When Muttasim Fadl came to Maryland in 2001 as a geological engineer who was losing his vision, he had no idea that he would eventually change careers and become a Maryland state employee.
Muttasim is originally from Sudan and had been having problems with his vision since his teens. He came to Maryland to be evaluated at The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. There he learned he had retinitis pigmentosa and that there is no effective treatment for the condition. He was referred to DORS and began working with Region 2 rehabilitation counselor Kim Deans. Muttasim says, “My English was very bad, but she managed to figure out what I needed.”
Muttasim Fadl thanked Office Technology instructor Aleice Hargrove for inviting him to come and speak to her students, adding "It is okay to take my picture as long as I put my best cologne!"
In 2002, Muttasim came to the DORS Workforce & Technology Center (WTC) for some assessments. “I needed training on independent living skills; I learned Braille, orientation and mobility skills, and how to use JAWS.”
Muttasim bachelor’s degree is in geological engineering, but his continued vision loss made him decide to pursue a new career. “I couldn’t see the [rock] samples to evaluate them. I started taking classes at Anne Arundel Community College and I worked extensively with their disability services office and became pretty tech savvy.” In fact, Muttasim did so well that Anne Arundel Community College Disability Support Services asked him to be a guest speaker at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In 2005, Muttasim entered WTC’s Office Technology training program. Here too he was very successful and was soon working as a volunteer teaching assistant. “While I was doing that, I learned of a rehab teacher position in the Office for Blindness & Vision Services [OBVS] so I applied.”
Just before the interview, Muttasim learned that he had won WTC’s Edward M. Spath, Jr. Award. The Spath award is given annually to a WTC student who achieves academic success.
Perhaps it was a sign of good things to come, because he was offered the job in OBVS and started on March1, 2006.
The position involved a lot of one-on-one instruction with consumers. “I’d go to their homes, do assessments and training on independent living skills, and make recommendations and referrals to other agencies.”
In 2010, Muttasim graduated from George Washington University with a master’s in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. As part of a class requirement, he did a vocational rehabilitation internship with OBVS and took on a small caseload. This experience prepared him for his newest job; in August of 2011 he became a full-time OBVS vocational rehabilitation counselor in Baltimore city.
Muttasm told the Office Technology students about his own student experiences at WTC and how he got his current job.
“Now my focus is more toward employment… [helping consumers] enter the workforce or maintain employment…I help them create goals, do employment planning, etc.. I have seventy-five people on my caseload and I’ve exceeded my [successful rehabilitation] goals.”
When asked what he’d be doing if he hadn’t found DORS, Muttasim says, “I’d probably be sitting home, looking for a job.”
Instead, he’s successfully shaped a new career path and he’s even helping inspire new WTC students. Recently he was invited by WTC’s Office Technology instructor Aleice Hargrove to be a guest speaker in the current Office Technology class.