THE WORK OF THE VISTA CENTER

Vintage Affaire supports the work of Vista Center which empowers individuals who are blind and visually impaired to embrace life to the fullest. Founded in 1936 by interested and inspired citizens of Palo Alto as the Palo Alto Society for the Blind, the Society was incorporated in 1945; in the 1970s the name was changed to Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Today we are Vista Center, the premier resource for individuals with vision loss in San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Serving more than 2600 clients and families each year, Vista Center helps clients reach their highest potential through programs that promote independence and improve quality of life.

A PERSONAL STORY OF THE WORK OF VISTA CENTER

The following story is an edited version of an interview with Brian Hurley, Vista Center client.

What is your visual impairment, and how long have you had it?

RP: Retinitis Pigmentosa – I knew I had it at 14; I’m 35 now. No one in my family knew about it until I was 14. I got it from my grandfather (mother is a carrier). I was told there’s a chance I could go blind later in life. At the time, I was living in Indiana and there wasn’t a lot of information available. I wanted to understand the progression of the disease. At that time, there were only 100,000 people who were diagnosed with RP. That didn’t make me feel like there was a lot of hope. I played a lot of sports then – I still do. Before I was 14, I was having vision issues only at night (relative to other people), and didn’t understand why I couldn’t see as well as other people. Also when it was sunny – the glare would “white” things out. I’ve had glasses since I was 5. There was no sense of any issues with peripheral vision. My peripheral vision loss has steadily and I am now at a 9 percent field of vision. Late 2005, I developed a dense cataract, had it removed and did not regain reading vision in the eye.

How did you learn about Vista Center and what services have you used?

By searching on the web, talking to others who were using services and through my Vocational Rehabilitation case manager. When I developed the cataract in 2005, I was working full-time and in a Master’s program. When I did not regain the reading vision, my first reaction was how I was going to keep up at the pace required for work, school and life. I wanted to maintain that pace or as close to it as I could. This meant I needed to find out what tools and techniques existed to help me overcome the vision loss. My VR manager said Vista would be a good fit for me. A friend, Walt Raneri, used some of Vista’s services and also said it was a great group of people. I was nervous and worried about going. However, as soon as I entered Vista, all that went away. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Vista really made me feel at ease.

I started with the Low Vision Center. They performed tests my current and previous doctors had not, such as a contrast vision test. They suggested various magnifiers and had many available for me to try. My next experience with Vista was through their Mobility training program. This was another time where I was nervous and had no idea how long it would take me to learn. Again, my worries were unnecessary. Alec Karp was a perfect match for my needs. He understood how fast I wanted/needed to learn mobility. He helped me stay focused and saw me through in any situation I would experience on a day to day basis. It was a fantastic tailored service. I also attended RP support groups at Vista. Because I enjoyed the support group, I took one on one sessions to talk about how to handle the mental affects of losing eyesight. Next, I had a home assessment. I wanted to investigate techniques, tools and devices to help me to do daily house and personal tasks. It was great having someone come to my home to really understand how I live and help me keep doing so.

All the aforementioned services helped me overcome vision loss and keep my personal and work life going. However, the greatest benefit I received was the realization that in order for me to be successful, I need to exude confidence. No sighted person knows what I can or cannot see. No sighted person knows what I can or cannot do. So if I want something, I need to either do it or ask. I do not need people wondering or speculating about my abilities. I want to be like anyone else and if I need some assistance, I will ask. If I do not ask and I fall, it is not on the sighted people around me. If I did not ask, then it is on me.

What would you like to tell the world about Vista Center?

It’s a group of highly knowledgeable and personable people who will take that knowledge and customize it to their clients. It’s a rare thing for a non-profit or for anyone. I can’t recall meeting anyone who had an attitude about being too busy to help.

They set the standard for how to provide services that help people. The people at Vista are the most patient people you will ever meet. (I couldn’t be that patient.)

What haven’t I asked you that you would like to say?

Vista Center is great now with limited funds – think what could be done if you gave a little more. With more funds, they would have more services, and could improve the strength of the visually impaired community. With a more regular stream of services to the visually impaired, that will improve the whole community. It’s living versus coping.

Vista Center supports young, old and in between. Click here for another heartwarming story of the Center’s work.

photos by Sam Fontejon