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LightHouse News

Free Tickets to World-Class Entertainment

The LightHouse has free tickets for the blind and visually impaired community and their partners/friends to a number of upcoming performances in July and August:

SFJazz:

ALL TICKETS CLAIMED Thursday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.
Chucho Valdés & the Afro-Cuban Messengers
Even in a country with a grand tradition of virtuosic pianists, Chucho Valdés stands alone, a towering figure who combines the sheer power of McCoy Tyner with the dexterity of Oscar Peterson and a rhythmic sensibility steeped in the intricacies of Afro-Cuban culture. With high quality graphics and sounds, our bingo and other games create the thrill and excitement that culminates in high player retention.

ALL TICKETS CLAIMED Thursday, August 7, 7:30 p.m.
CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band
This summer dance party is a Cajun-fueled bang as zydeco superstar C.J. Chenier brings his Red Hot Louisiana Band for a spicy night of Creole dance music.

 

To reserve tickets to any of the above listed events, please contact Alex Wilson at 415-694-7333 or giving@old.lighthouse-sf.org. Ticket availability is limited and on a first-come-first-served basis to LightHouse clients and blind and visually impaired individuals. Please direct all other questions about the events to the appropriate box office.

Tickets donated through the generosity of Michele Spitz/Woman of Her Word Charitable Voice Overs.

C.J. Chenier holding his accordion

 

LightHouse News

Deadline June 20 – Casting Call for People with Disabilities in Earthquake Preparedness Video

Know what to do in an earthquake?  Interested in being part of a video production to educate others with disabilities around earthquake safety?

The CA Office of Emergency Services, Access & Functional Needs in collaboration with Penguin Productions are seeking children and adults with disabilities who would like to appear in a national campaign to educate people with disabilities in earthquake preparedness. Filming for the 6 vignettes begins on location in July 2014 in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

If interested,  submit a photo and short description by June 20th, 2014, to Richard.Devylder@CalOES.ca.gov and nancyheath@mac.com

Industrial credit and professional reel is being offered for this public service production.

LightHouse News

Act Now – Youth Program Launches Consumer Convention Opportunities – Deadline to Apply June 4

The LightHouse has some donated funding to support blind youth and college students who would benefit from full mentored attendance at consumer blindness conferences. The first of these opportunities is coming up fast.

During the first week of July, the LightHouse Youth Program will take a group of students to the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida. Students will have the opportunity to test their independence, learn new skills and ideas, network with people from around the country, and meet life changing role models.

The NFB Convention is an annual gathering of 3,000+ blind and low vision individuals that come together to learn about the latest technology, share new ideas with others, and discuss important issues.

The LightHouse is proud to provide air fare and lodging for participants.

Why go?

  • Network with other Blind and Low Vision individuals
  • Meet intelligent, charismatic, and fun people from around the country
  • Share and discuss ideas, concepts, and perspectives of importance to the blind community
  • Learn about the latest and greatest technology for Low Vision or Blind communities
  • Gain advice and wisdom from Blind or Low Vision mentors

Trip qualification:

  • Currently enrolled (or admitted) college students or those who have been in college within the past two years
  • Available to attend the entire trip from June 30th to July 7th
  • Space is limited to 12 participants
  • Completed all aspect of the application

Application must be submitted to the Youth Services Coordinator at the LightHouse no later than June 4th. For more information please contact Jamey Gump at 415-694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org. And watch this space for future consumer convention opportunities.

LightHouse News

Transit Trek Week for Youth and Teens

1 Commenton Transit Trek Week for Youth and Teens

The LightHouse will host a totally free Transit Trek week from Monday, August 4 through Friday, August 8.

If you are blind or low vision and between the ages of ten and nineteen and you’d like a week of adventure while learning and experiencing various public transportation routes in the San Francisco Bay Area, then you’re with us. Blind youth and LightHouse mobility instructors will take on a different destination adventure each day, such as riding BART to the International Airports in Oakland and San Francisco, MUNI to Golden Gate Park and CAL TRAIN to San Jose for lunch. The goals (besides lots of fun) include: accessing and gaining exposure to all forms of public transit including BART, Caltrain, MUNI and Sam Trans; honing cane travel skills and confidence, and most of all, developing the desire to travel with gusto and savvy.

Dates: Monday, August 4 through Friday, August 8, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day

Space is limited to 15 students, so sign up now. East Bay students will meet at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley at 9:00 a.m. to travel to San Francisco and arrive by 9:30 a.m.

