HORIZONS

Jobs. Independence. Empowerment.Our Mission: We empower people who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities

by creating diverse, sustainable, and meaningful employment opportunities.

{ continued on next page }

Meet Kosi and Gaylen, two of the star employees at the Lighthouse. They teach people how to use assistive technology as part of the Computer

Training Program (CTP).

Winter 2019 • Volume 19, No. 3

Kosi Asabere is the accessibility manager for the CTP. She started working at the Lighthouse in 2018. She credits her independence to computer and technology training. Her confidence has empowered her to move across the country to work at the Lighthouse, navigate Seattle’s busy streets, and live a life steeped in passion. The dramatic impact technology training has had on her own life inspires her to help others become more independent and efficient every day.

Gaylen Floy is the assistive technology instructor in the Computer Training Program (CTP). She shares Kosi’s passion for teaching. She is inspired by her students and coworkers every day. The collective knowledge at the Lighthouse is astonishing, and Gaylen is constantly trying to tap into that knowledge through the power of peer learning.

Gaylen left her career in the newspaper industry when her vision loss became disruptive. She found a new home in the world of technology. Gaylen says that learning to rely on keyboard commands to use a screen reader has been more difficult than the Adobe software that she used as an illustrator! Watching her students take their knowledge from class and into their work environment is immensely rewarding.

“We have to reach our employees as soon as they get here, so that they

know they are supported the moment they get in the door.”

— Kosi Asabere, Accessibility Manager

Each student needs different training and tools to find success. For some students, their time in the lab is spent learning new commands for their iPhone. Others are being trained to use screen magnifiers, screen readers, or learning to transition back and forth between the two. There are also opportunities to learn to code documents so that they are more accessible.

The lab features refreshable braille displays, desktop computers, laptops, iPads, CCTVs and much more assistive technology. The CTP has been designed for anyone who wants to learn regardless of their level of vision. It is the hub for innovative thinking and personal growth at the Lighthouse.

Access for All

{ access for all, continued from front page }

Pictured Right : Assistive Technology Instructor Gaylen Floy (left) working with student

Abdul Sinyan (right) in the CTP lab at the Seattle facility

Pictured Left: Meg Fox (right) and her mother (left)

Kosi describes her vision as “just enough to get in trouble.” She is completely blind in one eye and severely nearsighted in the other. Gaylen experiences a combination of drastic vision loss with nearly constant flashing light. They benefit from assistive technology themselves, so they are excellent liaisons to share their knowledge with the community.

“I am a tech junkie! If I can use it, I will use it,” Kosi boasts. However, technology itself is just a tool, and people need to know how to use it. Kosi explains the value of her own training: “When I went blind, I realized that I couldn’t touch type. I didn’t know where the keys were. At the end of my training, I was coding. That’s real power.”

Instructors at the Lighthouse work every day to make the world more accessible by providing critical skills to everyone who wants to learn.

Why I Support the Lighthouse

I get asked often, “What attracted you to the Lighthouse?” The mission and values that guide this organization are undeniable. But for me, there was a deeper connection to the Lighthouse and the opportunities they provide to individuals who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities in our community.

My mother has been legally blind since she was a teenager. She has a condition called Stargardt disease. It is an inherited disorder that causes the retina to deteriorate, ultimately leading to central vision loss. While she may have considered herself limited at times, I have a very different perspective.

My earliest childhood memories are of her baking Christmas cookies in the kitchen, attending every event my sister and I were involved with, and being the life of the party. I knew my mom couldn’t drive a vehicle and sometimes needed my help reading a recipe, but she is resourceful and independent. Her sight has deteriorated but she has adapted through the use of amazing technological advancements. I am incredibly lucky to have grown up with her, and experience the advantages and benefits of working with individuals with disabilities. This has shaped my career in human resources and why I joined the Foundation Board at The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.

Upon every visit to the Lighthouse, I reflect on how my mother would have benefited from being a part of this vibrant community. The computer training, braille resources, and career opportunities are exceptional. The Lighthouse is something special — not just for these resources, but for the sense of belonging they bring to this community. I am proud and humbled to work on behalf of this organization, and to grow the future development and expansion of the Lighthouse’s programs and services.

Article submitted by Meghan Fox Foundation Board Member Director of Human Resources, Whole Foods Market, Inc.

Pictured: President and CEO Cindy Watson (top), Orientation & Mobility Specialists Erin Fitzpatrick and Meg Johnson (middle), Foundation Board

Vice President Doug Fischer (center) with table guests

Join our Board

We are recruiting passionate and philanthropic community members to join our Board of Trustees and Foundation Board. Ideal candidates are committed to our mission and looking for a way to help shape the future of the Lighthouse. Interested in becoming a board member or learning more? Please contact Kate Wiegel, Senior Director of Institutional Relations, at (206) 436-2116 or kwiegel@LHBlind.org.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

By making a planned gift, you will create future opportunities for jobs, education, and training at the Lighthouse. Your philanthropic investment funds programs and services on a sustainable, long-term basis. You will also be welcomed into the Lighthouse Legacy Society. No matter your age or income, there are multiple ways to participate in the planned giving program. For more information, please contact Shawn Dobbs, Donor and Government Relations Director, at (206) 436-2224 or SDobbs@LHBlind.org.

On Saturday, September 21st, 2019 we welcomed over 160 guests to the Future of Flight to celebrate how the community has helped create a future of opportunities for individuals who are blind and DeafBlind at the Lighthouse. Together we raised over $119,000 for our Employee and Community Service program.

We were honored to have Lieutenant Governor, Cyrus Habib, Lighthouse Machine Operator, Paul Ducharme, and Lighthouse President and CEO, Cindy Watson speak at the event. Visit our website at LHBlind.org to see photos and watch our employee video featuring CNC Set-Up Specialist, Lauren Schlaeppi that we premiered at the event.

Special thank you to our generous Future of Opportunities sponsors:

The Boeing Company

Essendant

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

CamelBak

Alliant Employee Benefits

The BoxMaker Inc.

Badgley Phelps

InTech

Swifty Printing

USI Insurance Services

TW Metals

Amber Janitorial

Anderson’s Door Company

Future of Opportunities

Pictured: Debbie Sommer (left) and Nancy Sommer (right)

41st Annual DeafBlind Retreat

Over 60 campers and 130 volunteers attended the Lighthouse’s 41stDeafBlind Retreat in Seabeck, WA. The retreat featured art classes,community learning classes, excursions to surrounding towns andattractions, dancing, hiking, biking, yoga, early morning polar plungesin the river, and a thrilling Slip N’ Slide. Every year, campers have theopportunity to thrive in a completely accessible space: where everyoneuses Pro-Tactile sign language, and each pathway is marked with ropes soparticipants can easily navigate the grounds independently. It is a uniqueopportunity to connect with people from around the globe and is a catalystfor attendees to develop personally and professionally. Campers often findthe retreat to be a life-changing experience and return year after year.

SW-COC-002790

P.O. Box 14959 • Seattle, WA 98144-0959

2019 – 2020 Upcoming Lighthouse Events Dec. 17th — Appreciation Breakfast, Seattle, WA Jan. 24th — Lighthouse Oyster Roast, Summerville, SC Feb. 13th — Lighthouse Opportunities Breakfast, Spokane, WA

For more information and a complete list of upcoming events, please visit LHBlind.org/events or contact Molly McLachlan, Events and Community Engagement Manager, at (206) 436-2253 or email mmclachlan@LHBlind.org.