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The Beacon Volume 4, Issue 2 Summer 2017

Mobility: A New Path Taken

IN THE SPOTLIGHT, with Jim Paradiso

Clients always continue to surprise us at the Florida Center for the Blind (FCB). While the main goal for any client is to regain independence, it is remarkable to see many surpass that goal and accomplish outstanding dreams! From one client passing her bar exam, to another starting his own business; many clients redefine what success and triumph looks like.

One client in particular has an incredible story of overcoming his vision loss, starting a new life

journey, and stumbling upon his purpose.

FINDING A NEW PATH About three years ago, Jim Paradiso woke up one morning with deteriorated vision. The doctors informed Jim that he had suffered from an aneurysm in the back of his eye and was diagnosed with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), a retinal vascular disorder "with potentially blinding complications."

Over the next three months, Jim’s vision gradually worsened until he had very little vision left. Jim sought out FCB and started training. He received lessons in Assistive Technology and began training in the use of the white cane to learn to travel safely and independently. (Continued on pages 6-7)

IN THIS ISSUE

• Message from the President/CEO

• Become a Sponsor for Dining in the Dark

• Dining in the Dark: Early Bird Tickets Available

• New Braille Book Lending Library

• Adaptations: Low Vision Store

• Community Partnerships

• Impact Report: Available in Late June

• Making the Blind Visible Fair

Jim at the Aztec ruins in Ecuador

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Walking the Path to Success

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO

I just read the article about Jim Paradiso contained in this newsletter. I can’t help

but feel such an overwhelming sense of awe over his accomplishments. He is the

true epitome of what we wish for every client. Everyone has their own path to walk

through life. For some, the path is smooth, straight and easy. For others, the path is

full of twists and turns and is difficult. Regardless, doesn’t it really come down to

how we choose to walk that path? For some, we choose to take it slow and easy.

For others, like Jim, they embrace the adventure and make the most of the journey.

BRIDGING THE GAP In order for Jim to walk the path that was in front of him, he needed special training

and tools. Imagine what Jim’s life would be like had the Florida Center for the Blind

not existed. Honestly, for Jim, he would have figured out an alternative path, but not

everyone is like Jim. The need for our services isn’t going away. In fact, with people

living longer and with the higher prevalence of diabetes, we unfortunately continue

to see a rise in demand for our services. With the ever widening gap between

funding and the demand for services, the real heroes become those who make a

conscious decision to help in any way they can to bridge that gap. They make sure

that everyone who needs our help gets the help they need.

BE THE PEBBLE IN THE POND I want to personally thank all of you, our donors and volunteers, for investing in

people like Jim. All I can picture is the

pebble being thrown into the pond and

the effects of the ongoing ripples. Just like

the pebble, Jim is making an even bigger

impact by using his training to help the blind

children in Ecuador. I can only imagine the

impact he will have in the years to come.

-Anissa Brescia, President/CEO

“...the real heroes [are] those who make a conscious decision to help in any way they can”

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Special thanks to our

Premier Sponsor:

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EARLY BIRD PRICING

Single Ticket: $70

Couple Ticket: $130

VIP Experience not applicable

TICKET SALES OPEN

June 21st—August 21st

Purchase Tickets at flblind.org

Get $5-$10 OFF

“Early Bird” Tickets!

(VIP Experience

not included)

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Making the Blind Visible COMMUNITY AWARENESS EVENT

The Florida Center for the Blind (FCB) hosted the 1st annual Making the Blind Visible Awareness Fair at Citizens’ Circle in downtown Ocala on Saturday, March 25th from 10am-3pm. The fair’s main purpose was to spread awareness of visual impairments and celebrate the blind and visually impaired community through simulation games and activities.

SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF THE BLIND

FCB encouraged guests to learn more about vision loss, eye heath and adaptive aids through different booths and fun activities. Art in the Dark was a station that included sensory play with shaving cream, Braille coloring pages, finger painting, and Easter craft projects to encourage sensory development. Guests visited Sensory Street, a 16 foot wall where they had to rely on the senses of touch, smell and hearing without the use of sight. The wall was constructed by PassionBUILD, LLC to allow attendees to put their hands through holes to guess what they were feeling or hearing.

Over 500 attendees participated in various stations including a ring toss, a rubber ducky game, life-sized Jenga and bounce house maze while wearing blindfolds or simulation goggles.

Other activities included a Beeping Easter Egg Hunt and Braille Boulevard, live music, food trucks and business vendors for guests to enjoy.

