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Podcast Summary:
This Blind Abilities episode features peer ambassadors Amy and Maddy, who share how Minnesota’s State Services for the Blind (SSB) has supported their educational and vocational journeys. From summer camps to career exploration and technology training, SSB has played a vital role in helping them develop independence, self-advocacy, and professional readiness. Transition Coordinator Shane DeSantis explains how SSB collaborates with students, schools, and families starting at age 14, providing individualized services like job shadowing, orientation and mobility training, and Braille instruction. The episode highlights real-world experiences, resources, and the long-term impact of SSB on the lives of blind and visually impaired students.
To learn more about the services available through State Services for the Blind and how they can support your independence, contact Shane DeSantis at Shane.DeSantis@state.mn.us or call 651-385-5205.
Full Transcript
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Amy: One thing I really wanted to do was go to like summer camps, and my counselors would help me find those programs, and that was really fun. They also connected me with technology people like tech specialists to help me figure out what kind of technology I would want to use in high school and in college.
Maddy: Once you have kind of narrowed down what career options you’re interested in, you’re able to then meet with people who are in that career. So like I was able to meet with, I believe it was three different blind lawyers.
Amy: Somebody to help me kind of evaluate the different career paths for school, like the different majors that are out there. And I found social work and I really liked it. I also thought that it was super cool to maybe be an O&M instructor or like something working like in the vision field.
Shane: So hello everyone. Again, thank you for joining our meeting tonight. My name is Shane DeSantis. I am the transition coordinator with state Services for the blind. In a nutshell, what that means is I work statewide to help develop opportunities for our students, and I work with all of our counselors who work directly with students to develop opportunities and organize events like tonight. Again, glad to have everyone. So we have two students joining us tonight who have been working with us and receiving services for a period of time, and they are working alongside our transition team as peer ambassadors. So I would like to introduce Amy to kick things off tonight and introduce herself.
Amy: Hi everyone. My name is Amy, like Shane said, and I’m one of the peer ambassadors. I’m 19 years old and I am a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I’m majoring in social work, and I am really excited to be here today to talk to you guys about SSB and the resources that it has, and to answer any questions that you might have.
Shane: Thanks, Amy, and Maddy, would you go next?
Maddy: Hello everyone. My name is Maddy and I’m the other peer ambassador. I’m currently a senior in high school, Armstrong High School in Plymouth. I’m also a PSU student at Normandale Community College. I’ve been working with SSB since I was in ninth grade, so almost four years now and I’ll be attending the University of Minnesota this upcoming fall. So yeah, I’m excited to be here with you guys tonight.
Shane: Awesome. Thank you both. And one quick thing that I’ll share to begin with is that our program, we are a vocational program. Our end goal is to help individuals who are blind low vision or deafblind gain Employment. So our program starts when individuals turn 14. So anyone 14 and up can apply for our program and work with a counselor to help them explore their employment goals and explore the skills and abilities that one would need to gain and obtain to meet those employment goals. So, Amy, can you tell me a little bit about what’s it been like for you working with a counselor, and how long have you been working with us?
Amy: Yeah, so I have been working with SSB since I was 14 years old, when I was a freshman in high school. Actually, Shane was my counselor back then. It was pretty cool. Now I have another counselor because Shane is doing this job. It was really cool to like, just get connected with everyone and then like, the counselors are kind of there to just help you figure out what you want to do in high school and further on in college as well. And they can connect you with resources. Like, for me, one thing I really wanted to do was go to like summer camps and stuff like that, and my counselors would help me find those programs so that I could go to them. And that was really fun. They also connected me with technology people like tech specialists to help me figure out what kind of technology I would want to use in high school and in college. And as college came up, they helped me to figure out what the application process would look like, figure out like what college was going to be like and the differences between high school and college.
Shane: Awesome. Thank you, Amy. Maddy, what’s your experience been like working with a counselor, and how have you benefited from having a counselor with SSB?
Maddy: I joined when I was 14, so yeah, I was a freshman in high school. I didn’t really know, like what I wanted to do, like, as a career. I just kind of knew like, oh, I like school. Like, I don’t really like math. Like, that’s where I was at. Yeah, I connected with my counselor and she helped connect me with other resources. So, like, something I did was like job exploration where I was able to meet with someone like, I believe it was weekly. And we just kind of talk things through about what my different options are. And then also, she helped connect me with tech assessments to figure out like what technology I’ll need. It kind of was helpful to learn, like what was out there that I never like, known about. Also like Amy, kind of very similar. The summer camps were very fun. SSB can help you register and learn about different summer camps and really just other opportunities. SSB will host or like other organizations, host. So like I remember the first event I ever did with SSB was a canoeing trip where I was able to meet a bunch of other blind students. Yeah, very fun and very helpful.
