Can I Adapt Without Spending Months in a Blind School?

When total blindness entered my life, fear engulfed me. Even if the school rightly boasted the friendliest faculty in the world, the idea of living in an entirely unfamiliar environment–without sight, friends, or family–petrified me. How can I adapt without spending months in a blind school?

My brain and other senses functioned normally, so with the sighted assistance of competent colleagues, the jungle medical clinic hours remained the same. I navigated the darkness by using a scrolling mental diagram of each room in the clinic and house. Fortunately, I have an excellent memory.

Then, one furlough back in the States, everything changed. I’d been blind for eight years before I discovered the marvelous folks at the Lilac Blind Foundation. From my first meeting with their caring staff, my life improved exponentially.

My imminent return to Africa allowed only three or four sessions with Kelley, the Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Standing in my mother’s kitchen, having just made my first meal as a blind person, Kelley suggested I contact The Hadley School for the Blind.

I felt that crushing fear return. “Do I have to live there?”

“Not at all. Hadley has thousands of students in their distance learning programs. You can work on their tuition-free courses from anywhere in the world.”

Introduction to Hadley

I judged my most pressing need to be Independent Living Skills, so I began my study with a course of the same name. My encouraging instructor, Patti, had been blind since the age of ten. She offered so many helpful tips and tricks. Instead of being told, “Don’t do that! It’s too dangerous,” I learned how to do the very thing safely.

In fact, I made haste to sign up for the five new mini-courses Patti taught, The Food Series. Completion of the courses not only helped me regain my place in the kitchen but made me a local go-to gal on cooking questions amongst our missionary community. Imagine that!

Fanned into Flames

The valuable information gained in just those first Hadley courses fanned into flames an uncontrollable blaze of eagerness to learn. I wanted to take every course in their catalog.

Like a thirsty man falling upon an oasis in the desert, I greedily soaked up knowledge from a variety of courses. So many, in fact, that the faculty voted me the “2006 Student of the Year.” I couldn’t have been more surprised.

Current Career Boosts

Stretching out to fill-in gaps, I took courses in Conversational French and a comprehensive four-course series in The Bible. The Bible instructor is also a marvelously humorous blind pastor.

Dipping into the offerings for particular issues affecting the eyes, I studied the eye—inside and out—plus diseases such as Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration. Textured diagrams of the eye had been beautifully crafted so my fingers could see the diagram.

Word Processing filled in a lot of computer commands and keyboard gaps. I have more of their tech courses on my future study list.

Currently, I’m taking my first online Hadley course. The editor of my work-in-progress manuscript will appreciate I’m studying English Skills II. It’s amazing how much one can forget about English grammar in just forty-eight short years since high school.

Recreation

Lest you think The Hadley School for the Blind is all about work, forget that. One course I enjoyed to the max gave me the courage to go canoeing on the Bull River in Montana.

Sure I felt nervous as Margie helped me into her swaying canoe. Even so, I happily took the proffered oar from my friend.

Sitting in the bow, I paddled my little heart out, whooping and howling for the joy of being on the river. No more sitting on the sidelines listening to everyone else have fun. Thank you, Ginger (my Hadley instructor.)

Other courses of interest are Chess and Container Gardening, but they’ll have to wait for a time I’m not in Africa.

So much more

The Hadley School for the Blind began ninety-five years ago, but there’s nothing outdated about their services.

While finishing up my sixth Braille course, news arrived that Hadley planned to switch over to the new Unified English Braille (UEB) system. What a blow to my tired brain! On the other hand, I appreciated their efforts to help us stay as up-to-date as possible in this changing world.

In keeping with their commitment to help visually challenged individuals stay current, Hadley offers webinars on everything imaginable. Their archives bulge with information. Each month new topics are added. These are interesting, informative and just plain fun.

In fact, their webinars led me to a fuller life through acquisition of the following:

• Victor Reader Stream. The stream is a device about the size of a pack of cards that allows downloads of books, magazines, music, and podcasts as well as many other features. Basically, it’s my pocket-sized reader and note-taker.
• Bookshare. Hadley students have this comprehensive service available free of charge by the generous folks at Bookshare. We can download textbooks used in the regular school system, as well as all genre of other literature. Even magazines and many newspapers can be downloaded, or read online.
• iPhone. I would never have considered buying an iPhone when my cell phone bit the dust. Then, I listened to a Hadley webinar about iPhones accessibility features. Subsequently, an entire series of webinars have been added, in addition to shorter tutorials offered via YouTube. The iPhone was made to be used by totally blind people.

There’s a lot more about Hadley’s program for Adult Continuing Education, but this gives you a little glimpse of my experience. Hadley also provides programs for students in High School, family members of the blind or visually challenged, and even courses and webinars that offer professional credit for people working in the field.

If you’d like to learn more about The Hadley School for the Blind, click on the following link:

www.hadley.edu.

Take a few minutes to just browse the site. You’ll be amazed to see the vast array of services and offerings.

The Hadley School for the Blind is totally funded by donations, offering their programs free-of-charge to the students and their families. I know of no organization providing more bang for your buck.

Can I Adapt Without Spending Months in a Blind School? Absolutely! Hadley’s the visually challenged person’s best friend forever!