Thank you to everyone who has participated in our online fundraising campaign. It is because of you that we are able to do all of the fun and innovative things that we do daily at our headquarters, EHC, San Leandro, Berkeley, Eureka and San Rafael.
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LightHouse News
LightHouse and Adaptations Are Closed on Monday December 9, 2013
The entire agency, including Adaptations, the LightHouse store, will be closed for business on Monday December 9, 2013. Please feel free to call the agency with any questions or concerns: (415) 431-1481.
Have You Been Denied a Private and Independent Vote on Election Day?
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a non-profit legal center, is investigating complaints involving problems with electronic, accessible voting machines at poll sites in San Francisco County.
Are you an individual who uses an electronic voting machine and has experienced problems voting at your poll site with the machine? For example:
• The machine was not working
• The audio ballot feature was not working
• The poll worker did not know how to set up the machine
• There was no machine
If so, DRA would love to hear from you. Please contact Michael Nunez at (510) 665-8664 or mnunez@dralegal.org. All communications are confidential.
Cross Country Skiing in the Sierra with Sierra Regional Ski for Light
Do you enjoy cross country skiing or snowshoeing? Have you always wanted to learn? Sierra Regional Ski For Light (SRSFL) is now accepting applications for its 2014 ski season.
2014 ski schedule includes:
One-day trips (open to children and adults)
- January 25, sign up date deadline is January 18, 2014
- February 8, sign up deadline is February 1, 2014
- March 22, sign up deadline is March 15, 2014
22nd annual three-day event (adults only): March 8 to 10, 2014:
- Signup deadline is January 31 with final payment due by February 20
Skiing will be at the Tahoe/Donner Cross Country Ski Resort in Truckee, CA. Each skier and snowshoer is matched with a trained guide. SRSFL welcomes beginners to advanced skiers and snowshoers.
For more information, including the complete ski schedule, go to http://www.srsfl.org.
You may also contact Margie Donovan at 916-293-9505 or margie.donovan1@yahoo.com.
SRSFL looks forward to seeing you on the snow.
Estate Gift Will Help Support Deaf-Blind Session at Enchanted Hills Camp for Years to Come
Jill Sprinkle and her husband were both Deaf-Blind. Beginning in 1995, Jill was a long-time enthusiastic participant at the LightHouse. Here she learned braille, Orientation and Mobility, and cooking. One of her great joys was attending Enchanted Hills Camp Deaf-Blind sessions. She told people that Enchanted Hills was her second home, and exulted in having a place that was safe and fun for deaf-blind people to be independent.
Last year Jill Sprinkle passed away. She gave a bequest of over $170,000 to support the Deaf-Blind session at Enchanted Hills – which we will leverage to provide the session for many years to come. Since 1950 more than 25,000 blind children, youth, adults and their families have enjoyed the unique capabilities of Enchanted Hills. The Lighthouse has been able to offer camperships at dramatically subsidized rates only because of gifts and bequests like those of the Jill Sprinkle’s.
To learn more about how you can make a lasting difference by means of your estate, or to discuss planned gifts opportunities, please contact Jennifer Sachs, Director of Development, at (415) 694-7333 or jsachs@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
LightHouse Honors Blind Veterans
On a clear November morning dozens of blind veterans and friends gathered at the LightHouse to swap stories, share camaraderie and be honored for their service on Veteran’s Day. Most served in WW II and Korea. Community Services Coordinator Beth Berenson said, “This is the second year we’ve done this and I’m very glad. They’ve served us and deserve to be honored.”
We treated them to a lunch and gave them time to talk about their military experiences. Our veterans come from all the different branches of the military including the Army, Navy and Airforce. They told moving stories about their service, such as liberating a German concentration camp. They also talked about how they used the government’s GI Benefits program to move forward in their lives. Their blindness came later in life with aging, not during their stint in the military.
Employment Immersion Graduate Ria Baylen Hired By San Francisco Unified School District
Who says that Braille won’t be useful in a job search? Ria Baylen’s smile is as contagious as is her enthusiasm for her chosen field. Ria is deaf and low vision. With a strong desire to “help and teach people” professionally, she got an A.S. degree in Human Services at Napa Valley College. After studying braille, adaptive technology and mobility training to prepare her in case her vision decreased, and to “learn what it takes to be independent”, she started interning and contracting at various blindness agencies, including the LightHouse, transcribing and teaching braille and adaptive technology.
After gathering work experience over several years, Ria knew she wanted to find a steady, permanent job with more hours, but she needed some help figuring out how to make better headway in a difficult job market. So she got the okay from her DOR counselor Suzanne Tierney to participate in the LightHouse Employment Immersion program.
With the help of the program, Ria learned how to craft a solid resume, tailor it to prospective employers and use the Internet to make fruitful connections. She also made great strides in conquering her tendency to freeze up during interviews because she felt unprepared for the questions and began to use the skills learned in the program to communicate more clearly and with purpose.
