Please Support Deaf (HOH) Railfan's Dream.

Corey Burrell is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hello,

My name is Corey. I am a deaf railfan from New Hampshire. I wear a hearing aid and cochlear implant. Ever since I was a toddler I have always loved trains, especially vintage railroad equipment which I appreciate the most. I am a history person and I cannot help but appreciate the transition era (1930s-1970s) of railroading. I often wish I could have witnessed that time period and witnessed the many steam and first generation diesel-electric locomotives operating together on the mainline. I greatly admire the simplicity of that time period. The attitudes of people were much kinder back then. Being from New England, my favorite railroad is the Boston & Maine Railroad. When I was a junior in high school I found myself becoming very interested in wanting to work for a Class III/Heritage Railroad. Still hoping to get my first B&M Railroad lantern. During my free time I enjoy reading my EMD E8, F7, F9, GP7, and GP9 locomotive manuals. I have yet to add any of the early ALCO RSs and FAs/PAs locomotive manuals to my collection. In the past I’ve reached out to many railroads locally and across the nation, and many of them did not seem willing to hire me in railroad operations. Over the years I’ve tried to connect with railroad workers, and many of them just didn’t seem to want to correspond with me. Although I am deaf, thanks to technology I can still hear with my hearing devices almost normally as if I wasn’t deaf at all. Technically I am hard of hearing, but I consider myself a part of the deaf community. With my cochlear implant, I hear with my brain, not so much with my ears. It has been very hard to get railroad workers to understand how my hearing loss works. Unfortunately, because of the lack of education towards those with my type of hearing loss it has been painfully difficult for me to find employment within the railroad despite having a valid driver’s license which is one of many things that the railroad requires. What’s ironic is that I’ve seen railroad workers who wear hearing devices as well, albeit I haven’t seen any who wear a cochlear implant like I do in my right ear. As a matter of fact I can still hear on the radio, and I have used my own personal scanner to listen to railroad operations in my state in the past.

I feel like it's important to be 100% honest about who I am as it would better help others to understand me and how to work with me in a way that’s receptive. Not only am I deaf, but I am also neurodivergent as well. Although many would not notice that about me right off, it has been my experience that many in and out of the railroad community have negative and stereotypical views about those who are neurodivergent. This issue within and out of the railroad community has affected me greatly due to the stereotypes. It deeply frustrates me very much. I firmly believe this is one of the many reasons why it has been difficult for me to obtain employment with a Class III/Heritage Railroad. What many don’t seem to understand is that there are many of those who are neurodivergent that are high functioning and have the ability to be 100% independent. When it comes to railroading many think we aren’t able to comprehend the expectations of the job and the dangers that come with working for the railroad. Although for those who are lower functioning that’s understandable, but for those who are high functioning that’s just simply not true. What many people don’t seem to realize is that Albert Einstein was also neurodivergent as well. Even when people communicate with me, because I speak so well for myself they don’t immediately realize that I am neurodivergent. The lack of education about how my challenges work has kept me from receiving opportunities with a Class III/Heritage Railroad. I am capable of learning how to apply angle cocks of consists, comprehending hand signals, couple/decouple consists, abide by railroad rules/regulations, and other tasks that are required of a trainman/brakeman. As long as we are taught properly, people with my challenges are able to comprehend the tests that railroads require train crew to take. For those who are high functioning neurodivergent it is a struggle to find jobs with a livable wage. Many have the mindset that those like myself wouldn’t be able to separate work and a passion for trains. That is just simply not true. It is my hope that one day society shifts their views towards those who are neurodivergent. We are not severely mentally defective like so many believe. We might have a younger mentality and communicate differently, but many of us who are high functioning neurodivergent are certainly not mentally defective. It angers me so much that many see it that way. It has been my experience that many don’t treat those who are neurodivergent and high functioning with respect because they chose to see it that way, and it’s wrong. We’re also allowed to enjoy other things as well. For me, I am a huge Star Trek fan and have enjoyed space exploration very much since I was little. Many have misconceived notions of those who are neurodivergent because of that. I just don’t understand why an individual enjoying things like that aren't accepted within the railroad community. What I wish the railroad would understand is that there is a way for the railroad to work with those who are hard of hearing and high functioning neurodivergent in a way that would not cause a liability to the individual and his/her co-workers while on the job or impede railroad operations. I am still human, and every American has a right to self-determination. The simple solution to that is working on communication and being interactive with the individual. Some have suggested that I shouldn’t talk about my differences with the railroad. My response is that it would be totally irresponsible if I didn’t discuss my challenges with the railroad or anyone else. If I didn’t talk about my challenges it could potentially in the long run endanger myself and/or other colleagues if there’s an issue with communication. Despite the stereotypes of those who are neurodivergent, I absolutely greatly respect railroad workers and the hard work they do to provide for their families to the fullest extent. I strongly believe that many Railroad workers are good people with great integrity. When I was 17 years old, I had the opportunity to ride in the cab of a GP7 at Conway Scenic Railroad with since deceased Boston & Maine Railroad Engineer Rudy Hood. It was a very unforgettable experience that I wish that I could relive again. Rudy was extremely cordial and informative. I found it to be quite the honor to ride with such a fairly well known engineer throughout the local railroading community. To this day I wish that I could’ve had the opportunity to learn more from him.

