five years of teaching, Thomas has acquired enough teaching hours to reach the Master Scuba Diver Trainer Instructor level. Thomas recently needed some additional help from VR, so he came back for more services. This time, VR set him up with VRI (Video Relay Interpreter) technology. This is a TV screen that Thomas uses to call a live interpreter. It’s similar to Skype, in that the interpreter can be somewhere else, but Thomas can see him/her on the TV screen and read the interpreting and then sign back. This is helpful with teaching his students who can hear or who don’t know ASL. Thomas’ business continues to grow and flourish. After five years, he now has nine independent contractors who work with him to teach scuba diving, CPR, and first aid. He credits VR and Lori for their help in getting him started in his dream job and keeping it going. “Lori has been a wonderful person to work with,” he says. “She has a big heart to make sure everyone gets what they need in order to succeed. She wanted to see a successful deaf business and show the community that this is something we can do. It’s really great that she’s been able to help me achieve it.” Thomas enjoys what he does and shares, “The reason I do this is because I like to travel all over America, but for me, the main thing was being able to set up my business and so I can provide this for people who are deaf, because some scuba instructors are not willing to teach them. More and more people who use ASL are taking the classes, and soon we will be training instructors who are deaf.” Lori feels confident that Thomas can make this happen. “All I can say is Thomas is a go getter, not afraid of new challenges. He makes things work no matter what, thinks outside the box, and his motivation is truly astonishing.” About Vocational Rehabilitation Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federal-state program committed to helping people with disabilities become part of America’s workforce. Our employerfocused website, http://www.FLJobConnections.com, allows businesses to search at no charge for employees who are ready to go to work, as well as to post available jobs. VR has 89 offices across Florida, and last year helped 7,214 Floridians with significant disabilities find or keep a job. For more information about VR and its services, call (800) 451-4327 or visit http:// www.Rehabworks.org. AmeriDisability July/August 2017 39
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