"People are accepting there"
Debbie has found a place near her that helps unleash her creative streak and her desire to give back to the community, a place where how much she can see doesn't matter.
Hadley
“People are accepting there”
Debbie: It is wonderful going to the senior center. One thing that they do up there is art. With a little bit of sighted assistance, we do different kinds of art.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Debbie: Hi, my name is Debbie Morgan. I'm from Lafayette, Indiana. The story I want to share is kind of an ongoing experience. I have artificial eyes. I started going to the senior center of Tippecanoe, which is here in Lafayette, probably about a year and a half ago.
One thing that they do up there is art. We do different kinds of art, and much of this stuff I had never done before, but with a little bit of sighted assistance. I've painted rocks. I've painted kind of abstracts because I don't see the pictures. I've worked with clay. I've also made the fleece blankets where people will cut the squares around the edges and then you tie them together. And a friend of mine and I are going to do that and make them for the animal shelter here in Lafayette.
It is wonderful going to the senior center. The people are very accepting. The art instructor is a young lady who is very encouraging, very helpful. And loves to try new things and she is very glad to have me in her class, and I appreciate that. And the other people in the class interact with me and we have a great time.
So any of you out there, if you do get the chance, go to a senior center. There are other activities up there to get involved in to. I love it and I’m very thankful for it. Thank you.
Marc: You never know who might need to hear your story. If you’d like to share with us, just leave us a message on our Insights & Sound Bites voicemail. By calling, 847-512-4867. Or, you can use your smartphone or computer and email us a recording to [email protected].
All Episodes
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Episode 14
Listen in as Kara shares how she found new ways to express herself in her love of visual art, and redefining a meaningful life.
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Episode 13
Listen in as Leah shares how it finally clicked for her—the realization that she's not alone.
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Episode 12
Hear how Axel set one goal at a time and slowly took the steps to rebuild his skills, reengage in his art, and reestablish his emotional well being.
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Episode 11
Gregory shares how finding a mentor made all the difference in the world to him, and his entire family.
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Episode 10
Listen in as we hear from Sarah. For her, hearing a blind architect's story changed her perspective on what was possible.
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Episode 9
Listen in as Tom shares how leaning on his faith helps him adjust to vision loss.
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Episode 8
Pat shares with us the choices she made when faced with a visual impairment.
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Episode 7
Darryl shares with us how a referral to a low vision specialist was where his life with vision loss began to turn around.
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Episode 6
Annie shares with us the steps she took to work through her depression by seeking help from a mental health professional.
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Episode 5
Sharon shares with us how she worked through the isolation and found people just like her to get the support she needed.
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Episode 4
Hannah shares with us how she had to give herself permission to grieve her vision loss in order to reach acceptance.
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Episode 3
Randy's search for help led him into a whole new way of thinking.