Senior News February, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  2

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Eureka's gift to New York: Coast to Coast Quilters reach out to families in need

Remembering spirit: The Olympic Flame

Support the Senior Legislature: Remember Line 53 on your tax form

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Sheriff candidates

Del Norte County: Humboldt man commutes to teach computers to visually impaired

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Del Norte County
Humboldt man commutes to teach computers to visually impaired
by Virginia Hinkley

For many years we've heard the adage, "It is the case of the blind leading the blind." In this case this statement is, in fact, true. Doug Rose has been totally blind since childhood and he teaches the sight impaired how to use the new programs that allow them to operate a computer. Doug went to the School for the Visually Impaired in Nebraska City near Omaha. As part of the education there, he learned to read and write Braille.

"It's a difficult thing to learn," Doug said, "But it wasn't all hard work. I remember one of my favorite classes was Industrial Arts because I was allowed to work with both metal and wood."

At the school for the blind, Rose was taught all of the practical things he needed to know to survive, such as moving around a room without running into things, as well as academic subjects.

"In the seventies the Reading Machine for the visually impaired was introduced. We have a similar machine today that is much smaller and not nearly as expensive. The machine at that time had a camera underneath a glass that converted what it was photographing into a synthesized voice for the computer to read to you. If I remember right the first Reading Machine sold for $50,000. Later they sold for around $30,000 and were bought by schools like I attended. The university that I attended had one of them. It was called the Kurzweil Reading Machine."

The Lighthouse for the Blind received a grant to help visually impaired seniors (55 years and older) and has purchased specially programmed computers for these seniors. The Del Norte Senior Center has been fortunate enough to receive one, and Doug's wife, Patti, drives him up from McKinleyville every Monday to teach the visually impaired how to use it. The computer has a standard keyboard but one would never guess that Doug is blind as he keys in the words. He is very much at home with this phenomenal machine and operates it with ease.

Doug works as an independent contractor teaching the blind about all the new equipment that is available for them. He also contracts with the Department of Rehabilitation to teach Assistive Technology at the Earle Baum Center for the Blind in Santa Rosa. Doug also volunteers at the California Council of the Blind and the Reading Service of the Redwoods.
Del Norte County seniors are very fortunate to have such dedicated citizen working to make their lives easier.

Virginia Hinkley lives in Crescent City. Her e-mail is hinkley@verizon.net.