For more information and to register contact Debbie Bacon at dbacon@old.lighthouse-sf.org or Kathy Abrahamson at kabrahamson@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

LightHouse News

Hoby Wedler’s Formula for a Successful Chemistry Camp

Last month University of California, Davis graduate student Hoby Wedler led Chemistry Camp at Enchanted Hills for the fourth year in a row. Wedler, who is blind, is studying chemistry and was among 14 people celebrated in 2012 at the White House as part of the President’s Champion of Change program honoring leading the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for people with disabilities. Hoby was kind enough to write a summary of this year’s session.

Chemistry Camp is a very exciting time for everyone involved. When I came to the LightHouse with the idea of hosting a chemistry camp at Enchanted Hills, I had no idea how much fun it would be for everyone involved. This year’s session was an incredible learning environment for campers, mentors, instructors, volunteers, and everyone else who played a part in it. What I love about Chemistry Camp is the metamorphosis the students go through. They come in timid about doing chemistry and leave excited to study whatever they want, regardless of their blindness. It is invigorating, enlightening, and refreshing for me each year we do a Chemistry Camp to observe how much the students change.

This year we had nine exceptional campers and six terrific mentors. Six of our campers came from Northern California, one came from Texas, one from Chicago, and one from Southern Mexico – a diverse group that was very intelligent and receptive to everything we did.

It was a full weekend. The session started on Friday with a campfire where the group shared why they were at camp. Each person took a turn to speak which helped everyone get to know each other and led to great post-campfire conversation. Saturday was full of chemistry, philosophy talk, cooking, and inspirational speaking for our chemistry campers. Joseph Retherford, a mentor and student from UC Davis, gave an enlightening and insightful keynote address about losing his sight and learning how to be a successful blind person. Sunday morning our students awoke at 5:00 a.m. for an early morning hike to Enchanted Hills’ lower chapel where we gave out awards for completing camp. We then hiked the hill to breakfast, and listened to lectures by UC Davis professionals who use chemistry in their everyday careers and by NASA scientists who study organic matter in meteorites. Students heard about organic natural products, computational organic chemistry, and olive oil tasting. The day was finished off with a magic show put on by the UC Davis Chemistry Club and a tactile tour of objects from space as old as five billion years. This year’s Chemistry Camp inspired us all to reach for the stars and turn our dreams into realities.

You can hear more about Hoby and Chemistry Camp in Amy Standen’s 2011 report, broadcast on NPR or read the transcript.

Students Jack Veliquette and Therese Wales

 

LightHouse News

Team LightHouse Rides to Glory at Cycle for Sight

Thanks to everyone who rode or supported Enchanted Hills Camp through Cycle for Sight 2014. Over 2000 people rode for Enchanted Hills Camp and the California Veterans “Pathway Home Project.” We had a tremendous turnout of Team LightHouse participants this year with over 70 riders including twenty tandem teams. The weather was perfect, mild and fresh from the previous day’s rain.

Tony Fletcher rides tandem with stoker Sean Corritore
Camp Director Tony Fletcher said, “It was great to see Cycle for Sight first-timers train and complete the ride and then share their desire to return next year and even increase the distance of their ride. Blind and low vision people who do the ride learn that cycling is a viable medium not only for exercise but for social engagement.”

Marlene Dunaway’s First Cycle for Sight
70-something year-old Marlene Dunaway, who lives in Davis, California, signed up for the 25-mile ride and raised over $1000.00 in support of her ride. She is one of our first-timers and offers this unique perspective:

“Before I lost my vision, I never rode for speed, distance or competition. I would enjoy a leisurely ride to the park and around the neighborhood on a warm sunny day. After I lost vision I rode a few times on a tandem with my mobility instructor but this did not prepare me for how much I would enjoy the Cycle for Sight ride.

With the help of Tony Fletcher and North Coast North Coast Services Coordinator Ali Lee I connected with an experienced tandem captain Mark Walshand had my first experience as a blind stoker. Mark used to be a single bicycle racer and has ridden in hundreds of events. He is dedicated to cycling but had taken a break before getting back into it for Cycle for Sight. Now he is more enthusiastic than ever. Working with Mark catapulted me into the cycling world. I was exposed to a new vocabulary and wonderful tales of hazardous trips, near misses, mechanical failures and repair successes, and other related bike topics.

