Welcome to the Unofficial Student Blog of the
Statler Center / Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired.
Please provide a First Name, State and Year you Attended the program to be posted along with your comment. If you do not feel comfortable doing so, please sign your comment "Anonymous".
Comment One:
In 2007 I attend a Hospitality Training program that was taught by the National Statler Center / Olmsted Center, a Non-Profit 501(c)3 that was held at the Blind Center of Nevada, a Non-Profile 501(c)3. This Flagship program started off with 12 student and ended with 10 graduating.
I thank the State of Nevada which paid for my attendance of this class through DETR Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I Especially thank my counselors Gayle Lee, Morie Belgorod and their Supervisor Sylvia Hillman for their help and support during my training.
I also thank Veronica Wilson, President and Robert Waldorf, Vice President of the Blind Center of Nevada for hosting the Statler Center Training program, for without their help this program would not have happened. I became aware of the Statler Center program while working for the Blind Center of Nevada as one of the first vision impaired people employed to help develope their Ebay Flagship Program, training blind people to sell goods on Ebay which as become a very sucessful venture for the Blind Center of Nevada.
Please consider donating your old Personal Computers, monitors and printers along with any other office machines of any size to the Blind Center of Nevada to be either recycled or placed on Ebay to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Non-Profit Organization..
Blind Center of Nevada: 1001 N. Bruce Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: 702.642.6000, Fax: 702.649.6739, Email: info@blindcenter.org
Easter Seals of Southern Nevada helped to set me up while working at the Blind Center of Nevada with a PC, 21" Monitor and adaptive software called MAGic. I was Assessed by Ernie Hall and trained by his assistant Andrew Louis. Both Easter Seals representatives were very helpful and knowledgeable.
While in the program held at the Blind Center of Nevada I was able to meet many Great Guest Speakers representing local hotels, casinos and many businesses in the Las Vegas area. Through the Statler Center I learned about Networking which helped me to find employment working at MGM Grand in their Shared Service Employment Center as an Application Service Representative
While I appreciate the effort that the Statler Center / Olmsted Center team put into creating this program and networking with local businesses to help find job for the students, I do have many issues with them as well.
Post graduation they informed me that many of the promises that were made to myself and the student were misunderstood or misinterpreted and in order to keep this from happening further they cut off all communication with me.
As for myself, the biggest lie that they told was that they would send a Technologist from the Statler Center 2 weeks after each found work in order to provide them with Temporary adaptive equipment and software until the our state agency could do so once authorizations were given. This never happened for myself or any of the other students that found employment.
I and the other students are not the only ones that were lied to, the recruiters at MGM were made promises that the Statler team did not keep as well.
I think this program that was held at the Blind Center of Nevada is basically very helpful for the blind community as a stepping stone to employment in the Hospitality Industry. It just needs to restaffed with people who know how to tell the truth and be held accountable for the promises they make.
