August 20, 2003
Library offers insightful program
Insight Day provides slice of life as a visually impaired person
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
What would it be like to be visually impaired? How would you get around, play games, read and write?
More than 80 people experienced a slice of life as a visually impaired person Wednesday during an Insight Day held at the Traverse Area District Library. The Grand Traverse Area Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped sponsored the event.
During the afternoon, participants could try using a white cane to negotiate obstacles and check out a variety of Braille books. Braille slates, signature and checkbook templates and a variety of adapted games - such as textured dominoes, checkers using shape instead of color to mark sides and Braille playing cards and Scrabble - were on display.
Participants at the event were invited to tour the new touch and scent garden that is part of the Traverse Area District Library's extensive gardens. This hands-on garden would allow them to experience the outdoors as a visually impaired would.
Insight Day also had Twin Vision books on hand. These books containing both Braille and printed words were also on hand to demonstrate how both a sighted person and a visually impaired person could 'read' together.
"I thought this would be a fun thing to do for kids, kind of a disability awareness for kids," said Kathy Kelto, librarian for the Grand Traverse Area Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which serves a 16-county area.
"They could learn what it would be like for a visually impaired kid to read, write and play games," she noted.
Kelto said her library is assembling a kit of adaptive equipment and games to keep in its collection. This would help children or adults visiting on a tour understand some of the issues facing visually impaired people.
"We want to have something else to show people besides a room with a bunch of shelves of books and tapes," Kelto said.
Area volunteers who are training future Leader Dogs brought in their puppies for the event. These dogs live with a host family for a year while being socialized in a variety of situations and learning basic obedience commands. Part of the socialization includes bringing them into the community and learning to handle curious children and eager petting.
"The kids really like to see the dogs," said Bruce Hutchins of Traverse City, who along with his wife, Carol, has been training Leader Dog puppies for 14 years. "We do all the things they'd have to do with a blind person to get them used to noises, crowds and people."
Insight Day also featured a variety of simulation spectacles, which allowed the wearer to literally see what it would be like to have glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, tunnel vision, cataracts and total blindness.
"Some of them made me dizzy," said Madeline Kachadurian, 9, of Traverse City after trying on some of the simulation spectacles.
The adaptive equipment, games, books and writing equipment are all things used every day in Pam Skinner's classroom. Skinner is a teacher and consultant for the visually impaired with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. She was on hand during Insight Day to answer questions and help with demonstrations.
"We do a lot of adapting," she said of her visually impaired students. "People learn about 70 percent of what we learn through visual channels so you have to adapt it all for visually impaired people."