It has always been my dream to have the opportunity to experience running a locomotive. Sadly those like myself with my differences aren’t even given a chance to obtain work in the railroad within train crew/railroad operations positions. I do have a driver’s license which is required in most jobs related to railroad operations. I really want to demonstrate and document that people with my level of disabilities are capable of learning and doing the tasks required within railroad operations. Ever since I was very little it has always been my dream to one day be able to have the opportunity to handle a locomotive, especially my favorite, the Electro-Motive Division F7/F-Unit with the standard 24RL brake system. I know that I won’t be able to have that opportunity in my lifetime due to the current climate within the railroad industry towards those with disabilities. The Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, Illinois has a throttle time program that lets individuals handle a locomotive along with a small train for 40 minutes experiencing use of both the independent and automatic brakes which not many throttle programs do. They also allow individuals to document that experience. I was hoping to have a photographer/videographer from the Railfan community to film me handling the locomotive so I can demonstrate that I can listen and comprehend instructions from another certified railroad engineer. My hope by documenting this experience is that perhaps in the future railroads will see that people who wear hearing devices and are neurodivergent can work within railroad operations and deserve to work jobs where they are earning a livable wage.

Having been a client of the social services organization, I have asked them to pay for the throttle program opportunity. This is a state funded organization that is supposed to facilitate jobs and/or training opportunities for individuals with disabilities in their career interests. Unfortunately, they frustratingly have refused to fund the throttle program opportunity, forcing me with no other alternative but to start a GoFundMe campaign to pay for this once in a lifetime opportunity. What’s ironic is my counselor who was supposed to help facilitate employment opportunities for me has admitted that there are some misconceptions towards people like me in that line of business. I’ve even asked the state organization dedicated to assisting people like myself to work with the railroad museum to see if they could possibly collaborate with the railroad museum to see if they could collaborate on facilitating some sort of extended experience with the railroad museum to supplement the throttle program. I felt that was a fairly reasonable compromise. They have refused to do that as well. Not only that, they wouldn’t even consider retaining the services of a renowned advocate who specializes in providing comprehensive tools for the employer so the worksite is able to communicate with an individual that has a hearing loss in a way that’s safe for the individual with hearing loss and his/her co-workers. This is one of the reasons why I retained services with this organization was so they could assist with that as well. It just would’ve been irresponsible of me and dangerous to go in that line of work without having someone familiar with my challenges to make sure my co-workers are informed on how to communicate with me. This would’ve helped to avoid any serious fatalities or injuries. The advocate would’ve figured out a way to work with the railroad without having to radically change their rulebook or else even without any changes at all.

What the state social services that's supposed to help people with disabilities gain employment does not seem to understand is that employers would be more ought to believe if they saw someone with my challenges doing a task within railroad operations rather than just educating the railroad on how to work with someone who is deaf and/or neurodivergent which is crucial as well. I was a client of a state organization that's supposed to help people with disabilities gain employment from 2015-2016 when I was 17-18 years old. I was interested in working for the railroad back then as well, but was compelled by the state social services to take a job that was out of my career interests. It disappoints me that they forced me to take an alternative career path. I think that it’s awful that the state social services that's supposed to help people with disabilities won’t facilitate the throttle time program, especially when it would be a fantastic and very beneficial educational opportunity for me. I have been trying to make my dreams come true since my early childhood and the barriers to make it come through have been extremely challenging to overcome. It’s so shameful that a taxpayer funded organization that’s supposed to be about reducing barriers for people with disabilities, but from my personal experience they have created even more barriers for me. Myself or my family cannot afford the expenses to do the throttle program let alone make the trip to Monticello, Illinois. So this is why I am attempting a GoFundMe campaign. If I can receive the opportunity to experience what it’s like to handle a locomotive with a train at least once in life, that would be quite satisfactory to me. All the funds donated will pay for the trip to Monticello, throttle program fees, a photographer/videographer from the railfan community document my experience, steel toed boots, and other travel related expenses. There is a very specific photographer/videographer from the railfan community whose work I greatly admire that I really would love to document my experience.

People with disabilities absolutely deserve to earn a livable wage. I find it to be outrageous that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 85% of people who are neurodivergent are unemployed. I bet the other 15% that are employed are earning wages that are just unlivable. Lastly, I want to highly recommend to anyone reading this to please patronage at “MountainView Station” in Ossipee, New Hampshire. It is truly the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. I love the laid back atmosphere and sense of nostalgia for the past that the restaurant provides. It’s literally inside a very beautiful old train station. Anyone, railfan or not, would really appreciate it. The staff is extremely professional and friendly. I always get the sense of being at home, which I have not felt in many years. I feel that they deserve a mention in my story. I want to reiterate and be clear that this GoFundMe is about funding a once in a lifetime educational opportunity to handle a locomotive at the railroad museum in Monticello, Illinois. It’s also about reducing the stigma about those who are neurodivergent that have an interest in trains. I’m hoping that perhaps the experience can be comprehensive as well. Having this be a learning opportunity for me is extremely important to me. I also want others to be aware that people who are like myself that are deaf and neurodivergent don’t always receive the same equal opportunities, let alone receive the opportunity to earn a livable wage. We also don’t always receive the comprehensive help that we really should have. It is so difficult to get others to be open and accepting of us. Personally, I don’t get the opportunity to be around railroad equipment from the transition era as much as I honestly wish that I could. That certainly would make me very happy. Whenever I am around railroad equipment from the transition era (1930s-1970s) it always brings me back to the happiest memories of my early childhood. I grew up always enjoying visiting the White Mountains and Conway Scenic Railroad on a frequent basis. I always wished during my childhood that I could’ve lived in White Mountains, NH to be closer to the railroads. That would’ve meant a lot to me. I love North Conway village so much. Not only I wish I could experience what it’s like to handle a locomotive but I also really wish that I could learn how to facilitate the coupling of consists, connect air hoses, set angle cocks of consist, throw the switches at junctions, and the other duties of a trainman/brakeman on a heritage/Class III railroad. People who are neurodivergent absolutely deserve to be able to follow their dreams and have the equal opportunity to be successful in life. I would truly be so grateful and appreciative of any amount of support provided in making my childhood dreams come true. My fundraising goal is $5000, but honestly it would help if I exceeded that goal if possible. It is my goal to be 100% transparent. If anyone has any questions for me please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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