Iowa Department for the Blind - Independent Living = Program 2008 Newsletter

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These stories were shared during a = recent=20 presentation about the Independent Living Program.
For = confidentiality=20 purposes, some names have been changed.

Making Life = Easier

~ Submitted by Terry Poldberg,=20 Rehabilitation Teacher

Ruth, 88, has macular degeneration = and can only=20 read print for short periods of time. She recognizes that this is not = efficient=20 for her and has started home training to learn Braille. She realizes the = importance of learning alternative techniques of blindness (doing things = by=20 touch, smell or by listening rather than by sight) to help her complete = her=20 daily tasks more easily and is proving that you are never too old to=20 learn.

Overcoming = Misconceptions

~Submitted by Julie Bergeson,=20 Rehabilitation Teacher

Sue is a 61-year-old woman with = diabetic=20 retinopathy. Not only has she struggled with accepting her blindness, = her family=20 placed limitations on her based on their own fears and their = misconceptions of=20 the capabilities of persons who are blind. When Sue moved into her new=20 apartment, her family did not "allow" her to use knives, the oven, or = pots and=20 pans. In fact, they took away all of her knives, as well as her pots and = pans.=20 Sue was not expected to care for her grandchildren and walk around her = community=20 independently. Sue attended the fall session of Senior=20 Orientation and tells everyone that this was a life changing = experience. Not=20 only did she learn many new blindness skills and techniques, but gained = the=20 confidence necessary to regain control of her life. While attending = Senior=20 Orientation, Sue chose to take shop class and made a knife block. Sue is = happy=20 to report that her family has since purchased her new knives for her = knife block=20 and a cooking set! Sue is now looking forward to learning local bus = routes,=20 baking cookies and being more involved in church and family=20 activities.

For more information on blindness = skills and=20 techniques, view these past newsletters:

Fall=20 2006

Spring=20 2005

Learning Braille at = 102!

~Submitted by Dawn Kruse, = Rehabilitation=20 Teacher

Alice, of Denison, has been a leader, = both in the=20 community and in a local support group. As the years have gone by, her = legs=20 started giving her trouble and she went to live at Reed House = Independent=20 Living. The suppor= t=20 group decided to have their July meeting at the Reed House to help = Alice=20 celebrate her 102nd birthday. At the meeting, Alice told everyone she = regretted=20 never having learned Braille, and encouraged others to do so. I said, = "Never say=20 never." During my next visit to the area I brought Alice a Braille = pegboard and=20 her first Braille lesson. She did really well at catching on to it. She = got so=20 focused that when the beautician came to paint her nails, she offered up = her=20 left hand but kept reading with her right until she finished the line! = Hats off=20 to you, Alice! Great job!

A Change in = Attitude

~Submitted by Terry Poldberg,=20 Rehabilitation Teacher

Through her training with the Iowa = Department for=20 the Blind, Mary, 80, has changed her belief in carrying a long white = cane. Prior=20 to training, Mary thought a support cane would be adequate for her. She = realized=20 the true value of using the long white cane during a training program = and now=20 uses it to go anywhere she wants. It has increased her independence, = confidence=20 and sense of control.

From Teacher to Student to=20 Teacher

~Submitted by Susan Howard, = Rehabilitation=20 Teacher

I met Lois, 74, a retired elementary = school=20 teacher, in April of 2006. Although retired, Lois had stayed involved in = education through substitute teaching. When I met Lois she had decided = to "slow=20 down" on her substitute teaching as well as other aspects of her life, = such as=20 sewing, cooking and traveling - all because of her vision loss. During = our=20 initial visit we discussed alternative techniques (doing things by = touch, smell=20 or by listening rather than by sight) and the various opportunities for = training=20 in these techniques. Lois liked the idea of community-based training and = the=20 chance to meet others in her area who were also struggling with vision = loss.=20 Lois became the catalyst for just such a training in her home community = and=20 helped find a location and recruit participants. This training proved to = be only=20 the beginning for Lois. We continued with a program of home training; = and in=20 April of 2007, Lois attended Senior Orientation training in Des Moines. = Lois=20 learned a lot during this week and decided she needed to share what she = had=20 learned with others. Lois started a support group for the blind and = visually=20 impaired in her community. In addition, Lois has become very involved in = substitute teaching again. Education is so important to Lois that she = has also=20 decided to teach a continuing education class. So much for "slowing=20 down!"

If you know = someone with=20 vision loss who could benefit from services available through the Iowa=20 Department for the Blind, call 800-362-2587 or fill out an online = referral=20 form. Services are free, confidential, and available = statewide. Give=20 us a call today!

If you would like additional = information=20 on anything mentioned in this newsletter, please contact Barb=20 Weigel.

INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM NEWSLETTER is = published by=20 the Iowa Department for the Blind. Please direct questions and = suggestions to=20 the Iowa Department for the Blind, 524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, IA = 50309-2364,=20 515-281-1333.

Iowa Department = for the=20 Blind

Independent = Living=20 Program

Newsletter - = Vol. 3,=20 2008

Making Life = Easier

Overcoming = Misconceptions

Learning Braille at = 102!

A Change in = Attitude

From Teacher to Student to=20 Teacher