At the age of eleven, Joshua was declared legally blind, but the cause of his visual impairment was unknown. It took numerous visits to specialists to understand his condition. Finally in 2007, Joshua was diagnosed with Wolfram Syndrome (new window), a rare neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized by diabetes (new window) in childhood that often leads to blindness.

Joshua first visited the Neil Squire Society seeking job search support. He attended several Employ-Ability workshops on topics such as Time Management and Organization Skills; Teamwork; Positive Self-Esteem and Confidence; Disclosure of a Disability; and Motivation and Momentum.

During the workshop entitled “Disclosure of a Disability to Potential Employers” Joshua learned how to talk to employers about his disability, with confidence. Joshua demonstrated this in his practice script, stating “although I am legally blind and nearsighted I can read with an increased font size and with the use of assistive devices, such as ZoomText (new window). With these tools I can perform all the duties of the job. I am creative and have strong attention to detail, which helps me do the job well”.

Joshua is indeed a creative individual and has a strong interest in writing, reading, editing, and drawing. Creativity is one of Joshua’s top talents, along with diligence and a strong work ethic. Despite many challenges, Joshua never let his disability get in the way. “At the age of eleven I was declared legally blind. This has not hindered my ability to learn new skills and fulfill the responsibilities required of me,” he says.

Joshua recently secured a position with a media productions team at the Community Resource Centre in Killaloe (new window). He is helping educate the community about non-profit organizations through various multi-media productions such as films, broadcasts and pod casts.

Joshua says, “The goal of our production team is to help organizations address their target audience as well as provide them with contact information and the location of their organization”. For this project, Joshua has interviewed Natalie Ducey, Neil Squire Society’s Employ-Ability Program Facilitator. Natalie says, “It was a proud moment sitting down for an interview with Joshua. He was truly committed to reaching his goal from the very beginning. He is very deserving of his success and is doing fantastic work”. The video for this project can be viewed here (new window).

Joshua expresses his gratitude to Neil Squire Society, and Natalie Ducey, “Thank you! I truly appreciate your kindness and patience. You have been a big help”.

If you would like to make a donation to support others like Joshua, you may do so here.