Al Rodriguez spends most of his work day on the phone.

In his right ear, he's listening to a computer-generated voice reading words from his computer screen. Its volume is turned down so he can also hear the person on the other end of the call. His fingers move swiftly over the keyboard as he types.

The Dallas Morning News reports he's one of 38 people employed at Bold Sales Solutions, a call center and marketing company that the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind acquired in March. The center at the Midway Office Tower in Farmers Branch trains workers for roles in sales and customer service and employs 13 people who are blind or visually impaired.

Rodriguez said he and his colleagues are expected to make 80 to 100 calls a day, on behalf of nonprofit clients.

"My goal is to go above 100," he said. "I have my good days and bad days, but most of the time, I'm above 100."

Rodriguez, who turned 35 last month, was born with retinal detachment and lost all vision when he was 9 years old. He has worked for the Dallas Lighthouse since 2008, when he joined the writing department. He later moved to the industrial unit before joining the call center in 2012.

Part of DLB's mission is to create jobs and promote independence for people who are blind and visually impaired, said CEO Hugh McElroy. The nonprofit employs 265 people in North Texas, the majority of whom work in textiles and manufacturing.

"We all have things we can't do. It has nothing to do with vision — well, there's different kinds of vision. There's vision, and then there's vision. Some people don't have the other kind of vision, which in my view, is far more difficult to turn around," McElroy said.

At the call center, employees use assistive technologies, including screen magnification and braille keyboards that convert text to braille output. Software called JAWS or Job Access With Speech, converts text to speech. With these programs, employees can manually enter data then hear the output on JAWS and feel it on their braille keyboards, said Cindy Watson, DLB's vice president of services.

"Just like a visual learner, individuals who are blind can also be visually oriented in that they want to be able to feel the print to read it," Watson said.

Call center work generally requires strong computer literacy skills, and adding assistive technology requires more focus from employees. They're toggling multiple screens while using screen readers and managing the flow and rapport of the call at the same time.

"Having all of those skills, that doesn't come naturally," Watson said.

So employees go through a rigorous on-the-job training that covers not only the technology, but also scripts on what to say and strategies for getting the right people on the phone. Exams are included.

"Oh man, that was very intensive," Rodriguez said. "But it's, you know, it was very helpful. I mean, I love it now. It's my new chapter in life."

Still, people who are blind or visually impaired often face several barriers to employment, some of which become apparent as early as the initial interview. If hiring managers don't have experience working with someone who is blind, they may not understand how the candidate would be able to work differently and accomplish tasks. And they may be afraid to ask, Watson said.

"They dance around it," she said. "It's like the elephant in the room. And there's not an open conversation."

For job candidates to be proactive and explain what kinds of accommodations they would need requires a lot of confidence, Watson said. And the litigious environment related to the Americans with Disabilities Act may impede open dialogue about how an applicant would perform a job task.

"So if you've got those barriers, those preconceived notions about capabilities of people who are blind, I mean, unfortunately, that's still very prevalent in today's society," Watson said.

What employers may not realize though, Watson said, is that turnover rates for people with disabilities in the workforce are lower because these workers are generally more loyal to employers who are willing to give them an opportunity. McElroy said the average tenure at DLB is 18 years.

The Lighthouse will move its call center in late July to a bigger space in Richardson. The office is across the street from Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Spring Valley Station.

The Richardson office will accommodate a 70-person call center. It will also house DLB's executive offices, client services offices and lab space, said Maria MacMullin, DLB's vice president of development. The Capitol Avenue location in Dallas will continue to operate as the Lighthouse's manufacturing and textiles center.

Rodriguez said he wants to mentor new people who are blind and visually impaired and that his team is more than happy to help new people come on board.

"They shouldn't be afraid, you know, to make a big commitment," he said. "It's fun. It's a new journey, and you're creating your own path into the future that can lead you to have a lot of success."

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Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

This is an AP Weekend Member Exchange shared by The Dallas Morning News