The Lighthouse of Collier Annual Appeal reached new highs in terms of total donors and total raised. The $100,000 plus donations were received between November 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Scott Flagel, Executive Director says “this overwhelming support makes it possible for Lighthouse of Collier to continue to transform the lives of people with…
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This annual event will be held this Saturday, October 13 th from 10:00-11:00. Clients and their families and friends are encouraged to participate in a short walk up and down 5 th Avenue. The goal of White Cane Safety Day is to bring public awareness about the White Cane Law and to recognize the white…
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Lighthouse of Collier will begin providing Google Home Devices to clients at no charge. This will enable the blind and visually impaired to be able to use voice-enabled shopping and delivery services from Walmart and other Google Express partners. In addition to providing the funding for the devices, