March 31, 2011
1. Dedham man honored for work with blind and disabled persons
Wicked Local Dedham
March 29, 2011
2. Martinez woman serves as leader in Bay Area blind community
Martinez News-Gazette
March 27, 2011
3. Flat Rock Playhouse offers service for visually impaired
Citizen-Times
March 23, 2011
4. Literacy program helps who are visually impaired
The Daily News
March 28, 2011
1. Dedham man honored for work with blind and disabled persons
Richard Connors of Dedham, retired Carroll Center for the Blind Director of Community Services, was the first recipient of the Paul McDade FOCUS Award for Distinguished Service presented March 16, at the annual FOCUS on Vision Impairments and Blindness Conference.
The “Focus” conference is a unique partnership of private and public organizations including the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, the New England College of Optometry, the New England Eye Institute, Boston Medical Center’s Department of Ophthalmology, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Perkins School for the Blind, and other collaborating age
The award was created in memory of Paul McDade, a pioneer in providing orientation and mobility (O&M) services to Massachusetts adults with intellectual disabilities and blindness. Connors graduated from Boston College with a degree in peripatology, now known as O&M. He was a student teacher at the Walter Fernald State School in Waltham under the supervision of McDade. That experience made Connors keenly aware of how significant O&M instruction is in the lives of individuals with vision impairment and cognitive disabilities, and that connecting the disabled into their community was both possible and promising. After graduation, Connors began his 43-year career in orientation and mobility as an instructor at The Catholic Guild for All Blind in Newton, now known as the Carroll Center for the Blind.
In 1972, Connors became director of the community mobility department at the Carroll Center where McDade was now a part of his staff. In 1981, Connors created an O&M assessment program at the Paul Dever State School in Taunton. Along with other O&M instructors, Connors assessed nearly 150 residents with possible vision impairment and provided in-service trainings for the staff that worked with them. Early in this venture, Connors consulted with McDade for guidance in assessing these residents, many of whom were neither verbal nor ambulatory. Until his retirement in 2010, Connors assumed a number of roles at the Carroll Center, including director of community mobility, program director of the residential rehabilitation program, IT director and O&M instructor.
Connors was honored with the McDade Award in recognition of a career devoted to tireless advocacy on behalf of individuals with intellectual disability who also have vision impairment, legal blindness, or deaf blindness.
2. Martinez woman serves as leader in the Bay Area blind community
In Thursday’s edition, we profiled Martinez resident Joyce Cid and her journey into blindness. In her late 30s, Cid was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, which eventually caused a complete loss of eyesight. Cid has since learned to thrive with her disability, becoming a leader in the Bay Area blind community. In Part II of our profile Cid talks about blind etiquette and her upcoming fundraiser on April 9.
One of the worst things one can do when encountering a blind person navigating city streets is to grab their shirt or cane in a well-meaning attempt towards orientation.
“I slap hands now,” said Cid, explaining that sighted people can provide much more assistance by simply stating where an individual is located, such as ‘you’re at the intersection of such-and-such streets.’ If you grab the cane it is distracting to the [straight] line I’m on. Better to ask, ‘do you need to know where a particular street is?’ Or just ask if the person needs any assistance. I like people to ask.”
Cid has plenty of examples of bad behavior amongst sighted people, particularly when it comes to working with a guide dog.
“I was at a hospital waiting room and I found a wall to lean against. A woman with her kid – maybe the kid was a year and a half – came up and the woman told the kid to pet my dog. I said please don’t do that. She said, no it’s ok. I said no, it isn’t, don’t pet my dog, my dog is working. The woman said sarcastically, like he has a job. People don’t get it,” said Cid. “Kids need to know that you can’t walk up and pet a guide dog. Another time, I was going down some stairs, and someone reached across me to pet my dog.”
Another mistake committed by sighted people when dealing with their blind brethren is to provide directions without details.
“They say go to the right, when they mean go to your right, or receptionists say, go have a seat in the lobby. Well, tell me where a seat is!” explained Cid. “Another help is to ask what button to push in an elevator. I always find the alarm buttons first. It’s also good to announce hey, I’m leaving now – you don’t know how many times I’ve sat there and talked to someone who left the room five minutes ago! And people talking on cell phones, I’m always saying hi to people who are not talking to me. But to hell with it. I quit being embarrassed about speaking inappropriately. I’m me, this is where I’m at and that’s that.”
Cid added that although she’s almost 64, she still encounters many people who state, ‘oh, you did that so well,” like they are speaking to a child.
“It’s demeaning. But these things happen. I’m forever walking into the men’s restroom, I meet more men that way, but it hasn’t worked yet [in finding a romantic partner],” she laughed. “Or people shout at me like I’m deaf.”
Rather than focusing on frequent affronts, these days Cid spends her energy on providing more opportunities for members of the blind or visually impaired community, celebrating the achievements of blind artists and leaders, and creating events where sighted people have a chance to learn about the blind world.
On April 9, Cid is hosting a fundraiser at the Shell Clubhouse. Her self-imposed goal is $20,000, which would enable 20 visually impaired or blind children to attend summer camp at the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Enchanted Hills Camp.
Enchanted Hills is a program of the San Francisco’s LightHouse, which according to the center’s history section of its website, was founded in 1902 when “Mrs. Josephine Rowan, whose brother was blind, organized a group of women to establish The Reading Room for the Blind in the basement of the San Francisco Public Library, with the intent of helping blind and visually impaired individuals access printed material. And thus, the LightHouse was born.”
In 1950, LightHouse supporters Rose Resnick and Nina Brandt created Enchanted Hills Camp on 343 acres in the Napa Valley with the intention to “not only to provide blind and visually impaired children and youth a peaceful place to relax during the summer months, but also as a forum in which to connect with one another and enhance their independence,” states LightHouse literature.
All summer long, Enchanted Hills Camp provides sessions for blind and visually impaired individuals; there are separate weeks dedicated for blind babies, elementary students, high school students, people with multiple disabilities and adults.
Cid said she now attends the week set aside for alumni adults.
“I’ve been going there since I was 50, and I look forward to it every year. It’s where I get to go to feel normal for a week,” said Cid, adding rope rails are strung along paths across the entire property, which is the epitome of blind friendly. “They have arts and crafts, music, bowling, beeper archery, swimming, horse-back riding, dancing, a talent show, blind bingo, nature walks … it’s fabulous.”
The camp also places an emphasis on building leadership skills and self-esteem.
Cid loves Enchanted Hills so much that she wants other blind individuals to have a chance to experience it as well. Hence, April’s fundraiser was born.
But this is not her first fundraiser, said Cid. In 2006 she hosted one at the Martinez Yacht Club; other venues have been Armando’s and La Beau’s. Each successive event she has doubled the amount of money raised; earlier on she raised $4000 in order to purchase paddleboats for Enchanted Hills.
This year, after a trip to Sedona, Arizona with two visually impaired friends, she envisions raising $20,000.
“We said we were three blind mice running around Sedona,” joked Cid before turning serious. One of her traveling companions had stage four breast cancer, so the trip was a quest for healing.
“We called ourselves the Solstice Sisters. We burned sage, did drumming, myofascial therapy, ayurvedic therapy, past life readings, laid on crystal beds, did a fire ceremony, went out with Shaman David Singing Bear,” Cid said. “The three of us came away [from the trip] with something: Carrie got herself really grounded and in the time she has come home, she wrote a book, it’s called Black, Blind and Female: Now They Call Me Beautiful. Candace came out of [Sedona] saying I’m going to live, meaning instead of counting off her days left, she was going to live every day to the fullest and not think about dying. I came away thinking I need to do something big in 2011.”
Candace died on September 11, 2010, Cid’s brother died on her birthday and after that she was forced to put both her guide dogs down due to terminal illness.
“It was a pretty heavy year for me, with so many passings,” she said, so she named her fundraiser Sunset Vibrations after the famous Sedona sunsets and good vibrations of positive energy.
Cid has lined up a packed agenda for the fundraiser, which will feature act after act of blind musicians and comedians. For $20, attendees can purchase a river rock that will be inscribed with the name of a late loved one and placed along a path at Enchanted Hills. There will be guide dog puppies-in-training, a beeper Easter egg hunt for kids, author readings, wine tasting, food, raffles and a silent auction of tons of great items donated to Cid and her good friend and co-host, Lillian Downing.
Those also interested in learning more about what it feels like to be blind will have the opportunity to don a blindfold and attempt to navigate a host of actions.
