Elysia, I have a colleague who gives a presentation called, "Of blind mechanics and hemophiliac industrial arts teachers I have known!" He says that, in fact, he has only known one of each, but it is enough to teach him to never say "never." By the same token, there are certainly technical skills which are critical to the performance of some tasks that may make it impossible for someone to perform typical tasks in the typical way. Here's an example for you. I once met a surgical nurse who was absolutely the BEST at what she did. She had been working in the operating room for more than 20 years, and was recognized as the top nurse in her field. She had a congenital condition that had slowly caused her hearing to degenerate. At first, she could manage with hearing aids, but then the conditioned worsened again. The doctors she worked with at the hospital decided she was much too valuable an asset to lose. They worked out a system that allowed them to flash real time captions on an LCD display on the wall opposite of where the nurse stood, and the microphone was on the doctor performing the surgery. She worked very successfully and very safely in the operating room for several years after her hearing was, essentially, gone. She was an exceptional nurse. The system wouldn't have worked for everyone. But it might work for someone! Never say never!!! Dr. Jane Jarrow