{"id":6568,"date":"2021-02-24T13:36:02","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T19:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6568"},"modified":"2021-02-24T13:36:05","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T19:36:05","slug":"our-space-our-place-a-creative-program-helping-students-connect-socially-through-arts-sports-and-community-service-and-mentoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6568","title":{"rendered":"Our Space Our Place: A Creative Program Helping Students Connect Socially Through Arts, Sports and Community Service and Mentoring"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_8906\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6568-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Show Summary:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Blind Abilities Teen Correspondent, Simon Bonenfant, chats with Cheryl Cummings and Ruth Kahn, representing an after school and career exploration program in Boston for middle and high school students who are blind or low vision. the Our Space Our Place program takes advantage of a variety of activities to promote social interaction and networking among the students, including the arts, theatre, dance, poetry and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The founder and Director is Cheryl Cummings, who shares her story about how she came to start this meaningful program. Cheryl went Blind at age 13 as a result of encephalitis from a mosquito bite, but adapted, finished high school and went on to Princeton University in New Jersey. She explains why she went there and how she had to get out from under the loving, but very protective &nbsp;hold of her family in Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only did she graduate from this distinguished Ivey League school, but she went on to graduate school in Boston. What happened then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as Cheryl had her future in focus and had so much going for her, she returned to Washington, DC to begin a job search in&nbsp;her field of choice,&nbsp;International Relations, but her efforts were in vein.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cno one would hire me\u201d says Cheryl, who eventually applied for, and only after persistent bugging of their employment office, &nbsp;was hired by the Peace Corps, and embarked on a two year assignment in the Dominican Republic. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Impressive? Yes! The end of the story? No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she returned to the states, she met her soon to be husband, moved back to Boston and began working for the Massachusetts &nbsp;Commission for the Blind. And it was there that she realized she needed to start an after school and career exploration program.&nbsp;As Cheryl thought about how difficult it was to get a job in her chosen field, she said to herself, \u201cWhat can we do to make this not happen to other blind people?\u201d and the Our&nbsp;Space Our Place&nbsp;program concept was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following his discussion with Cheryl, Simon chats with Ruth Kahn, a professional audio describer, who speaks about her experience in the field. Ruth also informs us of an upcoming special event, in which she will describe the actions on and around the stage of a live performance of the Urban Nutcracker Ballet. The session will be dynamic and interactive, and will also involve Ruth guiding the students in describing themselves and the activities as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to listen in as Simon delves into the startup of this after-school program and how Cheryl led the organization through applying for 501(c)(3) status, securing space and getting up and running.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out this fascinating event, slated for &nbsp;the afternoons of April 20 -23. The ballet will be available&nbsp;for viewing on Zoom&nbsp;to any Blind or low vision individuals anywhere in the World.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find out more about this event, and about the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ourspaceourplace.org\/\">Our Space Our Place program on the web<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;or you can send an email to&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:President@OurSpaceOurPlace.Org\">President@OurSpaceOurPlace.Org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>or you can call 617-459-4084<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact Your State Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:Sheila.Koenig@state.mn.us\">email<\/a>&nbsp;or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Contact:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can follow us on Twitter&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/blindabilities\">@BlindAbilities<\/a><br>On the web at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/\">www.BlindAbilities.com<\/a><br>Send us an&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:info@BlindAbilities.com\">email<\/a><br>Get the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/blind-abilities\/id1085849859?l=es&amp;mt=8\">Free Blind Abilities App&nbsp;on the App Store<\/a>and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.blindabilities.android.blind&amp;hl=en_US\">Google Play Store<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/607027582712671\/\">Blind Abilities Community<\/a>on Facebook, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BlindAbilities\/\">Blind Abilities Page<\/a>, and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/jobinsightsgroup\">Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired<\/a>&nbsp;group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_8908\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6568-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/OurSpace.mp3 Show Summary: Blind Abilities Teen Correspondent, Simon Bonenfant, chats with Cheryl Cummings and Ruth Kahn, representing an after school and career exploration program in Boston for middle and high school students who are blind or low vision. the Our Space Our Place program takes advantage of a variety of activities to promote social interaction [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,512],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-tvitoolbox"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-1HW","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2120,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=2120","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":0},"title":"The Doctor Is In! A chat With Doctor Robinson &#8211; TechVision","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Cheryl McIntosh, Jeff Thompson and Pete Lane chat with their guest, Dr. Denise M. robinson, PhD and Educator of the blind. Dr. robinson provides a wealth of services, including one on one \u201capplicable\u201d instruction to students remotely using Skype. She employs \u00a0innovative and proven techniques for teaching students countless subjects\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2152,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=2152","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":1},"title":"Transitioning From HighSchool to College to the WorkPlace","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"September 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Cheryl brings another episode to the College and Career Series and this one starts out a run of episodes focusing on Transitioning from High School to College to the Work Place. Cheryl uses and analogy to describe the process of transitioning, and it is one that we all made it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9362,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9362","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":2},"title":"From Gestures to Jobs: Learning Assistive Tech That Actually Matters","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 5, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"Learning assistive technology isn\u2019t just about memorizing shortcuts\u2014it\u2019s about building skills that open doors to school, work, and everyday life. In this episode, Cheryl McIntosh and Sree Roy share how mastering screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver can turn frustration into confidence. They break down why fundamentals matter, how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2125,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=2125","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":3},"title":"Meet Cheryl, A.K.A. MoeLucie: Nutritionist, College Specialist and a Research Junkie","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"September 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Cheryl macintosh A.K.A. @MoeLucie talks about her passion for sharing her experiences and her knowledge of Nutrition, College Education, Accessibility and how important it is for us to share what we have experienced. Jeff Thompson interviews fellow Blind Abilities team member, Cheryl, finding out what drives her to reach her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9202,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9202","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":4},"title":"From Screen Readers to Self-Reliance: Cheryl\u2019s Journey to Becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities conversation, Cheryl McIntosh shares her journey toward becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist, or CATIS, and how she empowers others to build independence through technology. Cheryl teaches screen reader users\u2014primarily JAWS and VoiceOver\u2014through personalized virtual training. She explains that success starts with fundamentals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4780,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4780","url_meta":{"origin":6568,"position":5},"title":"Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) 2019 Summer Programs","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Visit MSAB on the web! Follow MSAB on Facebook. The following programs will run from July 15 - July 26 from 8:00 am -\u00a02:00 pm Registration will be held on: Sunday, July 14 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Please Note:\u00a0Applications must be received no later than Friday, May 10,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=239"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6570,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6568\/revisions\/6570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}