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Suzanne Erb has established herself as a unique presence in Philadelphia.
Blind since birth, she has refused to allow any thought of disability to hinder either her career or personal life. Ms. Erb has held a variety of jobs of increasing responsibility ever since her work for the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind, after her graduation from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in Musicology. She went on to earn an M.S. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania, has founded several community-based outreach organizations, and has worked for Philadelphia¹s School District, the city¹s Department of Human Services, the University of Pennsylvania¹s Office of Affirmative Action and Abilitech, a local training and job placement organization for those with physical, sensory or learning disabilities. She is also an expert in computer technology for the disabled. Most recently, Ms. Erb worked for the Jewish Employment and Vocational Services (JEVS), supervising case managers, performing job counseling and publicly representing the agency on various disability related issues.
She is a passionate believer in civic responsibility, and has served on the boards or committees of such groups as the Mayor¹s Commission on People with Disabilities, Pennsylvania¹s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, the Associated Services for the Blind, and the Tenants¹ Action Group of Philadelphia. She also testified for Congress in Washington, D.C., for a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Social Security reform, and has authored several influential publications. Beyond all of these activities, Ms. Erb still finds time to pursue her work as a church organist and vocal soloist, and is a past member of the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia. She resides in the city with her ever-loyal seeing-eye dog Pattie.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, November 5, 2008 E-Voting: Boon Or Bane for the Blind?
E-voting was supposed to be the boon for the blind. We were led to
believe that, Direct Recording Electronic machines would make it possible for us to vote privately and independently, and that we would also be able to verify our vote. In reality, these machines have dashed the hopes of all of us who have worked so hard to make it possible for voters with disabilities to independently exercise our right to vote.