VR at Work

Annette Nettles is a fearless individual who has overcome numerous challenges. Before her blindness, she worked in both the scientific and spiritual worlds, spending years as an engineer, then establishing and ministering a church. But, as her vision loss progressed, Annette found it challenging to manage daily work operations.

When Annette entered the Washington State Dept. of Services for the Blind (DSB) Orientation and Training Center, she felt restricted in her career options due to limitations in her computer skills, transportation, and social interaction as a person with vision loss. The Training Center offered solutions to overcome these obstacles and continue pursuing a fulfilling career. She found solace and optimism through interaction with peers that life after vision loss can offer more than just stagnation.

“What did I gain? It was independence. And, yeah, that independence is what I’m carrying forward.”

Annette now excels as an entrepreneur and business consultant.

At just 21, Keith Moore is proving what’s possible when determination meets opportunity. Growing up with a disability, he often felt dismissed or misunderstood, but he credits the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration with helping him chart a future. “I always felt guided in the right direction,” he says. With their support, Moore graduated as valedictorian of his high school and is now studying political science at the University of the District of Columbia. He also works as a special education paraprofessional, determined to provide the encouragement he once needed himself. Today, Moore serves on Washington, DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission, representing Ward 8 and advocating for safer streets, better grocery access, and meaningful youth programs. Through vocational rehabilitation, he found not just a career path, but the confidence to lead—and to model consistency, hope, and resilience for others.

Since 2018, Wisconsin’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has partnered with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council to offer the Tribal Summer Youth Program, helping Native youth with disabilities gain work experience and strengthen community ties.
Among the 2025 participants was Zoey Rossow, a 19-year-old member of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin and student at UW–Superior. Zoey worked with the tribe’s Education Department, Judicial Branch, and Truancy Department before joining Maamigin, a Native bead store, where she applied her multimedia and marketing skills.
“This program [Tribal Summer Youth Program] didn’t just give me one job—it gave me the chance to explore multiple areas of my tribe and discover skills I didn’t know I had,” Zoey shared. “Overall, I walked away with professional, technical, and cultural knowledge that I never would have learned without this program, and it has given me more confidence in myself and my abilities moving forward.”