“We’re hoping the public will be enlightened,” said Cid, breaking into her habitual, and blinding, smile.
3. Flat Rock Playhouse offers service to visually impaired
FLAT ROCK — Flat Rock Playhouse has created a new opportunity for blind and visually impaired patrons to have an enhanced theatre experience. Sponsored by Asheville Eye Associates, the Playhouse will provide Audio Descriptive services during the final Saturday Matinee of nearly every 2011 Mainstage production.
Audio Description is a verbal commentary that speaks "between the lines" to describe entrances, exits, actions and key props to people who cannot see them. The service tells the visually impaired audience member what is happening on the stage during the parts of the performance where there is no dialogue. The description does not interfere with the performance but fills in the gaps, describing facial expressions, costume, scenery and action sequences so that anyone with a sight problem can follow the plot fully and independently.
Audio Description brings the sets, lighting, costumes, characters and onstage action alive for a visually impaired audience. Without interfering with the dialogue, the trained Audio Descriptive committee of the Supporting Players will provide a live, objective and succinct description of the action and visual elements of the play, between the actor’s lines through a wireless transmitter. The participating patrons, who use the service, receive the Audio Description through a single earpiece and wireless receiver.
“We are taking a huge leap toward embracing inclusivity. For a lot of people this will be their very first theatrical experience,’’ says Dale Bartlett, General Manger of Flat Rock Playhouse and initiator of the project. “This is an overdue and most welcome initiative in expanding access to live performing arts.”
All Audio Described performances, with the exception of July 1’s performance, will be held at 2 p.m.
April 16 – Music of the Night
May 7 – Moonlight & Magnolias
June 11 – Chicago
July 1 – Red, White & Tuna, screened at 8 p.m.
July 9 –Tuna Does Vegas
Aug. 13 – Hairspray
Sept. 10 – Mousetrap
Oct. 29 –The Buddy Holly Story
Nov. 19 – Doubt
Dec. 17 – Plaid Tidings
There is no charge for audio description; the Hendersonville Lions Club will underwrite a portion of the ticket cost for patrons who are in need of this service. Details and reservations for Audio Described Performances, can be made by calling the Playhouse Box Office at 693-0731 or toll-free at 866-732-8008.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110328/ENT/303280003/Flat-Rock-Playhouse-offers-service-visually-impaired?odyssey=nav%7Chead
4. Literacy program helps kids who are visually impaired
This one-of-a-kind program helps families prepare their children for preschool
Seven-year-old Blake Thornton learned to write his name this year.
It was a feat made possible with help from his vision resource teacher Jennifer Elgie, who was connected with Thornton through a program helping blind and visually impaired children.
The Park Avenue Elementary first-grader is the first recipient in the Nanaimo-area of an early literacy program for children with visual impairments, which Raise-a-Reader funds helped make possible.
The first program of its kind in Canada, the aim is to help families prepare their children for preschool by addressing difficulties to access literacy resources for the blind or visually impaired. Experts say literacy development is critically important in the early years.
Thornton's mom Denise remembers struggling to adapt things to her son's life, including many audio books.
"We weren't told of any resources prior to this," said Denise. "I didn't even know if he would be able to go to school."
Thornton was born with vision issues and at six months old was referred to an opthamologist.
An initial diagnosis suggested underdeveloped optic nerves. Thornton, who also has developmental delay and did not walk until age four, was later diagnosed with septo-opto dysplasia. It is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk and other areas where symptoms can include blindness.
It is unclear exactly what Thornton can see as evaluations are ongoing but contrasting colours are used to highlight things, such as safety railings. Thornton also uses the latest technology as he undergoes vision therapy with Elgie. A favourite is work done on the Apple iPad. Thornton has really connected with Elgie and the work, said Denise, since the pair connected at the beginning of the school year.
Connecting parents with resources and teachers for students of visual impairments as early as possible is key, say officials, who are working to track down other families who may need support. Seven literacy kits resource information for parents and material for children have also been distributed as organizers continue literacy efforts.
Thornton is adapting well, said Denise, who is grateful for the available support.
"He can write his name," she said. There was no way before."
The program is funded through Raise-a-Reader, with contributions from rotary clubs, A&W restaurants and others.
http://www.canada.com/Literacy+program+helps+kids+visually+impaired/4514674/story.html
