October 15 was National White Cane Safety Day. And although we may not encounter many people with low vision or blindness on campus, it is extremely important to be knowledgeable on this topic. Perhaps you may have a relative or a friend with visual impairment. Even if you don’t, understand that low or no vision is a reality for many.
In fact, it’s one that--according to the National Foundation for the Blind--about 10% of all adult Americans face. And that number is expected to soar in the coming years.With Charlotte’s population expected to double by 2030, an aging “baby boomer” generation, and the rising prevalence of diabetes, the influx of patients for the Metrolina Association for the Blind (MAB for short) is already on the rise.
The leading causes of blindness in the United States include macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. According to Dr. Flaherty, the low vision specialist at MAB, the most common eye condition she treats is macular degeneration. This eye condition usually affects people past the age of sixty.The macula is in charge of central vision. Because of this, people with macular degeneration typically can’t see faces and have trouble reading. “It’s like having a dark hole in the middle of your vision” says Dr. Flaherty. She informs me about two types of macular degeneration: a dry form and a wet form. The dry has a slower process of degeneration but unfortunately no treatment other than vitamins.The wet form takes place when new blood vessels form under the macula which can lead to central scarring. The good news? “There is treatment for the wet form, but it’s extremely painful and administered through an injection in the eye” says Dr. Flaherty with a grimace.
I’ve had the pleasure to volunteer at MAB for the past two summers. This non-profit is dedicated to ensuring that people with low vision or blindness gain a sense of independence and live their highest possible quality of life. For the past 82 years, MAB has helped Charlotte’s visually impaired population through two services: Accessible Document Services (ADS) and Vision Rehabilitation Services (VRS). VRS aims to help clients through orientation and mobility training, support groups, counseling, vision rehabilitation therapy, low vision exams, and much more.
ADS was created 31 years ago to meet a national need for documents that the visually impaired could utilize such as large print, high contrast, and braille. The purpose of this branch is to transcribe and send reading materials like credit card statements, utility bills, textbooks, and insurance information in an accessible format. You name it, ADS has probably transcribed it. In this sense, MAB extends its services over to much of the nation.
I’ve really gotten to know MAB through many lenses over the past two years. From working the front desk, sorting patient files, and sitting in on low vision appointments and a support group, I’ve had my share of exciting experiences. One of the most memorable was the time I did an assisted walk. The task seemed simple--or so I had initially thought. I had to enter a coffee shop, order a drink, pay, seat myself, and leave. Easy, right? But get this: I had to do it all while blindfolded. “So maybe this isn’t so easy” I thought as I clenched a white cane in one hand while my coordinator, Laura, gently guided my elbow. By ten minutes into this walk, I had already been smacked by overgrown branches. I even slipped on slick leaves that my cane couldn’t detect on the sidewalk. Had I not been sixteen and able to catch myself, that fall could have been incredibly dangerous. For me, the experience I had on this walk was a call to action.
But it was not the first. I was first inspired early on by my maternal uncle who is an optician in India. Through his program called the Mass Eye Defect Detection Camp, he along with others performs full-scale eye exams and life-changing eye surgeries in rural villages and schools. Services even include post-operative care as well as free eye drops and eyeglasses to those who can’t afford it. As of a few months ago, he’s conducted over 570 camps, 975 cataract surgeries, and helped donate over 13,000 free pairs of glasses.
I was very excited by his work in India and wanted to find a way to follow in his footsteps 16,000 miles away. That is precisely why I started a GoFundMe campaign and sold Autobell tickets to raise over $3,500 so far. This has gone to helping MAB afford facilities for another low vision specialist.
Right now, MAB needs your help. MAB is so booked-to-the-brim with patients that the next available low vision appointment is in six months. Six. Months. That’s half a year without a way of getting the help you need. Now that you know ways MAB gives back and why, I strongly encourage you--yes, you reading this right now--to at least give their site a look. Go to www.mabnc.org to read about the cause that this hard-working organization has dedicated itself to. Know what to do if you see someone with a white cane. Another way to get involved could be to raise awareness. Look for the SPEAK bulletin board outside Ms. Ferguson’s office and contribute pieces of your own. Or better yet, get out there and volunteer.
Something to look out for: volunteering with the Metrolina Association for the Blind
By Himani Shetti
The leading causes of blindness in the United States include macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts.
For me, the experience I had on this walk was a call to action.
I started a GoFundMe campaign and sold Autobell tickets to raise over $3,500 so far. This has gone to helping MAB afford facilities for another low vision specialist.
COMMUNITY
The Charger, November 2016
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