Fall 2003

Employee Spotlight: Lee Dickey

Growing up with a father in the military, Lee Dickey, production worker, lived in five states before arriving in Washington in 1978. A majority of her time was spent in Hawaii, where she was born. Growing up, Lee attended a variety of schools -- public, residential, community college and a vocational rehabilitation facility. “I’ve really gotten a smorgasbord of the system,” says Lee. “I’m so glad I’ve gotten a taste of everything.” Lee recalls, “My fondest memories of school were field days when we would take trips, visit other places and talk with different people.”

Lee’s family moved to Marysville, Washington after purchasing a sheep ranch. Lee lived there with her parents and three German shepherds before coming to Seattle. After meeting people who worked for the Seattle Lighthouse, she told her counselor at the Department of Services for the Blind that she wanted to work here as well.

Lee, who is blind due to retinopathy of prematurity, was hired on as part of the Group Supported Employment (GSE) program at the Seattle Lighthouse. GSE provides training for blind or Deaf-Blind individuals who also have a developmental disability. These employees are assigned a trainer who assists them in learning and being successful at their jobs. Lee says that one of the things she likes about the Lighthouse is the fact that it has “neat trainers.”

Since coming to work at the Lighthouse, Lee has won the President’s Award as well as GSE Worker of the Year twice. “I feel very honored by that,” she says.

“Lee is a valued employee and one of the reasons it’s a pleasure to come to work,” says Ted Newsum, employee support supervisor, GSE. Apparently, the feeling is mutual. “Ted is awesome,” says Lee.

Lee performs a variety of jobs at the Lighthouse, including making canteens, easels, mops and flyswatters for federal customers. She especially likes working with small parts as well as Braille materials. Lee takes great joy in working with Brailled text. “I love being buried in it, just inundated in it,” she says. “It’s been nice to expand my repertoire of jobs. I’m curious about learning new jobs.”

Another aspect of the Lighthouse that Lee enjoys is the Dupar Fragrant Garden. She says there is one flower in the garden that reminds her of the flowers in Hawaii. “That has got to be the loveliest scent. I think I could just stand and smell that thing forever, but I’ve got to go home and get things done.”

Lee also has a love for animals. “I have been around animals since I was a child,” she says. She currently lives with her cat Sebastian. “It’s nice to come home to a four legged friend, someone besides me.” Lee loves watching animal stories on TV. “I like it when animals talk like people. I think that is just darling.”

Being active socially and in the community is another part of Lee’s life that she takes pleasure in. She is a member of the American Council of the Blind and is on the local chapter’s calling committee. She enjoys going on outings with people she meets there and socializing with colleagues at the Lighthouse as well. “I like to eat lunch and have breaks with co-workers,” she says, “I like to talk and laugh with them.”

Lee especially loves feeling empathy and seeing others act with empathy around her. “I think if you are shown empathy as a child then you show it to other people,” she says. “When I see somebody show compassion, it fills my heart with extreme joy. My heart blows up with joy.”

For further information on our Group Supported Employment program, please refer to the Lighthouse Q&A in this issue.

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