Shane: Awesome. Thanks, Maddy. Amy, I’m going to go back to you. So you said you’re in school right now for social work. And you’ve been working with us since the age of 14. So can you tell me a little bit about what brought you to your sophomore year in college to study social work? And what’s your end goal after you obtain your education.
Amy: In high school, I didn’t even know that I wanted to be a social worker or like to pursue a degree in social work. I originally wanted to be an English teacher, and then I thought about it and I was like, maybe I don’t want to write a lot of essays or read a lot of essays, like maybe no. Also, like Maddy, I like met with somebody to help me kind of evaluate the different career paths and like for school, like the different majors that are out there. And I found social work and I really liked it. I also thought that it was super cool to maybe be an O&M instructor or like something working like in the vision field. And so I was like, well, social work and O&M and those kinds of jobs are basically like a little similar. So I am currently doing my bachelor’s in social work and then hopefully going on to pursue a degree in O&M or vision rehab therapy.
Shane: Awesome. One thing to note about our program is that we help individuals obtain their career goals. So while Amy first came to us at age 14 and wasn’t quite sure what that career goal was, she engaged in many different activities to help her explore the workforce, explore her skills and abilities. She knew that she enjoyed English. I remember Amy, your English teachers giving you high praise for your skills and abilities villages in the area of English. But then Amy learned more about that career path. Various information about what that would look like if Amy pursued that career, and then what it would look like if Amy worked as an English teacher, and that helped her make an informed decision about what she really wanted to do as a career. And in her instance, it was that she didn’t want to be an English teacher like she once thought she did. And I hope, Amy, that through working with SSD, we helped you come to that realization after learning more about that field, and then we helped you find that career path that you are dedicated to. And you do see yourself in down the road, and that’s something that you are currently working towards that career goal. And so our program works with individuals until they meet that career goal. That’s our end. Objective is gaining employment, and employment is different for everyone. It’s not always finishing high school and going to college and then getting a job. Sometimes it’s getting a job right out of high school and working at that job to be successful. And then that’s when we call it really a big success is that when individuals meet their long term employment goals. So just to give you a good sense, Amy applied and has been working with us since age 14, and until Amy reaches that job goal, she’s still connected with us, has access to our services and our programs that are going to help her be successful both in daily living and in the job. Maddy, can you talk a little bit About how SSB has worked alongside your high school team and your IEP.
Maddy: One thing that your SSB counselor most likely will do is attend your IEP meeting. At this meeting, they kind of serve as like an advocate for you, like, yes, within the school, but also when it comes to like out things outside of school, if that makes sense. Like, I remember one big thing that my counselor helped me with was being able to attend the Summer transition program, which is a ten day long summer camp partially hosted by SSB. And you need to have a certain thing. I believe it’s called like extended year services in your IEP, and it was kind of a bit of an ordeal since they’re like, what is this? Like, do you need this? So having my counselor there made navigating that whole process a lot easier basically. Yeah. They can just help you figure out what you need. They can also help you learn how to advocate for yourself in your IEP meetings. But yeah, that’s what I have found is the biggest kind of part counselor has played in my education so far.
Shane: Yeah. Thanks, Maddy. This is Shane again. You know, when students have that IEP, it is in statute that starting at age 14, that IEP has to be addressing transition services. And that is to help individuals start thinking about what are their goals after school and start working towards those transition goals. And here at SFB, we work with students beyond high school. We’re available to anyone ages 14 and up who wants to work. So I don’t know what our oldest individual we’re working with right now, but let’s say someone’s in their 60s or 70s, I don’t know, 80s and has a vision loss and wants to work and may need some help gaining employment. We’re available to them as a resource and individuals. Sometimes they get that job, they meet their job goal and they no longer need us. And that’s great. That’s that ultimate success. But then maybe down the road something changes. Maybe they realize, you know, I’ve been working this job for a while. I want something new, something different. I want to challenge myself more and find a new career or a new job. We’re always available to individuals in Minnesota who have a vision loss and want to work, so that’s important, and we work with them until they meet their employment goals. And so when we’re working with the high school student, I like to always say we board that IEP team as an outside provider. We’re not the school, we’re not employed by the school, but we go into the schools to again join that team to help students go above and beyond that IEP to learn about the workforce and gain and really further enhance their skills needed to be successful on the job and in the general community. So I know, Amy, you in high school had an IEP. Can you share a little bit about how we collaborated, maybe with your orientation and mobility teacher, to further your mobility skills to help you prepare for college and employment?
