APH CareerConnect’s CareerConversations program is excited to feature Stacy Cervenka as our guest for this interview. You can also link to our recorded career chat.
Stacy Cervenka was born with optic nerve hypoplasia and attended public school. up to 2Second abbreviation classroom, she had access to a resource room for blind and visually impaired students. Then she moved to the neighborhood school, where she was the only blind student.
She reflects on her school days
“When I was a child, I didn’t have access to other blind people,” says Stacy. “I learned that it is important for blind and visually impaired children to have role models to help them understand that there is no shame in being blind.” “The summer after I graduated from high school,” she says, “the summer after I graduated from high school, my first blind mentor, Illinois National Football League president Steve Benson, who wrote journalism for the Chicago Public Library system, was the first person to say to me directly, ‘There’s no shame in being blind.’ I had never heard anyone say it that way, and it triggered something inside me, that this quality that often made me feel flawed, inferior, or something I should belittle wasn’t a flaw at all, but a way to To be human.
defends
As a child, she was a great advocate for herself both in the classroom and in life. “Once I had my lecture schedule each semester, I would email my professors to request a list of textbooks as soon as possible so I could start getting materials in alternative formats before classes started,” says Stacy. “On the first day of class, I would also stay afterward to introduce myself and discuss details like testing arrangements or any lab accommodations. These practices prepared me well for the workforce, where employers often knew little about blindness. I needed to understand the technology I used and know how to Office processes and procedures can be made accessible to everyone as a blind employee.”
Access materials and keep up with assignments
Stacy was not taught Braille as a child. However, upon starting college, she quickly realized that there was too much reading for her to keep up with using her vision. Therefore, learning Braille was essential for her to be effective in her courses and in the world. I also learned from the mentors that Braille can be learned by those who have some residual vision.
Find connection and community
After graduating from high school, Stacy participated in the 1999 National Federation of the Blind National Convention. This helped her find community among visually impaired people like her. “It is very important that blind and visually impaired children have access to successful blind adult mentors who are raising their families, have jobs, or living happy, active lives. If a child has never seen adults navigate the world the way they do, it can be difficult for them to imagine what their future might look like.”
From trainee to employee and beyond!
After attending a National Federation of the Blind symposium in Washington about six months later, she knew she wanted to intern in a lawmaker’s office. Stacy applied and became an intern for Senator Sam Brownback. After graduating from college, Stacy returned to work full time for Senator Brownback as a legislative assistant. After five years working for Senator Brownback, Stacy served as the Youth Programs Coordinator for the Sacramento Association of the Blind. as a government program analyst for the California Department of Rehabilitation; As Executive Officer of the California State Rehabilitation Board; as Director of Public Policy for the American Foundation for the Blind; Then as Senior Director of Respect Policy.
Manage a statewide agency serving blind people
Stacy now serves as Director of the Iowa Department of the Blind where she oversees services statewide for people who are blind. She also manages a staff that provides direct services to blind and visually impaired youth and adults in Iowa. The department provides residential and community services as well as the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled within the state of Iowa.
Listen here to learn more from Stacey and hear more about her professional journey.
