This edition of “Through Our Eyes” is dedicated to my older sister, Dr. Alexis Black, who taught me that I would be able to see if I just opened a book. “I cannot live without books.” Thomas Jefferson. The room was dimly lit, all lamps and light fixtures having been extinguished hours before, with the…
Have you ever wanted to ask someone who is blind about their experiences, but weren’t sure how? In this edition of Through Our Eyes, I sit down with Tracie Thompson, one of Alphapointe’s newest clients, to talk about her journey with vision loss and how she has learned to adapt. Q: How long have you…
“Just because you lose your sight, doesn’t mean you have to lose hope.” – Kevin Eschbaugh. In the small town of Wilson, Kansas – a place that is, geographically speaking, next to nothing – Kevin, then 16, stood looking at his first car with an odd mixture of disdain and reverence. The car was the…
There are some who hold the belief that a blind person has no interest in sports, that we might just be unimpressed when, say, Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, throws a perfect dime to a receiver as he is sprinting into the end zone with seconds on the clock. Or that we’d be…
As a blind man who lives alone, one of the most common questions I receive is, “How do you cook?” It is a common misconception that people with vision loss are saved from starvation by inventions such as frozen foods, TV dinners, and Door Dash. I will not make the claim that I don’t sometimes…
I sat on my couch, head in my hands, with a future filled with uncertainty. I had just received the most spectacular news of my life … I was going to be a father; on the heels of that news – that elation – came a dread that settled in my stomach. Even before receiving…
When she first started elementary school in Liberty, Missouri, there was nothing in particular that separated Samantha (Sam) Mitchell from her fellow classmates. But, as the years passed, much to Sam’s consternation and growing embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice that the proximity of her desk and the front of the classroom grew closer and…
For those of us with vision loss, every time we take up the cane and walk out our front door, it is inevitable that we will get questions regarding our condition. People want to know how we accomplish tasks or about our lifestyle in general. As a longstanding member of the blind community, I’m happy…
“There is nothing except for what my mind imagines.” – Kim Stanley. On the west side of the Alphapointe building in Kansas City, Missouri, is the rehabilitation department. This department serves Alphapointe clients who are experiencing partial or complete vision loss — to teach them the skills they need to be independent and advocate for…
Please note: Some thematic elements in this story may be triggering for certain readers. “It took me becoming blind, to see how bright my future is.” – Dillon Tarn. A young man stood on a dirt mound in the middle of a baseball diamond in Abilene, Kansas. He was facing home plate; a cap sat…