Amy: I think that SSB definitely helped me in the terms of O&M and mobility, maybe in allowing my O&M instructor or not even just like my specific O&M instructor, but outside O&M instructors from SSB to conduct more O&M in the community, especially when I was going into transitioning to college, getting some O&M instructors from the area to help me learn my classes and the routes that I had to do and to get oriented to the space and learning those. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing, and it was definitely very useful to me. Yeah.
Shane: So as I say, that’s kind of how you join that IEP team is we don’t replace what services are being provided at the school, but we supplement them and we go sometimes beyond what students are receiving at the school that are going to further those skills that are needed for the workforce. So mobility is definitely one of those services that we can help aid and help students enhance those skills needed for future success. Amy and Maddy, either of you can tag team on it. What are some other services that maybe you have received or, you know, SSB provides that helps individuals prepare for success.
Maddy: I touched on this a little bit earlier, but one thing they offer is career exploration. Basically, what that entails is you’ll meet with someone who will help you kind of figure out basically what you want to do as a career was very, like, daunting when I first joined that call because I was like, I don’t know, like, what am I going to do? But it kind of through these like various meetings, it helps like break down what you’re interested in, what careers might fit your interests, what careers fit the lifestyle you want. And then once you have kind of narrowed down what career options you’re interested in, you’re able to then meet with people who are in that career. So like I was able to meet with, I believe it was three different blind lawyers because that’s like what I was interested in. And it was very wonderful to connect with those individuals and either confirm like, yes, this is what I want. To do or like, maybe not for me. So that’s one service that sticks out to me. How about you, Amy?
Amy: Yeah, that’s definitely a good one. The job shadowing part of it. I was also going to say like, uh, like networking opportunities were offered, interacting with people, you know, who maybe already have jobs, who are also visually impaired. Getting to know people in the community, like the blind community already like that is also very useful because then you can get advice from them or just like interact with others. I was also going to say technology services. So like if you are wanting to learn more about screen readers and you don’t really know how to get started with that, like SSB has people who can teach you how to use them. I know, like when I was younger, I was having troubles with like navigating the internet, like on my laptop with jaws. SSB connected to me with this guy to, like, teach me how to use the internet. Now I’m on the internet all the time. There’s definitely many, many things that are offered at SSB, including Maddy and I, because I think we’re the best. And yeah.
Shane: Yeah. One vital component of our program that we know is critical towards success is developing strong self-advocacy skills. And becoming your best self-advocate is so crucial in everyday living and in employment. Being able to express what your needs are when you are at your best, and what you need to put your best foot forward. And sometimes being a self-advocate also means telling individuals what you don’t need, because sometimes there may be misinterpretations in the community or by someone of what you need. Ask someone who has a vision loss. And that’s important to educate others. Sometimes what you don’t need. That’s another piece of self-advocacy. And so we’re so fortunate to have Maddy. And Amy work alongside our team because they’re helping connect with students to further those networking skills. And they’ve been helping other students think about self-advocacy, what that looks like for them, and how to advocate in various environments. Do you see a quick question in the chat? The career exploration services, are they in person or via zoom? Do you reach out to your counselor to get started? Great question. Amy, do you want to hit on any of that to start with or Maddy, did you guys engage in any virtual career exploration services or were they in person or both?
Amy: Mine were always on zoom, so I always met with somebody on zoom, and I did meet with my counselor beforehand, and I think they recommended that I meet with this person. And then they kind of introduced us, and then we just started doing meetings. Is that how it was for you, Matty?
Maddy: Yeah, I think my counselor, like, suggested, like, oh, you should do this. You can reach out to your counselor. Just say you’re interested in the career exploration. And then, yeah, I did my meetings online with, like, Microsoft Teams, but I’m sure they could do zoom as well. And then, yeah, like my informational interviews, like job. Job shadows were like zoom as well. If you really want to do it in person. That can be arranged.
Amy: I do remember when I was learning about, like becoming an instructor. I did actually go with the career exploration person, and we went to Vision Loss Resources to meet with their O&M instructor there in person. And then I got to see, like the O&M instructor working with a student. And that was really cool. So it can definitely be in person as well.
