Success Stories
"I didn't know how to deal with my impairment. Working with my fellow students allowed me to accept my vision loss."
Daniel's Story
Daniel is a doer — he sees an obstacle and finds a way to overcome it. He sees an opportunity and grabs it. He is a former Marine, has built and run his own company and is an accomplished jazz percussionist and vocalist.
Daniel has a calm demeanor, an infectious smile and a great voice. He also has glaucoma.
Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight. People with glaucoma have excessive pressure in their eyes and, if it is not caught early, the disease will permanently damage the optic nerves. In its early stages, it has no noticeable symptoms — once the vision is affected it is often too late.
Daniel's world slowly became a place of outlines and shadows. Once diagnosed, he had two operations on his eyes to relieve the pressure, but the damage had been done — he is now legally blind. Daniel can see large shapes, but not detail.
With his loss of vision, Daniel lost his confidence. He did not see how he could work again. He became depressed. His vision loss became a huge obstacle — one he could not see the way around.
Daniel's benefits coordinator at the Department of Veterans Affairs introduced him to the Guild for the Blind and suggested he learn to use a computer again. Technology is a great equalizer for people with vision loss. It provides access to online tools, digital books and adaptive software. It is not only a convenience; it is a powerful tool for independence.
Pretty soon Daniel became a regular at the Guild. He diligently worked away learning the keyboard by touch. Once he mastered that he moved on to our classes, learning the different software programs using speech output — a type of adaptive technology that reads everything on the screen and every keystroke the user makes.
Daniel received 144 hours of direct classroom instruction — learning skills from word processing to sending email to navigating the Internet. He also spent time in our Independent Lab with our volunteer tutor, improving his skills and applying them to other technology.
"Socializing with people with vision loss played a big part in my adjustment. I didn't know how to deal with my impairment. Working with my fellow students, some who have been dealing with a visual impairment all their lives, allowed me to accept my vision loss. It made me a better student."
Daniel took his new confidence and new skills and was able to translate them to a new career. He began his new position as a Regional Field Service Officer for the Blinded Veterans Administration on November 14.
"It feels great to finally give within my disability. That I can give to people who are in the same situation is amazing to me. I am part of an organization where my disability is an asset, an advantage. With all the training I received at the Guild and at the Veteran's Administration, I am confident and well equipped to do the job."
More Stories
"Success to me is learning all the things I can do for myself and for others. When I help other people with vision loss at the Guild, it makes me happy and reminds me of how far I have come and how far I can go." Read Jose's Story
"When people lose their sight, they feel cut off. When you sit down and interact with others, sharing stories of failures and triumphs, you feel like you belong again." Read Jerome's Story
