r/Blind • u/fancygrandpah • 9d ago
How to get message out to local visually impaired community?
Hello! My mom is blind and the president of a blind association/group in her county. She has been the president for many years and has consistently provided a community to many people with visual impairments. The association hosts lunches, parties, and various other get togethers. They also provide education like teaching those with visual impairments how to use various Apple products and other technology that promotes accessibility. They answer phone calls all the time and give information to people navigating new impairments on where they can access support.
Unfortunately, COVID took a toll on their membership. They are functioning with very low numbers right now and are struggling to get people to come out to the association and recreate the community they once had. They still consistently get phone calls asking for support, but again it’s hard to get those same people to come out.
My mom has posted announcements in the newspaper and I have gone to Facebook to post information about the association on various town groups within our county. I was just wondering if this sub had any other ideas for how to connect to those with visual impairments in our surrounding area that we have not yet tried. I would appreciate any and all ideas!
Side note: Just wanted to say my mom has been blind since she was 5 years old and is the coolest. She raised two children, was my Girl Scout troop leader, got her associates degree, and is the president of this association. She spends all of her time volunteering and is now enjoying her time being a grandma. I have the utmost respect for all of you and have been a member of this sub for a while just to stay updated on what’s going on in the community!
Thank you in advance :)
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u/FirebirdWriter 8d ago
Maybe see about getting a feel good news puff piece done. You may need to pay for these but it's good for their reputation and you're. Though this is often inspiration pornish
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u/Mister-Kayne 6d ago
Have you considered Whatsapp. Communities feature? Create a community, invite members and in the communities you will have one channel that only the admin will have access to, this is great for community announcements. There is a lot more that you can do with Whatsapp. communities
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u/marmeemarmee 8d ago
Personally I’m losing my vision due the degenerative disorder hEDS which makes me immunocompromised…Covid precautions are still very much a thing for me and likely are for others that used to participate. I can’t go to a lot of pre-COVID things I did since everyone has dropped precautions in spite of it still being a deadly and disabling virus. More people may come if there were any Covid safety precautions, like air purifiers or masks required or even encouraged. Just something to think about.
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u/fancygrandpah 8d ago
Thank you for the perspective! Many of their members were elderly so when I say COVID had an impact I mean that many of their members passed away unfortunately during peak quarantine. Nonetheless it’s something to think about moving forward for sure
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u/marmeemarmee 8d ago
Oh yeah I definitely picked up on that. But there are others left that likely can’t return to society….a lot of us truly feel so isolated and forgotten about. Any Covid safe events are a huge morale boost.
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u/KissMyGrits60 8d ago
I don’t believe you said where she is located at. I live, in a small town called Lake Placid Florida. I take classes through the lighthouse Of Sarasota. On January 17, I’m doing some more mobility trading to learn to go to another little shopping plaza, next to the grocery store. I can now safely, walk to the grocery store and back home again. It took me about a year and a half, with mobility training to do it. But I can do it. I am 64 years young, I am a grandma myself. And I also am a volunteer for the lighthouse Of Sarasota, it’s a new program called the Buddy program. I am what they call mentor for a couple of ladies. I also travel, I take Amtrak up and down the eastern seaboard. I have family scattered. Lol.
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u/fancygrandpah 8d ago
That’s fantastic! You are very busy! Congratulations on the enhanced mobility. We are located in the Northeast, I wanted to be kind of purposefully vague since it’s Reddit and all
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u/KissMyGrits60 8d ago
yeah, where I lived, in North Carolina in the county I lived in, they had absolutely nothing. I was so bored out of my mind for six years. I am thankful where I’m at now. Are you guys near like a lighthouse Of? Any kind like I would I’m an alumni lighthouse of Central Florida cause I used to live there at the Blind school. I grew up in New Jersey, I believe they have blindness organizations there as well.
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u/fancygrandpah 8d ago
I think our closest lighthouse is a bit of a drive, like an hour and a half away or so!
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u/KissMyGrits60 8d ago
maybe they have a flyer, or a newsletter that they can put her stuff in. Doesn’t hurt to call and ask.
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u/thecornerihaunt 7d ago
I’m also in the northeast. Could something like your state’s commission for the blind help spread the word or maybe the Carroll Center or Perkins?
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u/anniemdi 8d ago
Are you all in the US? Does she use the local NLS branch? Maybe an annoucement in their newsletter, if they have one?