Shane: Yeah. An important thing to take away is that our program is person centered and it is directed by the individual receiving services. So if someone has a preference to work in person, then we’re here to meet you where you’re at, whether that be coming to your school to meet during classroom hours or meeting in the community after school. And so that’s something that when you get hooked up with us and work with the counselor, that’s something that you and your counselor can agree to. And that title that Amy and Maddy are referring to, we have a position called Work Opportunity Navigator. And those roles, we have two of those staff there dedicated to working directly with students to help them explore their career interests, explore their abilities and capabilities. They set up those job shadows or informational interviews, which is meeting someone in a field of work that you’re interested in. And they do so much more for individuals interested in college. They help individuals explore college, whether that be programs that have a major that they’re interested in, whether that be going to a campus and doing a visit to get on a campus and see if that’s somewhere you would like to go. That can be something they do. And really so much more. They also help individuals get a job. Maybe someone wants their first job in high school, working at the ice cream shop down the road, or the movie theater. That’s something that our work opportunity navigators can assist with as well. And the orientation and mobility instructor.
Shane: Thank you Amy. Yeah that O and M is an abbreviation for orientation and mobility. And that’s sometimes learning how to use the cane or learning how to travel with your skills in the community. So another quick question in the chat can SSD assist a student with Braille? Absolutely. The whole gist of our program is we help individuals develop a job goal. And with students that might be an unknown job goal, they may need to learn more to develop a solid employment goal. But then we put together a plan. And on that plan, we address any limitations or any barriers that someone may have that needs to be addressed to help them reach that employment goal. And reading print is one of those barriers that we talk about with all of our individuals working with us. For individuals who need to learn Braille or want to learn Braille as that medium to read print, we do have a rehab teacher that helps students learn and read Braille. Now, a lot of students learn braille in high school through their IEP team. But sometimes, like I said earlier, students may need to go above and beyond what they’re just receiving at that IEP level because maybe time is limited or, you know, you have other services that are being addressed. And so that’s when we can assist and aid in some of that instruction. Learning Braille is absolutely one of them that we provide. Just a quick, um, fun fact, SSB as a whole, we have a communications center and we have a Braille department that produces Braille.
Shane: We work with the Department of Education to provide braille in the classroom, and we work with anyone in Minnesota who needs Braille. And let’s say someone any age has a postcard or a recipe that they want to be able to read in Braille, and they need that Braille. They can come to our communication center, to our braille department, and we can transcribe any print related material into braille for them. So yes, braille is definitely an activity or a service that we can provide. We’ve talked about orientation and mobility. We’ve talked about assistive technology. We’ve talked about jobs and getting career exploration and getting jobs. Now, I should say once an individual gains their skills or gains an education and is ready to get that job, that’s something that we help out with as well. We can help with that job search process. We can help writing resumes and cover letters. We help individuals network and find career opportunities because networking is a huge piece of getting a job. You know, we’ve all maybe heard that quote, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And so we have employment specialists who have a pulse on the job and labor market and help our individuals connect with careers. And so I see another question in the chat. What did you do at summer camp and where did you go to summer camp? Um, Maddy, you spoke a little bit about the summer transition program. Can you touch on that just a little bit more in depth.
Maddy: Yes. The summer transition program, which probably here referred to as STP, was like a ten day program where you’d actually stay at the Saint Thomas dorms in Saint Paul. And so you’d have your own room, but you’d be in like, basically like an apartment, and you actually would work with your, like, roommates to, like, cook your own meals. You’d go grocery shopping. So you’d learn how to, like, kind of cook and clean and whatnot. And you’d also do various like, activities, like within the community and also like at Saint Thomas. So like we would have like O&M lessons. We visited the Disabilities Resource Center at the University of Minnesota. You’d have job shadowing where you would go meet with someone in the community or over zoom, and you’d ask them questions. We did like interview prep. Some like financial, personal finance, like education. It was very fun. You get to meet a ton of new people. Like I never met like another blind student before that. So it was very, very nice. Yeah. Amy, I don’t know if you have anything to add.
Shane: Maddy, real quick, I want to just add a little bit more context to that summer transition program. That program is spearheaded through the Department of Education, and it is for students who are entering their junior or senior year or above of high school. And so that program is derived from that. It’s supported through the IEP. It is facilitated by Intermediate School District 917 and staffed by that district. SSB supports that program as well. So it’s supported through the Department of Education, your local education district or your local high school and state services for the blind. And yeah, it’s that ten day residential program. Students from all over the state attend. And so if that’s something that you are nearing your junior or senior year, I encourage all students to have that discussion with their team. Amy, you’ve done some cool and unique summer opportunities. Do you want to talk about a few of them?
