American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Special Issue: The Federation in Partnership LEARNING TOGETHER
Learning from the Experts
by Brenda Lopez
From the Editor: When sighted parents learn that their child is blind, they may be caught in a swirl of unanswered questions. How will their child learn to perform basic tasks such as dressing, walking independently, and using utensils at the table? What lies ahead in school? Will their child be able to hold a job, raise a family, and enjoy hobbies and travel? Where can they find reliable information on what comes next?
In this article Brenda Lopez recounts what happened in her family when her son Chris lost his sight at age four. By connecting with active, independent blind adults, she and her husband found their way forward.
Our son Chris is involved in several programs for blind children through SAAVI Services for the Blind, an organization that serves blind children and adults in southern Arizona where we live. This summer he will attend SAAVI’s summer program for blind kids as well as BELL® Academy in July. He has a lot of friends through these programs, and he can't wait to get started!
My uncle lost his sight as an adult. He held a job, lived independently, and traveled everywhere using public transportation. My husband and I knew that blind people could live active, fulfilling lives, but we weren't sure how we would help Chris learn everything he needed to know. I remember sitting with Chris in the hospital right after he lost his sight. They brought him his meal, and he didn't know what to do. We said, "You've got a tray in front of you with food and silverware and a napkin. Check it out. Eat your lunch." He used his hands, found everything on his tray, and started eating. That was the beginning, but we knew we had a long way to go.
One day when Chris was five, my husband and I saw a blind couple walking down the street. She had a guide dog, and he was using a cane. My husband told Chris that he saw some grownups who were blind and that he wanted to meet them. Chris was a bit skeptical, but my husband introduced himself and told the couple that our little boy is blind.
These strangers we met on the sidewalk couldn't have been more friendly and welcoming! Their names were Ashleigh and Jordan Moon, and it turned out that they work at SAAVI. They encouraged us to get Chris involved in SAAVI'S Saturday program for blind children. We signed him up right away, and he started to get real instruction in cane travel and other blindness skills.
We are extremely fortunate to live in a school district that has excellent services for blind students. Chris attends a resource room for half of the day, and for the rest of the time he is fully mainstreamed. For the first several years, he had a wonderful teacher of the visually impaired named Debby Feliz. She gave Chris a solid foundation in Braille, and she signed him up for the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest every year. She absolutely went above and beyond when it came to her students! She spent hours every weekend transcribing material into Braille so Chris had it when he needed it. Sadly Ms. Feliz passed away in 2020, and our district is still trying to hire someone full-time to fill her position.
Even though we receive excellent services through our school district, we find it extremely helpful to have Ashleigh or someone else from SAAVI attend Chris's IEP meetings with us. Sometimes we have no idea what he needs in terms of technology and class materials, and it's great having somebody to help us sort it out. When the school went virtual during COVID, SAAVI set Chris up with a tutor who made sure he had full access to all his classwork. He was able to keep up with his classmates the whole time. In fact, he made the honor roll when face-to-face classes resumed. He hadn't lost any ground at all!
In 2019 my family attended the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona in Phoenix. It was very interesting to meet parents of blind children from throughout the state. Listening to the stories of other families, I really came to appreciate Chris's program. I learned that other parents have to fight for things as basic as canes and Braille paper. We're so lucky to be in our Mesa School District! I only wish other families were as fortunate as we are!
Chris is ten now, and when I watch him I realize he's doing all the things that sighted kids his age are able to do. He rides a bike, he goes on the roller coaster at the amusement park, and he crosses quiet streets in our neighborhood. He's learning to cross some of the busier streets now. He even helps me in the kitchen. He's good at slicing tomatoes. A lot of sighted kids his age don't do anything when it comes to preparing meals. Chris learns about cooking at Saturday school, and it's something he really enjoys.
Right now we're working on taking care of clothes and doing laundry. Chris is starting to learn how to pick out clothes that match and how to choose outfits that are right for a particular occasion. My husband and I hadn't figured out how to teach him these skills, but the instructors at SAAVI knew how to help.
Many of the staff members at SAAVI are blind, so Chris sees blind people handling responsibilities and living active, independent lives. The blind adults Chris knows are wonderful role models. They show him that he really will be able to live the life he wants, that blindness never has to hold him back.
I talk to other parents of blind children whenever I have the chance. I encourage them to get connected with blind adults through agencies such as SAAVI and through the National Federation of the Blind. Even the best school program can't provide everything your child needs. Programs such as SAAVI and the NFB training centers can teach the independent living skills your child needs.
One thing I tell parents is, "Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't ask questions, you'll never get answers!" In fact, I encourage parents to approach blind people they see on the street. If you tell them you have a blind child, they will probably be glad to share their knowledge and experience. That's how we found Ashleigh and Jordan. For us that chance meeting made all the difference!
(Editor's Note: SAAVI Services for the Blind received one of the NFB’s Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards in 2015 for its excellent and innovative service to the blind community.)