Of Seniors and Seeds
by Sandy Halverson
Our National Federation of the Blind message has always been one of hope, support, love, and planting seeds to raise the low expectations, based on misconceptions and stereotypes, about our perceived limitations. Many of us have transitioned throughout our lives within this community, starting as blind students supporting and problem-solving with each other, then connecting with blind and sighted parents providing guidance to their children and, ultimately, the push to leave the nest for higher education or employment. Eventually we reach retirement to pursue leisure activities or other interests, navigating health issues and complex bureaucratic systems. But when we find ourselves at an impasse created by a lack of access to information or the fear of what might lie ahead, we once again seek those like us who can show us how to live the lives we want. Our National Federation of the Blind Seniors Division was formed to meet the needs of both our longtime Federation family members and those newly blind older adults who lost sight from various eye conditions such as strokes and diabetes and who are coming to our movement for the first time.
We began by planning and executing programs for blind and low-vision seniors seeking information about hearing aids, downsizing, choosing a retirement living community, and methods to appropriately label and monitor medications. After the pandemic brought the Zoom platform into our lives, our division board proposed conducting an annual virtual seniors retreat, and we want Braille Monitor readers to know about this program and help us spread the word. Participants have been recruited by listserv announcements and word of mouth for the past few years, but next year registration information will be disseminated earlier and more widely to reach others who need to know about us and what we offer. In the meantime, here’s a recap of our most recent retreat to build anticipation and provide a preview of what to expect.
This year, our virtual retreat began with a meet-and-greet on Sunday, February 8 and concluded with a wrap-up on Saturday, February 14, 2026. We had thirty-two participants from thirteen states. We were delighted that President Riccobono joined us to recognize our lived experiences, express his gratitude for the many ways in which we contribute to the work of the National Federation of the Blind, and look forward to being an active member of our division at a later point in his life.
We devoted an hour each day introducing participants to nonvisual techniques beginning with cane travel, home management and independent living skills, technology, and general information sessions. Cane travel instruction is coordinated by Duncan Larsen, our treasurer, whose career was teaching cane travel for many years in addition to coordinating senior programs at the Colorado Center for the Blind (CCB). Orientation and mobility staff from that Federation training center, all of who were blind, taught some of the sessions, with topics covering cane basics from length to tip, indoor and outdoor navigation, stowing a cane in a variety of situations, using a cane with a walker or wheelchair, crossing a variety of intersections, cardinal directions, and answering questions from our participants. It was made clear that these instructions will get you started but building self-confidence requires a lot of practice and working with individuals who know that our methods yield success.
Jane Degenshine, one of our division board members, brought high energy and much enthusiasm to our daily one-hour technology classes. Presentations she scheduled included demonstrations of NFB-NEWSLINE®, NLS BARD, iOS apps with VoiceOver, kitchen high- and low-tech methods, and a variety of Alexa skills. I find home management conversation topics that propose solutions for organizing personal documents, kitchen safety, and accessing information to accomplish those tasks most helpful, but we also are often faced with medical condition considerations such as severe hearing loss for which cochlear implants might be an appropriate remedy if hearing aids are not effective.
We invited one of our NFB of South Carolina members to tell us how, after several years of poor service delivery from the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, he obtained support from that agency to attend the Louisiana Center for the Blind, one of our Federation training centers, and now has the self-confidence afforded by such positive blindness skills training to pursue employment. We were fortunate to learn about birding from Donna Posont, a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award winner, who inspired us with her knowledge of a wide range of bird sounds and enthusiasm for nonvisual exploration of our natural environment.
Our president, Glenn Crosby, has wonderful community connections who taught us how to shop for anything we are seeking, make do-it-yourself home repairs using nonvisual techniques, and use methods for medication identification and management. We were delighted and inspired by a conversation with Jonathan Mosen, who shared details about his mother’s resistance to technology and his approach to her gradual acceptance of that same technology to allow her to maintain contact with her grandchildren and her children. Jonathan stressed the importance of determining what each of us wants to do and then identifying the most efficient device or devices for those tasks.
Our five-hour Zoom meetings have an hour between the second and third classes for topics not covered elsewhere: getting our families to accept and respect our nonvisual methods, strategies for church and community involvement, and just fun banter. Judy Sanders, our vice-president, moderates this session and keeps the rest of our schedule running smoothly.
One of our participants who had been working with her state agency for blindness services and had identified her need to learn how to use her iPhone, was ecstatic to learn about VoiceOver and, during the course of one evening, figured out how to read email and text using that powerful iOS screen reader. Several participants are planning to attend our upcoming national convention and are looking forward to our division activities and an opportunity to join us for a meal.
We agree that hands-on teaching is the best, but virtually we are able to reach seniors throughout the country who clearly need to be a part of our family, learn how they can control their lives in ways they never thought possible, and be introduced to nonvisual techniques for all aspects of life. Several participants expressed interest in joining local chapters and are beginning to make those in-person connections that will bring them more fully into our family. We will continue sharing the hope, love, and true gift of the National Federation of the Blind.