Amy: Yeah, so I also did STP. I won’t talk that much about it because Maddy gave a great description of it, but very fun. I met like my best friend through it, so yay! I also have done The Lighthouse in Duluth, in Duluth, and they also have summer camps. They have like typically two in the summer, and they’re one weeklong. And you come up to Duluth and you learn how to use the bus or public transportation, and you also learn how to like, cook and do some more like orientation and mobility in the community. And it usually depends on the theme of the camp because sometimes they have like interesting themes. They used to do like a Harry Potter one. That one was on zoom though, so it was kind of weird. But like now they’re in person. That was just because of Covid. And then for the past couple of years, they’ve done a taekwondo themed camp for that one. You, like get taught by the director. His name is Chris, and he’s like a black belt or something. And then like he like, learned some taekwondo and like, self-defense moves. And that was pretty fun. But yeah, they’re like super fun. You guys should definitely go or like look them up and like learn about them because I always had a lot of fun at them. But I actually went to a Guide Dogs for the blind camp in Oregon and I like, went on the plane by myself for the first time. And I had never done that. That was kind of scary, but it was really cool. It was a collaboration between Guide Dogs for the blind and the American Printing House. I think it was basically where I got to learn about different careers. So more career exploration, but also like learning what it’s like to have a career and a guide dog at the same time. And then we actually got to have a guide dog, like, sleep in our room overnight. And that was so fun. Then we got to walk with a guide dog that was also really amazing and it was definitely a very fun experience.
Shane: Thank you Amy. So those are a few examples of some summer camps and opportunities we’ve helped support students who attend. All of them are to help further skills, whether that what we call the adjustment to blindness skills. So learning how to cook, clean, use technology, navigate in the community, learn Braille or other assistive technology like screen readers Jaws, NVDA, VoiceOver, or a few of them. And the summertime is really when we have that opportunity to plan with students about, you know, what would you like to do to make the most out of your summer? And those camps or other activities or trainings are really beneficial. And sometimes it’s when students are ready over the summer, it’s getting a job or finding a work experience to build that resume and to build those employment skills that are beneficial and crucial for future success. So. Well, Amy talked just briefly about Guide Dogs. We do have a question in the chat. Do you help to get a guide dog and how do you decide someone needs one? I’m going to hit the second part of that first. So getting a guide dog is an individual process. It’s something that the blind individual of themselves would first want to explore and get a guide dog, and we don’t decide if someone gets one or not. There’s various guide dog schools throughout the country. Amy and she went to one two summers ago and learned about a guide dog, so I’ll let her in a minute. Talk about some skills that 1st May need to own a guide dog. That is certainly a conversation that we can have with individuals who are interested in exploring. Or maybe one day down the road having a guide dog. We do have staff here at SSB who have guide dogs, and who have been open to sharing about their process of getting a guide dog, how it has helped them, and what they have needed to own a guide dog. Amy, I believe you know a little bit. What are some of those Prerequisites that someone would need. First of all, in order to get a guide dog.
Amy: Yeah, I can talk a little bit about that. I think the most important skill that you would need. Before getting a guide dog is to have good orientation and mobility skills. So like knowing how to cross streets. Knowing how to navigate using a cane if you use one, and just being able to like follow routes and. Things like that. I think for a lot of guide dog schools, like you have to have at least like a mile. A day or something like that, that you would be walking regularly for the dogs to like, get. Enough exercise, but like a bunch of different schools have different requirements that you would need. But I would say the most important one is definitely the orientation and mobility skills. So that you are. Able to like it’s kind of funny, but guide your guide dog so that they know what to do because like the. Guide dogs just walking you around and you have to do all the work when you have it.
