Summer time at the Colorado Center for the Blind is alive
with an infectious spirit of youthful energy and enthusiasm. From rambunctious Confidence camp to sassy Seniors
in Charge, the CCB is overflowing with blind people of all ages who share a
common passion and determination to learn the blindness skills that will lead
to a life of confidence and independence.
Working in an environment where people are constantly learning new things
and gaining belief in their capacity as blind people reinvigorates my
dedication to spread the message of the National Federation of the Blind far
and wide. With love, hope, and
determination, we can transform our dreams into realities.
As an employee of the National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado, I am often soaking up this excitement and positivity from afar. This summer was a bit different. In early summer, the Confidence Camp needed
access to a place to swim and I had the magic key (luckily my apartment complex
is just next door to the center and it has a pool)! While swimming with the campers it was cool
to hear the kiddos say things like “I jumped in the deep end for the first
time,” and “Look, I just learned how to do a flip in the water!” We also got to have some science-filled fun
together where the campers learned about buoyancy. Witnessing those light bulb moment when ideas
were formulated about why some things sink and some things float reminded me of
the simple and pure joy that comes from making new discoveries.
Toward the end of the summer Christian Able who was a
student in the Earn and Learn Program was assigned to spend 40 hours working
for the NFB of Colorado. The Earn and Learn
program gives high-school students the opportunity to gain blindness skills as
well as valuable work experience at a “real” job. While working with NFBCO, Christian assisted
with the procurement of state packages for our national Bid for Equality
auction, researched potential sponsors for our 60th nnual NFBCO
state convention, and Brailled certificates for participants in our Braille
Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Program, participants. In addition, he researched
the differences between Word Press and Droople which are two leading website
content management systems. He used the
information he gained to make a recommendation to the NFB of Colorado regarding
the system that best fits our needs.
Christian was absolutely dynamite! He was bright, engaged, punctual, thorough,
and did every bit of his work with a positive attitude. Along with the truly meaningful tasks that
Christian completed for NFBCO, he was also gracious enough to write up a blurb
for The Blind Coloradan blog about his summer experience. Here is what Christian had to say:
Stepping on that plane a month ago
I thought everything would be easy and I wouldn’t learn anything this summer.
That’s not the case at all. I would say the sleep shades helped me see. At my
school I learn a lot about living successfully as a blind individual, but
coming here has been a whole other experience.
I think myself to be a good
traveler, but traveling with graduates of the Center has shown me I have a lot
to learn. The skills the Center Staff teach are those used in everyday life. I
really expected work to simple and that my employer wouldn’t know how work with
me, because I’m blind. Nevertheless as soon as I stepped through the door the
first day she had a day’s work planned out. As soon as I finished something I
always had more to do and that’s how I like it. I don’t like sitting around. I love that I’m never bored.
The most important thing I learned
this summer though, would have to be, that the NFB straight canes are the best!
Before I came here I hated them because they were too light, but after being
able to move around so easily and finding some interesting places to put my
cane, I love them. Even though they don’t fold they still are the best choice
for a cane user and by cane user I mean everyone. I say if you have some vision
loss, even a little, you should always have a cane in hand instead a pole on
your face.
The best part about the summer had
to wearing sleep shades. Although they were itchy and dark, they were my
greatest tool. Wearing sleep shades forced me to use skills I never knew I had
and I loved every moment of it. After a while sleep shades were a second life
to me. Someday I would forget I had them on and walk from the Center to the bus
stop and back to my apartment and not know I still had them on. That’s why I
say my sleep shades helped me see, because they did. They helped me to see my
skills exceed what I thought were their limits.
After seeing so many people who have
graduated from the Center being so confident and successful it has really made
me want to attend ITP when I graduate from high school. Just from these eight
weeks this summer I have gained confidence that I never knew was there. I know
that even if I loose the rest of my
vision at some point, with the confidence I bring back with me from Colorado, I
can still be the Best I can. —Christian Able
I am encouraged and inspired by the talent, ambition, and vitality
of Christian and his colleagues. It was
a pleasure to work with and learn from Christian during his Earn and Learn experience. Our future is looking bright! The culmination of the hard work and newly
found confidence of our CCB summer youth was a beautiful graduation and dinner
followed by a fun filled talent show.
The summer students prepared a delicious meal and put on a GREAT
show! Check out the group talent and the
clip “will the REAL George McDermith please stand up!”
My daughter, Suzie, loved her time at CCB this summer! Thank you!!
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