Robert Walker learned a lot about visual impairment when his older brother was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Watching and helping him through this transition, Robert came to understand that living with low vision requires both physical and emotional adjustments.
A few years later, when he was in his mid-70s, Robert received the same diagnosis. An avid tennis player, he had difficulty tracking the tennis ball. His vision continued to decline until he found it hard to read the books, newspapers and magazines he loved.
He refused to feel sorry for himself. "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and got to work finding resources. It’s me who is going to help me. It’s my responsibility to take care of myself. It’s not a selfish endeavor but so I can be of benefit to other people," he shares.
Helping others has always been a priority for Robert. It was the reason he traded in his career in finance and consulting to go back to school to become a psychologist. He spent the rest of his career working as a counselor in educational, business and mental health settings.
When searching online, Robert learned about Hadley. "It was a gold mine to find Hadley," he remembers. "There are so many things that are useful. It’s kind of like Hadley is an encyclopedia available to me anytime."
Hadley’s technology workshops have been among the highlights. Robert also has a hearing loss and getting comfortable with accessible devices has been a great help. He shares, "Hadley is giving me these opportunities to get out in the world and do things." For example, when walking outdoors, he uses an iPhone app that tells him when he gets to the corner. Robert also finds it helpful to learn from experts and hear others’ experiences through the Hadley Presents podcast.
"Hadley has something for everybody. It’s amazing." He’s grateful to Hadley for offering these services and has been a donor for the past three years as well. "It’s really exciting what Hadley has done. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to grab it and be of help and support to it."
Robert also helps Hadley by sharing it with others, including his low vision group that meets at the local library in Prescott, Arizona. He tells them, "You can’t mess it up. It’s just a matter of going to Hadley and sitting down at your leisure to explore the menu and see all the goodies that are available to you. Then you are on your way."
"Hadley gives you the feeling that there’s still things you can do," says Robert. This includes playing tennis with his wife. While his eyes can’t follow the tennis ball, his vision has stabilized, and he can estimate where the ball will land based upon the angle of the tennis racquet. "That’s what Hadley is doing with all these educational programs and opportunities. Getting people back on the court."