- Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Katie Goulet and I have worked at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the MetroWest region since September 2021, shortly after graduating from Assumption College with a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. I live in central Massachusetts with my husband and three children.
In addition to working for MCB, I am also a consumer who received vocational rehabilitation services after my vision deteriorated to the point of legal blindness due to an autoimmune disorder. My vocational rehabilitation counselor was one of my biggest supporters and one of the reasons why I chose to enter the profession. My goal is to provide every consumer I serve with respect, understanding, and support.
Describe your role at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.
As a vocational rehabilitation counselor, I work with individuals who are legally blind and have a goal to develop the skills necessary to train for future employment, find employment, or to maintain their current employment. While the focus is for the individual is to obtain or maintain employment in a role chosen by the individual, my goal is to understand the entire individual, and understand how their visual impairment (and any other conditions) affects the different aspects of their life. Since the individual is an expert of their life, their collaboration assists in the development and implementation of their customized employment plan which outlines what they may need to reach their goal. In addition to coordinating services and providing job development, my goal is to support the individual as they move through the process.
Why do you feel your work is important?
Employment provides individuals with a sense of purpose, connects them with their community, and creates financial independence. My work allows me to advocate for people with visual impairments and help reduce the environmental and societal barriers that can affect their ability to obtain or maintain employment.
What do you love most about working in this field?
Connecting with consumers and getting to know each of them is the best part of my job. I try to build a partnership with every consumer, so they know that I am as invested in the process as they are. Each consumer is unique and has different needs to reach their goal, which requires the ability to tailor a plan specific to the consumer.
What experiences while working at Massachusetts Commission for the Blind have most impacted you?
I am humbled and grateful for the support, commitment, and dedication from my colleagues, both within the MetroWest region and the agency. One of the consumers I work with required a significant amount of technical assistance as they were trying to understand how to move forward in their undergraduate studies. The Assistive Technology Specialist went above and beyond to investigate specific devices recently developed that could provide the consumer the ability to access the content and helped create a plan of action of how the consumer can pursue their chosen field of study.
What’s one of your favorite memories from working with consumers?
My favorite memories are those which include when the consumer has made progress. Some consumers send pictures from their first day of work while others leave voicemail messages excitedly sharing that they received a job offer. From the student who calls at the end of the semester to let me know they have made the Dean’s List to the consumer who emails me after learning how to access their email for the first time since learning the basic commands of the screen reader software, it is a reason to celebrate.
What should people know about vocational rehabilitation?
Vocational rehabilitation is personalized to each person receiving services. Since every person has different needs and goals, the employment plan is created specifically for that person. Services are chosen based on what the consumer needs to reach their employment goal.
How do you spend time outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, hiking (when not recovering from ankle surgery), volunteering, listening to music, audiobooks, and stand-up comedy.
What three words best describe you?
Compassionate, Dedicated, Perseverant.
Complete this sentence: "I wish that everybody knew..."
individuals with disabilities should not be underestimated. Their skills, abilities, and resilience make valuable contributions to society.