The first time I rode 25 miles my butt felt like it was a giant rock which I could barely move. Luckily my legs fared a whole lot better. As I developed my stamina, I began enjoying the wind on my face, the smell of the cows munching hay, the sound of roosters and dogs barking at the sheep or cars passing by. I loved the movement and speed, the wind and sun, and the feeling of freedom while I rode. I also loved participating actively [as a stoker] while chatting with my partner. Riding gave me a new feeling of independence and greater contact with the outside natural world. I began to feel the joy of cycling.Marlene Dunaway

After the Cycle for Sight ride I felt parts of my body I had never felt before but the supportive comments and authentic joy felt for me by my friends made it all worthwhile. Since the ride I have increased my distance to around 35 miles and don’t know how far I will go from here but as I zoom around a corner, glide quickly on a downhill area or pump like crazy on an uphill climb, I know I don’t want to stop.

Hats off to the Rotary Club of Napa who did a fantastic job organizing the event and making it easy for all of us to have a great day. I’m open to another cycling adventure and I’ll probably hop on and see where it
takes me and I definitely plan on riding
in next year’s Cycle for Sight event.

Team LightHouse Riders Featured in Napa Valley Register
North Coast North Coast Services Coordinator Ali Lee Ali Lee and blind camper Kaitlyn Westbrook are featured in the main photo of this Napa Valley Register article and Sergio Lopez and Rachel Grider are quoted.

 

 

 

 

 

LightHouse News

Providers Weekend Exceeds Expectations

For nearly 20 years the LightHouse has hosted a three-day gathering of professionals in our community, including new TVI’s (teachers of the visually impaired), O&M (Orientation & Mobility) Instructors, Program Managers and Adaptive Technology manufacturers for an engaging program of presentations mixed with opportunities for informal discussion, connection and friendship building.

This year’s goal was to bring in new blood and we succeeded far beyond our expectations with over 75% new attendees, mixing with committed returning participants. Within the relaxed setting of beautiful Enchanted Hills, old and new participants talked about the challenges of working in our field, bringing fresh perspectives and fresh questions to the table. People came from all over California and their differing viewpoints and allied with a number of different school systems.

In addition to fascinating presentations by blind journalist, poet and technologist Deborah Kendrick and solo, blind and intrepid traveler Dr. Zachary Shore, we offered wonderful meals, gentle exercise and nature strolls, swimming and an outdoor movie about blind youth.

“Just wanted to thank you again for the amazing weekend. Great people, amazing place and inspiring speakers – very grateful to have been able to take part. Thanks for everything.”
-Jennifer Hirsh, TVI/O&M, Monterey County Office of ED

Highlights

In a much-appreciated session called “What the Blindness Field Isn’t Talking About”, California Department of Rehabilitation Director Joe Xavier led a unique Town Hall-type discussion which encouraged the fruitful exchange of ideas and helped providers feel they were heard more clearly by the Department of Rehab.

LightHouse Board President Josh Miele and Director of Access to Information Services Greg Kehret excited the audience with news about our new and ready to distribute Talking Tactile maps: maps of all the Bay Area BART station that “talk” thanks to Smartpen technology. This was followed by a hands-on demonstration as treasure seekers used tactile maps and Smartpens to find bottles of wine.

Wine connoisseur Hoby Wedler, a graduate student in chemistry at U.C. Davis, led a blind wine tasting, taking the group through the process of how to understand the nuances of various fine Napa wines. His background in chemistry helped frame the discussion and he offered suggestions on pairing food and wine while making the link between chemistry and wine making.

Thanks to all who attended. It was gratifying to witness the passion of those who have been at it for many years along with the refreshing input from those newer to the game, including some folks our longer-time professionals had mentored. There was a general sense of joy, camaraderie and bonding based on shared experiences, shared successes and dealing with challenges. The response and enthusiasm for the event has us looking forward to doing it again soon.

LightHouse News

Adaptations – June Product of The Month and Special Hours

VoiceZone Talking Pedometer – on sale for $10.00
This talking pedometer announces up to 99,999 steps and measures and announces the total distance you have traveled with the push of a button. This triple-purpose device also functions as a portable talking clock and alarm. The VoiceZone Talking Pedometer is available at a discounted price of $10.00 through the end of June 2014, while supplies last.

Special Hours in June: Adaptations will close early at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 19. We will also be closed the entire day on Friday, June 27, for inventory. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For more information call us at Adaptations at 1-888-400-8933 or stop by Adaptations at 214 Van Ness Avenue between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

VoiceZone Talking Pedometer