She particularly appreciated the opportunity to “listen to blind role models and guest speakers talk about their experiences as they move up the ladder and get where they are now. During the class I learned I have the ability, the dedication and patience to teach and help others achieve their goals.” And that’s where Ria’s braille skills made a difference.
We congratulate Ria, who accepted a full-time position last month with the San Francisco Unified School District as a Braillist. She now works with teachers, preparing materials for blind students in braille and other formats. “It’s great – I’m doing what I love and I’m able to afford living on my own!”
There’s Still Time to Enroll
Are you ready to snag that great job and earn enough to have a home of your own? Or are you looking for work for the first time? The next Employment Immersion class begins on January 7, and there’s still time to enroll. It’s a small investment of time – just eight weeks will get you up-to-speed with the latest job-search methods, plus one-on-one counseling and interview practice in a warm, encouraging environment. For more information, call Kate Williams at 415-694-7324 or email her at kwilliams@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Fun Times with the LightHouse Youth Program
Halloween Costume Party and Social
In preparation for Halloween the LightHouse Youth gathered for a night of frightful fun and games, ingenious costumes, mummified hotdogs, a Halloween-themed piñata, and enough candy to satisfy even the most die-hard trick-or-treaters. Attendees monster-mashed and boo-gied the night away to some of their favorite Halloween tunes.
Old Ships of San Francisco
On a beautiful autumn afternoon a group of Blind Youth gathered at the Hyde Street Pier to explore the Old Ships at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The LightHouse kids spent the day engaged in hands-on exploration of 100 year-old ships. While some “piloted” the ship’s wheel on deck, others explored every noo
k, cranny, and secret hiding place below deck.
Enchanted Hills Retreat – a Romantic Spot for Nuptials in Napa
For several years, the Mosaic Project’s Brian Lowe and Lara Mendel have been running week-long sessions for fourth and fifth-graders at Enchanted Hills Retreat. The Mosaic Project’s Outdoor School builds self-esteem and community in the beautiful, natural setting of Enchanted Hills, and through these sessions the children “begin to recognize their commonalities and gain respect and appreciation for the uniqueness of all individuals, including themselves.” Read more about the Outdoor School program at: http://www.mosaicproject.org/aboutus/ourprograms/outdoor/.
We celebrate the Mosaic Project’s worthy work and were delighted when Brian and Lara decided to hold their own wedding at Enchanted Hills. Brian said, “When it came time to choose a place for our wedding, we thought the Enchanted Hills site would be a perfect place to hold a weekend long celebration. The photo below captures some of that atmosphere.” 
You too can hold your wedding at Enchanted Hills! Our retreat can also be used for family reunions, yoga workshops, spiritual retreats, horse campers, company off-site meetings or seminars. With a playing field and playground, it’s a great location for groups with children, but the romance and grandeur of the setting also lends itself to a beautiful wedding.
Book now for an event between December 2013 and February 2014 and receive a 20 percent discount on your daily rate. All rental proceeds support the unparalleled programs of Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. During the summer months, Enchanted Hills Camp is a place for blind campers to explore and create, gain courage, try new things, and make lifelong friends. By celebrating your special event with us you not only have an exceptional place to work or play, but you help give an exceptional camp experience to blind and low vision youth and adults.
Experience the charm of Enchanted Hills! To reserve Enchanted Hills for your get-together of 30 to 120, please call (415) 694-7310 or go to www.enchantedhillsretreat.com.
Go Take a Hike! LightHouse Consults on Accessible Topographic Map of Redwood Creek Watershed
The LightHouse’s Access to Information Services has produced several braille brochures and tactile trail maps for Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). We’ve also provided training to GGNRA personnel on providing access and accommodation to people with disabilities and consulted on such things as audio tours and topographic maps.
Recently we visited a sculptor’s space for molding in Berkeley where we were asked to review the clay stage of the Redwood Creek Watershed topographic map she has been working on for the GGNRA. Measuring approximately 10 feet by 5 feet, the scale is much larger than the recently unveiled Lands End topographic map. Working from other topographic maps and satellite photos, she and her team have sculpted a model of the environs of Muir Woods from the peak of Mt. Tamalpais to the shore of Stinson Beach.
A bronze casting will be made for the visitor center at Muir Woods, and one done in concrete will be installed at Muir Beach. This model is so detailed that it even includes Mountain Play’s Greek-style Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, and water poured on this model of Mt. Tam courses down the Redwood Creek Watershed to the Pacific, just as it would in reality. “I’m impressed by the model,” says LightHouse staffer Frank Welte, “It gives a clear tactile representation of how Mt. Tam, Muir Woods and Stinson Beach relate and how they are connected and traversed by trails and roads”. Both maps will be installed by the end of 2013.
For more information on how the LightHouse can help provide accessibility to a monument, museum or natural wonder, call Greg Kehret at 415-694-7349 or gkehret@old.lighthouse-sf.org. For more information about Muir Woods and accessibility call 415-561-4700 or email goga_accessibility@nps.gov.
