When Linda first started her training with First Aid for the Blind, she had already spent hours trying to research apps and other resources to assist her with her low vision. Her efforts yielded few results. So when she started learning from Brian Clark, FAFTB trainer, she was amazed!
“There was so much I didn't know was out there,” Linda said. “I had done searches on the internet. I had found apps to try, but they just weren't working out. [FAFTB] finally got me what I really need!”
At first, Linda was almost overwhelmed by the information load, but she came to realize that she could absorb the basics and then practice at her own pace.
“[The training] answered a lot of questions,” Linda said. “When we were talking about doing this, I was like, ‘How can you possibly learn all this stuff in one week?’ Well, just getting introduced to all the stuff that is out there, all that you can do, was enough. Now it's just wrapping my head around, ‘What do I want to focus on first?”.
Kurt Deichmann, FAFTB Founder and President, said, “Our service is more about information awareness and transference so you at least know what is possible. The people who get the most out of our training are the ones who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the homework and practice the skills. If you don't use the skills that you've been introduced to, you're going to lose those skills."
Luckily, Linda isn’t afraid of hard work.
She said, “When I set my mind to something, it’s hard to get me away from it.”
Linda credits Brian, her trainer, with helping her learn all the things she didn’t know she needed to know.
“Oh, I like Brian a lot,” she said. “We got along really well. It almost felt like as the week went on, we almost became buddies. I was very pleased. Sometimes I tend to wander and get off subject, and he was very good at sharing and being helpful, things that I'm not so sure were in the curriculum."
Linda is currently practicing with many of the apps that use artificial intelligence and learning how to incorporate them into her daily life. She says that they have helped her complete a lot of basic, everyday tasks, like reading her mail. Her goal is to rejoin the workforce in the future.
Not long ago, Linda didn’t think it was even possible for her to get a job. She told her support team that she wasn’t sure she was ready to get a job, as her low vision had greatly impacted her self-esteem.
“I'm feeling much better, more confident,” she said. “That was a big thing for me."
Linda has already picked up a lot of new skills and found workarounds to live her life to the fullest, regardless of visual impairment. If you or someone you know could use the same support that Linda received through vision loss, please fill out the First Aid for the Blind intake form.
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