Fall 2004

George Jacobson, President Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind

What is an accommodation for a person with a disability? On the surface it is the use or modification of a technique, a process, a facility, or a piece of equipment that allows a disabled individual to accomplish some sort of objective that would otherwise be impossible or extremely difficult to achieve.

At a deeper level, it is the embodiment of human creativity being used to knock down barriers and level the playing field of everyday life for people who are disabled.

Sometimes accommodations are simple. A larger computer monitor and a screen magnification program that costs a few hundred dollars can open up the world of computers for someone with low vision who has never been able to use email or the Internet before.

On the other hand, opening up that same computerized world for someone who is totally blind and uses Braille, or someone who is Deaf-Blind, can cost tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and training.

Although we can measure costs of accommodations in dollars, the effects on the lives of individuals turn out to be quite literally priceless. How do you place a value on the self-respect and dignity gained when a blind adult becomes employed for the very first time in meaningful and challenging work? How do you estimate the worth of opening up the world of information and communication to a person living with the dual sensory disability of deafness and blindness?

In this issue of Horizons we take a closer look at some of the accommodations we use in fulfilling our mission of creating opportunities for blind people to live independent and self-sufficient lives.

Accommodations, especially computer technology, give us some of the most powerful tools we have ever had in opening doors of opportunity. For this reason we devote significant resources to staying on top of the newest developments in assistive technology, to always be aware of what is out there and what really works. Our staff keep their fingertips on the pulse of innovation at all times.

Since every visually impaired person we work with is unique, we spend lots of time at the personal level to find the best customized solutions for each individual’s needs.

As you read this newsletter you will encounter several examples of the hundreds of unique situations in which accommodations and assistive technology have helped create opportunities for independence here at the Lighthouse.

Mere words on paper, however, cannot truly convey the impact of appropriate accommodations on the lives of people who are blind. In order to get a sense of the true power and potential of accommodations and assistive technology I urge you to schedule a visit to the Lighthouse so you can see firsthand the amazing things our employees are accomplishing.

To receive a schedule of times and dates we have set aside for tours of the Lighthouse, contact Melissa Mueller in our Public Relations and Resource Development Department at 206-436-2116 or mmueller@seattlelh.org.

We look forward to seeing you soon here at the Lighthouse.

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