At noon, blind folded attendees participated in an awareness walk around City Hall to better understand the challenges of traveling safely for an individual who is blind or visually impaired.

SPEICAL THANKS TO THE MAKING THE BLIND VISIBLE

EVENT SPONSORS

Alumnus leading participants in the

blindfolded walk.

Aviant Party Rental

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ALL YOU NEED IS A CANE AND AN IPAD

Once Jim graduated from FCB, he decided it was time to live life the way he has always wanted. Jim grabbed his cane, iPad and some clothes, and ventured to South America for a journey of a lifetime! He had been working for Apple remotely, assisting in developing apps for the blind and visually impaired. This independent, remote career has allowed him to follow his passions of “seeing” and experiencing the world. Without reservations, he made his way through various South American countries, including Columbia and Ecuador. By utilizing his interpreter app on his iPad, he was able to communicate with others in his travels, making lots of friends along the way.

A BROKEN CANE LEADS TO A NEW CAREER In February 2017, while Jim was in Ecuador, he broke his cane. For someone who is blind and in a foreign country, that was his only means of traveling independently and safely. FCB was able to get him in touch with the blind services there, where Jim made new friends and contacts. From the tragic accident of breaking his cane, Jim stumbled upon his purpose—teaching blind children in Ecuador.

Jim stated, “without their [FCB] encouragement and resources, I don’t think I would be able to be in the position to help these children in a third world country cope with their vision loss. The resources it [FCB] has available and shares with the outside world are priceless to me and the children that I can help.”

Jim continues to surprise us each time he reaches out to update us on his adventures. He is now working with elementary, high school and college students in Ecuador and wants to start his own non-profit, just like FCB. He is putting his knowledge and his training to work by teaching the students to use assistive technology and white canes. (Continued on page 7)

In the Spotlight (Continued from page 1)

“FCB offered me hope when I had none, friendship when I thought I was abandoned, and taught me that life is not over just because I’m blind.”

Jim navigating his way over a rock

“bridge” by using his cane .

Jim poses with his students in Ecuador

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From top left: Jim feeding tortoises in the Galapagos Islands; Jim navigating his way through a cruise ship as he

voyages to South America; Jim stops for a picture and a break after a long hike; Jim parasailing in Columbia; Jim

riding a motorcycle “taxi” to the blind school in Ecuador; and Jim navigating his way down a steep and muddy

mountain.

BLOGGING HIS JOURNEY

Jim has been an inspiration to many individuals, some of whom do not even have a

visual impairment. He has been asked to be a keynote speaker around the world,

and continues to share his journey on his Facebook blog.

Jim shared that “FCB offered me hope when I had none, friendship when I thought I

was abandoned, and taught me that life is not over just because I am blind...FCB is

teaching people that the boundaries are limitless to what you can do, where you

can go, and the things available to you.”

Keep in touch with Jim on his journey and remarkable adventures by following him

on his Facebook page: Facebook.com/blindjimcantdothat. The World of Travel, a

group with over 30,000 followers, reposted Jim’s blog calling it a “‘tongue [in]

cheek’ page that has become his diary of the trials and tribulations of a blind man

traveling alone in a country where he doesn't speak the native language.”

We all wish Jim the best of luck and cannot wait to see what he does next!

In the Spotlight (Continued from page 6)

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WANT TO RECEIVE THE ELECTRONIC BEACON?

Call the main office today at 352-873-4700 and give us your email address.

This will help FCB save on printing costs!

ADAPTATIONS: LOW VISION SUPPLIES

V i d e o M a g n i f i e r s

T e l e s c o p e s

. . . . . A n d m o r e !

S u n F i l t e r s

M o b i l i t y C a n e s

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LOCATED INSIDE THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR THE BLIND 1411 NE 22nd Avenue, Ocala, FL ● Call for Appointment: (352) 873-4700

R e a d i n g G l a s s e s

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Community Partnerships PROVIDING MORE THAN JUST FUNDING

It has been said many times before that FCB never turns a client away, even if we have met our contract requirements with the state Division of Blind Services (DBS). FCB has calculated that the funding received per client, through contracts with DBS, only covers approximately 80% of the total cost of services. In the last three years, FCB has serviced 130-159% more clients in the Older Blind program alone above the number of clients funded by DBS.

IMPACT OF FCB’S DONORS Although we continue to exceed our contract requirements, DBS funding has not increased at the same rate. We estimate that if we were paid for the number of clients we actually served in the Older Blind

program, FCB would have received an additional $60,000 of income per year, and that’s just for one program out of five!

