica area and CABVI lent her a helping hand.

“CABVI was instrumental in helping me relocate to Utica and get acquainted with the city,” Melissa said, adding, “They made the transition smooth for my entire family. With three teenage boys, it was a life-changing experience not just for me, but also for my children and they did well with it. Whatever we needed, CABVI was there. They were so helpful.”

Melissa continued to work in Central Industries for the next three months, and eventually was offered a job in the contact center. This presented a new challenge to Melissa. As someone who had been less sighted since birth, Melissa never believed that a career that involved using a computer would be a possibility for her.
“I knew nothing about computers at all,” Melissa said. “And being less sighted? Therein lied the biggest challenge of all.” Despite her initial concerns, Melissa decided to take the position – and that was when she discovered exactly what lengths CABVI is willing to go to for their employees.

“Some nights I would go home and wonder if I’d be able to do this job,” Melissa said. “I had come to CABVI with no computer training whatsoever, but they were more than supportive of me. They stuck with me through the whole training process and encouraged me. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

Melissa stayed with the position in the contact center, and she slowly but surely learned to use the computer and the various programs she would need. She believes that she would never have had such thorough training – or would have even been allowed the opportunity – elsewhere. “That’s the wonderful thing about CABVI... whether you’re less sighted or totally blind, you have the opportunity to go into the computer field, where at other companies you might not be offered the chance. CABVI affords you that.”