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Aurora of CNY is partnering with Whole Me Inc. and NTID in creating an ASL Internship program for NTID Interpreter students in their last year of coursework. This is a monumental step as both non-profit interpreter referral agencies build programming that provides support and training to new interpreters, introducing them to the CNY Deaf community. Our hope is create opportunity to build the interpreter pool in our area and to eventually attract ASL interns from other college programs.
Estee Lauder launches new Voice-enabled Makeup Assistant for Low Vision and Blind users
Susan Gray, Aurora’s PR and Outreach Specialist, gives her experience of using the newly launched Voice-enables Makeup Assistant by Estee Lauder…
First Line of Sight
Vision loss effects every aspect of a person’s life. Whether one is losing his sight gradually, all at once, or has been born without it, he must adapt his way of life to accommodate for the loss. People experience vision loss at all ages, so adaptations need to be made in homes, schools, places of employment, and around the community where one lives. While access and accommodations have become easier since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, asking for an accommodation is still challenging.
Cayuga Peer Support Social
Anyela’s Vineyard in Skaneateles hosted the Cayuga peer support group on Wednesday, July 19th, for a social outing. The group sampled wine and beer, shared appetizers and spent some much needed time relaxing and socializing.
The group is led by Felipe Rivera, Aurora Board Member, and group members attending were: Trisha Baron with her husband Jim, Susan Gray with her husband Rick, Lance Lyons, Ron Polkovitch, Brian Meis, Carolyn Rice, Judy Spingler with her husband Ron and Fran Watkins with her daughter Lisa.
The Cayuga group is looking forward to many more outings like this, as they are key to the strong bonds that peer support groups facilitate with their members and families. Isolation is one of the hardest issues our peers deal with, as vision loss takes them away from participating in social events. This often happens due to the inability to find transportation, unease navigating unfamiliar places and general discomfort in social settings. It is difficult to order food and drink when menus are not accessible. Anyela’s provided us with a host that read us our food and drink options, described the wines and beers, brought us our orders, and collected our payments-all at our table in a semi private room. They were extremely accommodating and went the extra mile to make our group comfortable.
If you ever find yourself on the west side of Skaneateles Lake, pay them a visit.
A big thank you to our drivers: Rick Gray, Ron Spingler and Fran’s daughter Lisa
If anyone is interested in joining the Cayuga peer support group, please contact Susan Gray at Aurora of CNY at 315-422-7263. meetings are held the last Friday of the month at Cayuga Community College in the NUCOR room from 10AM- 11:30AM. Anyone with vision loss and their families or friends is welcome to join us.
SCAT Van Training
Born out of an uncomfortable experience involving a blind rider and new SCAT van driver, Susan Gray called Sue Van Epp at the SCAT van offices in Auburn to talk about her experience, and offer assistance through Aurora for driver trainings. These trainings are on an annual basis and Aurora goes to the office to talk about the methods to assist a blind rider, including sighted guide and communication. Drivers are then asked to spend a few minutes paired up, practicing sighted guide technique. The trainer then brings the drivers out to one of the vans, and has the drivers put on vision simulation goggles, and with a white cane in hand, attempts to board the van and get seated and belted in. Many of the drivers come back off the van with a new appreciation of the difficulty blind riders experience during this exercise. They express their discomfort or even fear at having to climb the steps and find a seat, not knowing if the seat is already occupied. It is a good illustration of the communication someone blind needs from the driver while riding the van.
For more information on SCAT Van Training click here
Laying the Groundwork for a Healthier Community
AURORA is honored to be selected as a Cabrini Health Foundation 2022 grantee receiving close to $150,000 for outreach to the most vulnerable communities in Onondaga and Oswego County. The project will be called Project HELP which stands for Healthy, Engaged Lives in Progress. The goal is to address barriers to healthcare for underserved individuals in our community who are experiencing poverty, geographic isolation, age or chronic health conditions that affect vision or hearing health. To accomplish this, we will work with other community partners like Emmaus Ministry to offer vision and hearing screenings, health promotional events, aids and devices and make connections to the Liberty-AURORA Eye Center and other healthcare resources in our community.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that either provide direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/
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