Toomey J Gazette (Vol. 11, No. 1, 1968 - Polio Place

TELEPHONE REGISTRY SERVICE FOR NURSES AND CALLING
FOR CLUBS - RADIO COMMENTATOR - PRIVATE TUTOR
Maurine Seale, 2703 S. Taylor Ave., Amarillo, Texas 79109
"A cord injury in an automobile accident in 1945 left me
paralyzed from just under the arms. I have complete use of my
arms and shoulders. My body is bent and twisted so I am very
uncomfortable and I don't have a sense of balance sitting up.
I do about everything lying on my back. At the present I am
pretty well self-supporting as long as I live with my parents
and I don't have to hire any help except to relieve me every
now and then with my telephone jobs.
"I have seven telephones, all for different purposes. Also, I
have a tape recorder, record player, TV, radio receiver and
broadcasting equipment. My over-bed electric typewriter is
suspended from a mechanical device bolted into the ceiling,
so counterbalanced that I can glide it to me or out of the
way very easily.
"I have a 24-hour registery service for the Professional Reg-
istered Nurses Association and the Licensed Vocational (Prac-
tical) Nurses Association. I work for the associations and,
therefore, do not have to have a license to operate a busi-
ness nor do I have to be bonded and I am paid a salary accord-
ing to the number of nurses. I am listed in the yellow pages
and the hospitals and nursing homes all have my phone number.
When a patient wants a private duty nurse they call me and I
call the nurse.
"My job is very interesting and very confining. I feel that
it is a good one for a handicapped person and a Job that al-
most every town of any size at all has for someone. Many
cities have several and some are operated by the hospitals
themselves for the lack of anyone responsible to run them. I
am very happy with my work end hope that others will try it
too. If anyone wants further information, I will be happy to
help in any and every way I can.
"I also feel that my little telephone service for clubs and
organizations is a good one for the handicapped. I now have
ten clubs that I call at least once a month and about 3 or 4
that I call just now and then to remind them of their regular
and special meetings. I charge according to the number of
members called. Most of my clubs say that they get a better
response with my calling because I usually keep trying until
I reach a person. It is wonderful fun and I feel that I am in
on about everything that goes on in town. I have also made
many fine friends through this work.
"My Sunday morning radio program of gospel hymns is a one-
hour program of requested favorites. The recordings are
played from the studio and I make brief comments into the
mike by my bed before epry hymn.
"I have one third grade student whom I am tutoring now for
one hour every school day. I hope to have more pupils and to
finish my college education and get a teacher's degree so
that I could be a private tutor, employed by the school."
REAL ESTATE TELEPHONE SERVICE
Eleanor Billmire, 816 E. Lake Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21212
"I preform three functions for a real estate broker. One is
taking calls for rentals of apartments which are advertised
in the newspaper. These I write up and mail in. Another duty
is telephoning from a prepared list of real estate brokers
inquiring about homes for investment purposes. These.calls
are reported to my boss by phone and are also written up and
mailed in. Also, I serve as his general answering service.
In addition to a small base salary, my monthly pay depends
on the number of incoming and outgoing calls.
"I had polio in 1954 and use a chestpiece at night. I have an
operator's headset, with an off-on switch and dial which are
mounted on a board. I dial and activate the phone with my
toes. If I receive calls and don't have the phone on, there
is always someone to hand me the phone."