Do I collect a check for my disability and if so,
how much is it? Listen, these are just a couple of
the questions I'm going to answer in this video.
One of the questions that comes up an awful lot is, "what is
your job outside of YouTube, you know, how do you make a living, what do you do for work?
And what do other blind people do for work?" Let me start by
talking about the jobs I've done. JINGLE: Does it by request!
[music plays]
For me, I liked radio. That was my childhood dream and so
that's what I wanted to do and that's the career path I chose.
So I worked as a disc jockey so what that meant was
I'm running the control board, right, and playing all the
CDs and taking them out and putting them back away.
And I have to do things like the weather and talk up the records
so when I was playing jazz I was sort of cool, you know,
"There's Stan Getz of course, and Dusty,
Brubeck in there, and one from Miles Davis too
from Kind of Blue, there's So What." And then I'd have to do things
like the weather and even read commercials.
Then they changed the radio station to oldies and actually kept me.
JINGLE: Solid gold! TOMMY: So, again
I was doing pretty much the same kind of things but I was
a little bit more lively now, right. I was saying more things like
"In the middle of another set of ten oldies in a row
on Connecticut's Home for the Best and Most Oldies." Right?
All that kind of stuff. It was a lot of fun. That's what
I did for a couple years and then I got a different job. And this one
was completely different. I was the traffic reporter.
I listened to what people were talking about on the phones.
I listened to what the cops were doing. I had police radios and stuff
so I could hear everything that was going on around me.
There was nothing to see in that job. Absolutely nothing.
And the other part of that job was being a part of a morning show.
Which was a real lot of fun because that allowed me
to be funny and play a little bit and then on Saturday nights
they gave me my own rock 'n' roll sort of 80's and 90's retro show
which was great fun. JINGLE: Weekend special!
TOMMY: But that meant that I really had no other time to do anything
else so I had to get out of the business
for a while so I could concentrate on this. JINGLE: Thank you.
[music plays] TOMMY: So what do I do now besides YouTube?
Well, I'm a public speaker. Schools, conventions,
organizations, private parties hire me to tell my story.
I talk about growing up as a blind child, what
that was like. I also talk about the struggles I had as an adult
and of course my careers in radio and YouTube as well. And the cool
part is that I get to travel. I do this all over the world.
I've gotten to see parts of the world I would have
never imagine I ever been to before.
[music continues] So what about other people who are blind?
Well, first off, if you're a blind person,
do me a favor and share the jobs they've had in the past or that they do now
right there in the comments because I know I'm going to miss a ton.
It will be great a way to let everybody know what blind people can do
because honestly the better question is, "what jobs can't blind people do?"
There's a few obvious ones like a waiter
or an airline pilot or a taxi driver,
even a graphic designer or illustrator, but then again, there are blind
photographers in the world. As it turns out there really is a way to
do most jobs through technology and
different accessibility that's available or you know what,
just desire and it's about not letting your blindness stop you from doing what
you want to do. Listen, I know blind people that are lawyers,
teachers, psychologists, actors,
musicians, customer service, tech support,
a writer, guidance counselor, tech and web development,
I've even got a friend who does retail. I mean, there's more...
an accountant, a secretary, financial planner,
maybe in the food service industry. To be honest, I don't
to many blind people that are on assistance.
You know, everybody's working.
[music resolves]
It's so funny to me because there are people assume that I can't do
anything or that blind people can't do anything for work and just take a check.
You know, a social security or something like that every month.
And that's all. What kind of a dull life would that be, you know?
That's certainly not the kind I want. It's fun to work.
It's nice to be able to be out in the world working,
contributing... I don't know. I couldn't imagine just sitting around
waiting for a check every month. People with all sort of disabilities
do all sort of things. And you know what, it makes the workplace
a better place. It really does. To have that kind of diversity around...
everybody learns from it and everybody has fun
and... it's a nice experience for people.
[music plays] BEN: So do you collect a check?
TOMMY: You know what? I don't get a check now.
And I'll tell you why? I don't deserve one. I'm out working.
I'm doing things. I'm able bodied.
I can go out in the work field and get a job
so why would I take a check. It's not my money. I didn't earn it.
Or win it. Or inherit it.
That's somebody's else money. It's not mine.
BEN: So you wouldn't want the extra $500 or whatever a month?
TOMMY: Listen, I understand it would be great but the principle of the thing
is what I don't like. Of course the $500 would be great.
$600 - $700... whatever it is a month. But it's the principle ---
it's about my character too. I wouldn't be the
person I am if I took checks every month. I don't think.
BEN: So you must love sighted people who collect unemployment checks.
TOMMY: Here's the thing. I know so many sighted people
that don't work. That don't have jobs.
And you know what, if I could see, my god, I'd be
out pushing Uber right now. I wouldn't even be making --- I would be out driving Uber.
Or a Lyft. Or something, or waiting tables or bartendering
or something like that. It blows my mind when I see
people that can see that refuse to work.
It drives me crazy. Yeah, okay,
they're not great jobs, but you know what, they're jobs. And they help to put food on the table.
And help to keep you in the lifestyle you want.
And sorry, but it makes me crazy. It really does.
BEN: Did you ever collect a check because of your disability?
TOMMY: I did. I did collect a check because of my disability in high school.
For the three years of high school.
I did collect a check. I'll be honest. I'm not proud
of it but it was nice because
I had a little money coming in every both so I could go do stuff
you know what I mean. But I don't do it anymore.
I stopped after high school. It was $172/month I believe.
Somewhere in there. Maybe $200. Something like that.
BEN: If you did collect a check now, how much would that be?
TOMMY: Probably a grand. BEN: Per month?
TOMMY: Yeah. To be honest, I don't know. I haven't looked in it.
It's something I'm not interested in.
I don't know want to know. BEN: Now, do you talk about this stuff
in your public speaking? TOMMY: I don't really talk about this
too much. I mean, I talk about myself and my own struggles and what I had
to go through and I guess it's sort of implied.
You know. I mean, what I talk about really is that if there's something you want to do
in your life then you should go out and do it. And don't let anything
stand in your way to prevent that from happening.
Just get out in the world and do it. Take a shot.
I used to tell kids when I talked to school children,
if you want to be a major league baseball player then go out and play ball every day
and practice every day. Play catch with your mom or
your dad or whatever it is. You know, if you want to be an actor, if you want
to be --- try it. Maybe you stink at it. But at least
you gave it a shot.
Northbound side of 95, still with volume out of Stamford
to Norwalk at exit 14 again. Westport and Southport,
18 and 19 are beginning to ease toward the rest area at exit
23 in Fairfield. Parkway still with some volume into New Canaan rest area
at Norwalk's exit 38 and then busy Westport
through the no exit zone into Fairfield. And leftover delays in through Trumbull
toward the Stratford exits 51 and 52. Connecticut traffic guaranteed,
9 times and hour on the way to work, Tommy Edison
Star 99.9.