When she headed for the Motor Vehicle office on that seemingly ordinary morning in 1997, Judy Jurkoic had no idea that her life was about to change dramatically, or that the next three years would be a time of startling hardships and even greater joys and triumphs. The worst she expected on the day she set about applying for her New Jersey driver’s license was a long line.  She certainly was not expecting to fail the eye test.  But she did. 

Soon afterward, Judy learned that she had Retinitis Pigmentosa, an eye disease that in its early stages causes patients to lose peripheral vision, and which can eventually lead to total blindness.  Initially, Judy would be allowed to drive during daylight.  But there was more bad news.  Until the day her diagnosis was confirmed, Judy was happily employed as a flight attendant on a major airline.  No longer.  For safety reasons, she could not return to work,  because her job often required her to work in dim lighting.  Suddenly, Judy was unemployed.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and some courses in computer science, Judy contacted the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where a counselor referred her to Lift, Inc., a national, New Jersey-based nonprofit corporation that trains, hires, and places computer specialists who have significant physical disabilities.  Her next challenge was being accepted into the Lift program; Lift’s criteria are very high.  Although successful candidates do not have to have any background in the information technology field, they must demonstrate extraordinary aptitude. Judy did. 

The next challenge was Lift’s, matching Judy with a corporate client who could accommodate her needs and provide her with career opportunities that would enable her to make maximum use of her potential.  She needed an employer who would be flexible enough to allow her to work from home a significant amount of the time, and who would allow her to adjust her on-site hours during winter months, when there would be less light.  It was important to Lift that she be matched with an employer who would be willing to accommodate her changing needs; Judy’s vision is likely to worsen. 

Verizon, in Freehold, New Jersey, has worked with the Lift program in the past; it is a fast-paced environment in which hard work and talent are both highly valued.  Verizon staff  interviewed Judy, were impressed by her personality and enthusiasm, and agreed with Lift that she had the potential to be a very capable systems administrator.  Lift began her in an intense training program in the fall of 1999, using mostly Smart Force courses in Unix and Oracle.  “The CBT Systems CD’s that I learned from were great tools in my learning.  They were user-friendly and the programs prompted me with questions so I could check my learning.”  They were also comprehensive.  When Judy started working, she impressed her managers not only with her drive and good business sense, but also with her level of skill.

In February, Judy finished her training and began working for Lift as a consultant to Verizon.  Judy’s responsibilities are diverse, but she, in the tradition of most Lift graduates before her, has already exceeded all expectations.  Typically, Lift consultants are hired by their sponsoring corporations at the end of a one-year trial period.  There is no doubt that Judy will one day be a Verizon employee.  There is some doubt that she will remain a systems administrator for long.  Her managers are already eyeing the next couple of steps on Judy’s career ladder.

Judy says the Lift program has been pivotal in shaping her challenges into successes.  “The staff of Lift are so supportive and they follow through on everything they say they will do.  They have helped put me in a position to turn my life around and they’ve helped me remain optimistic during a very difficult time.  And now,” she smiles, “I have the job of a lifetime.”

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Warren, NJ 07059


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