Shane: Yeah. And so like I said, there’s various guide dog training schools throughout the country. And for anyone who is interested in getting a guide dog, you know, those prerequisites are definitely something that you’ll have to have. You have to be a good orientation and mobility traveler, a good cane user, because the theory there is if, let’s say your guide dog gets sick or isn’t available for some reason, you know, you still have to have foundational skills to get around. And even with a guide dog, there’s still skills you need as a traveler to navigate. And so anyone interested, it’s tapping into those schools. I will say that typically waitlists, but that’s something that we can help individuals make connections with. Maybe it’s talking with a guide dog handler to hear their process and gain an awareness of what that looks like for them. I’m going to skip back to a question. Do you assist in finding an appropriate home, assisted living apartment, etc.? So that is something that we can assist in in a couple of different ways. 1st May be helping individuals gain the skills that they need to live independently in the home. So I’ve talked a little bit about like having those cooking skills, cleaning skills, maybe it’s finance skills to pay bills and set up utilities if individuals need any of those skills to live independently. And then as far as like finding a home, there’s resources out there in the community that we can help individuals navigate and connect with. We don’t have like a dedicated staff, or someone who deals directly with living like placements or getting those things set up.
Shane: Now, there are individuals in the community who have that dedicated focus, and that’s something that we can help individuals connect with. So they have that resource or they have that advocate who can help them navigate. Now we have had our rehab teacher help individuals search for apartments online, or learn how to go through the whole process of finding an apartment or a house. But it’s more of some of that general skills in nature of like, well, where do you look to find an apartment, first of all, and a lot of that’s online. And so knowing where those markets are and how to navigate and find them. Does anyone present President. Have any questions? Yes. Great question. Contact info. If anyone is not connected with state services yet and would like to. I can be that main referral to get you involved in our program. I’m going to add my email in the chat. Really my contact information. I work for the state and I work with transition teams and teachers and students from all over the state, so I can definitely be that initial referral resource. Our website is also a good source of information. We have a youth services page that has upcoming opportunities on there. We have our newsletter on there called The Spectacle that anyone can access. And then my contact is also on our website and I encourage anyone to check out our website. Go to that Youth Services page and our news section and read one of our newsletters, because that has a wealth of information on it as well.
Shane: If anyone’s working with a teacher of the blind and visually impaired through their IEP team, they will also. Or they should also know how to get you registered and connected with our program. I work very closely with teachers throughout the whole state. Most of them, if not all of them, should be familiar with who we are, what we do, and how they get connected with. I do have another question. As a 14 year old, can they participate in summer activities such as camping, etc.? Yes. So like I said earlier, once you turn 14, you’re eligible to apply for our program and work with a counselor. And once you’re working with us, you’re really can navigate all of our services and activities and participate in those. When you have a counselor, they’ll be talking with you about what your interests are, and they’ll be sharing upcoming opportunities, programs, or events to see if you are interested. And so, yes, as a 14 year old, you’re eligible to connect with us and work with us. You know, we also like to have some fun sometimes. So this summer, Maddy said one of her first events was a canoe trip with us. That’s one thing that we’re doing annually every summer, working with local nonprofits to get out on the river and canoe. We do learn a little bit in some of that is self-advocacy, how to advocate for equal access, and being able to participate in outdoor activities. Also this year, for the second year, doing a camping trip with that program.
Shane: So a three day, two night camping trip that does include a canoe adventure. I do know some familiar names and audience. I do know a couple of you are connected with us. I’m not sure if everyone is, so if you’re not connected with us, I encourage you to reach out to me. You can even reach out to Amy and Maddy and they’d take any questions or talk more about our program if you’re interested. But know that we are a voluntary program so we don’t make anyone sign up. But we do like to sell our services and our activities, because I really think the students who work with us and who engage in our activities really learn a lot, like Amy and both, Maddy said. Through some of the camps and programs that were involved in, they’ve sometimes met their first peer with a vision loss and develop friendships. And that’s something that we realize that students spread out across the state may have never met someone who may have a similar vision that they do. And so that’s why we really enjoy bringing students together, learning together. That can be sometimes more beneficial than learning a Braille character, because those relationships and connections, and sometimes those mentorship opportunities can have such an impact on our students when they haven’t had that chance before. So I hope that for those of you who I have talked with, so glad to see you here. If we have not connected yet, I hope we get the chance to in the near future. Amy and Maddy, do you have any parting words?
Amy: Thank you guys for coming. I hope you learned something that you didn’t know before. I hope that I will see some of you at future events? Yeah. Have a good night.
Maddy: Thank you guys so much for coming. I hope to see you in the future at one of our events.
Shane: Thank you, everyone for joining.
Jeff: To find out more about all the programs at State Services for the Blind, contact Shane.DeSantis@state.mn.us that’s Shane.DeSantis@state.mn.us.
Jeff:
Be sure to contact your State Services for the Blind, your Voc Rehab, and find out what they can do for you. Live, work, read, succeed.
[Music] [Transition noise] –
When we share-
What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities