Realtor Continues Successful Business With Help from VR

February is Low Vision Awareness Month. The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program helps individuals who are blind and visually impaired prepare for, obtain and keep employment.

Jason Rodgers was born with retinitis pigmentosa, causing gradual loss of his eyesight that changed his life ten years ago. It left him with challenges performing everyday tasks like grocery shopping and impacted his career as a real estate agent. "As my sight worsened through the years, my career has been significantly hindered by nearly all these challenges," said Jason.

The challenges were taking a toll on his mental health. "It's just the depression, the anxiety, and all those things kick in and you get to the point where you just don't care anymore," he said. "I knew I needed help in the worst way." On top of it all, Jason caught COVID-19 in 2020, and nearly lost his life as he fought the virus for more than a month.

In April 2021, Jason was ready for a change. He turned to the VR program for help, where he met VR Counselor Evelyn Herrington. "She was just amazing– understanding what I was going through, understanding the urgency."

Evelyn leaped into action and made a plan to help Jason continue his job in real estate. She connected him with support services through Digital Apex, which provided him with the assistive technology he needed to use a computer, among other things.

"What works for one person isn't going to necessarily work for another," explained Evelyn. "I love the part of encouraging clients to be everything they can possibly be because work is a super important part of life. I just try to help my clients optimize their potential through work or services we provide them."

Evelyn said Jason's resilience and attitude toward the program were big factors in why he was so successful.

"He was just an amazing client because he cared so much, and he came to VR for the right purpose, which was to have help with accessing the tools and technology he needed to move forward with his life," she said.

"I wasn't going to allow myself to fail. Failure is not an option," declared Jason.

While Jason was determined to succeed, he credits Evelyn and her support for helping him through this tough time.

"It's just difficult to explain that she really was a lifesaver. And to be honest with you, I was probably in one of my darkest places ever," said Jason. He adds, "She called me and you know, we had conversations that were just real genuine. You could just tell that she really cared that I was hurting and that she wanted to get me in a good place."

Jason completed VR services in December 2023. His advice for those considering the program is to "give it a go as long as they are willing to put forth the same amount of effort that the program is putting into them."

For more information on Vocational Rehabilitation services, visit the Vocational Rehabilitation website.