Without the financial assistance of our donors, FCB would not be able to continue to provide the quality and quantity of care that our community demands and our clients deserve. As a non-profit, we rely heavily on grant funding and private donations. We know how important it is for us to thank all of our supporters for helping us meet this funding gap.

DEVELOPING LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS Recently, FCB received grants through Walmart store #5326 and Publix Supermarket Charities to provide cooking classes and devices for our clients. This funding will allow clients to learn how to adapt in the kitchen, cook safely and independently, and regain healthy eating habits.

FCB also partnered with Burger 21 and Papa John’s Pizza for recent fundraisers. Burger 21 donated10% of it’s proceeds during it’s “non-profit of the month give back day.” FCB brought a van full of clients to the restaurant to eat lunch in support of the Center. Burger 21 donated a very generous gift in exchange for some delicious burgers! The funds will go directly towards providing rehabilitation services.

Papa John’s Pizza donated $1 of every pizza special sold in the months of April and May, resulting in a generous gift to FCB. FCB encourages all of our readers to patronize these businesses.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Papa John’s Management staff presenting

a check to FCB’s President/CEO, Anissa

Brescia.

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Leave a Legacy Please consider making a bequest to Florida Center for the

Blind in your estate plans.

These thoughtful gifts ensure that FCB can continue its work to enable persons who

are blind and visually impaired to live safely, productively, and independently.

“The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to

create something that will.” - Chuck Palahniuk

Donations of any size can make a difference

in helping to change the lives of our

clients and ensure the longevity of

our organization for many years to

come. You can pass on hope and

continue to make a difference in

the world.

Thank you!

Impact Report BRINGING LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS

2016 Impact Report is

AVAILABLE IN LATE JUNE!

The report can be found online at our website: www.flblind.org.

Please call the main office at 352-873-4700 for a printed copy to be mailed to you.

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Braille Lending Library EMPOWERING PARENTS, ONE BOOK AT A TIME

A parent’s lap is the first school for any child. Since vision is the first avenue of learning, imagine how difficult it must be for parents to teach their blind children how to learn to read. Parents in our Children’s Program (ages 5-13) have stated that they feel helpless and unable to read with their children at home.

CASE FOR SUPPORT Early intervention is CRUCIAL for a child who is blind or visually impaired to obtain a strong foundation for learning. Positive language and literacy skills are critical to allow students to have continued academic success, keep pace with their classmates and maintain a competitive edge for higher education opportunities.

Children who are blind and visually impaired must first learn an extended core curriculum, including Braille, to be able to learn the academics being taught in school. FCB provides its students with specialized training, enabling them to be independent and successful in school.

FCB also provides parents with parallel services during the Children’s monthly program. This enables parents to provide consistent reinforcement and feedback for their children in the home environment. Although FCB has begun to teach parents to read Braille, they are still learning this new language, which takes time to develop.

OCALA LIONS CLUB PAVES THE WAY Through the generous foundation grant from the Ocala Lions Club, FCB gives parents with necessary tools to reinforce learning in the home. With the Club’s grant, FCB purchased two copies of 150 interesting and popular titles for students and parents to check-out and use at home.

The Braille Book Lending Library allows both parent and child to practice their skills at home. This library will include books for FCB’s Blind Babies program (newborn to age 5), up to the Transition program for teens (ages 14-22). The books for children contain a clear overlay page written in Braille, which the children can read while parents can see the print and pictures through a translucent page. See the picture to the right.

By giving parents the ability to read along with their children, they can begin to learn this new language while reinforcing their children’s literacy skills. This also prevents a child from feeling isolated while reading alone, and allows for reading to be a shared and enjoyable family activity.

Ocala Lions Club presenting grant to FCB.

From left: Lion Peter Palermo; Lion Kathleen

Snyder; Lion President, Ben Poole; FCB’s

President/CEO, Anissa Brescia.

Picture book with clear Braille

overlay page.

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Florida Center for the Blind - Vision Beyond Sight

Florida Center for the Blind

1411 NE 22nd Avenue

Ocala, FL 34470

FREE MATTER FOR THE

BLIND

CONTACT US

Florida Center

for the Blind

1411 NE 22nd Ave.

Ocala, FL 34470

PH: (352) 873-4700

FX: (352) 873-4751

Website:

www.flblind.org

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/

floridacenterfortheblind

The Florida Center for the Blind has complied with the registration requirements of the Solicitation of Contributions Act. Our registration number is CH979 and is currently valid until August 15, 2017. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.