I've done about all there is to do at one time or another in plumbing. As far as making it a profession, here are the obvious things to think about.
Can you drive? People can't bring the problem to you. Driving will require another employee to take you to jobs. Can you find your own way around? The customer usually says the problem is "there." You have to find a way to get you and your tools to "there." Have you tried soldering yet? Most homes still have a lot of copper in them and you'll have a time of it trying to convince them to change to plastic. Most codes don't like you combining the two in a run. You can do this on your own but a plumber has to answer to code violations. Beyond these main things to consider remember there is the employer to convince, the customer even if you are employed, transportation, estimating which typically doesn't pay, Then the little things like filling out an invoice. Sure you can use a laptop and printer if your company will provide them. Payment by the customer. And then the big questions are will the government even license you? I've never looked into this one. ADA isn't going to be much help here because the key word in ADA is "reasonable accommodation." The customer isn't required to make anything accessible because it's all private property. Hate to be a downer but there are a few things to think about before starting down what is sure to be a long and difficult road. Blind people can do plumbing, lots of us will tell you so. As a profession your in for an up hill battle. ----- Original Message ----- From: Shane Hecker To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 10:42 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] are you sure you want to be a plumber? The answer is possibly, but further research is in order. First, what I know. Plumbers have the fun task of connecting water, sewer, and gas to residential and commercial property. They are also the ones who get called when there is a problem with any of them. It's a dirty job especially when dealing with a sewer clog. You never know what you'll pull out of a sewer line, but most of it you don't want to touch. If you like snakes, spiders, ants, and anything else that could be under a house or in an attic, you'll be right at home. It might be helpful to be extremely flexible at times since you will likely have to squeeze into impossible positions to get some problems fixed. Oh, did I mention walking on rafters? Might have to do that too, so better not be afraid of hights. Being able to solder is a must. Oh, and to do all this legally, you'd better have a license. Now, for the questions: I've heard there is a lot more than what I've listed when it comes to being a plumber. One person told me it takes 6 years and all that time you'll be working at minimum wage. Another training facility says they have a 4 year program, so which is accurate? In doing the research, I'm assuming it would be helpful if you could go to a job site and watch a plumber work. This might be doable, but as soon as blind comes up, they go "You might get hurt, you're not on our insurance, you could be a liability, you need to be able to see to do this work." What can be done in this situation? And perhaps the most important question is can a totally blind person (that would be me) do plumbing successfully? Thanks for any info. Shane [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
