Burnie Blackmon - Assistive Technology Specialist

I grew up and attended high school in LA (Lower Alabama). I attended the University of Alabama and then Indiana University. Immediately out of college I went to work in the accounting department for a small trucking company in NW Indiana. I started at Braun in 1973. In the early days I wore many hats - accounting, purchasing, shipping and receiving, advertising, sales, and product support. I soon found that I had very little interest or aptitude for accounting, even though much of my formal training was in that field. Thankfully as we grew and added new employees, my job responsibilities narrowed to sales. I took time off in the mid 80's to peruse other interest but found that nothing gave me the personal satisfaction that I have found in this industry. Today I am involved in a variety of special projects within the Product Support Department. I have two adult children and 6 grandchildren. My personal interest include flying Light Sport Aircraft, surfing the internet and travel. I am a news junkie, with an interest in language, geography and I'm always ready for a good movie. I have spent much of my career evaluating the mobility needs of literally thousands of people with disabilities and assisting them to find functional transportation. Many times my involvement came after they experienced expensive and heartbreaking mistakes. One of the things that I hear on a regular basis is, "where does a person go to get good advice before mistakes are made?" I hope that by participating in this blog I can use my experience to help others avoid the mistakes that so many others have made.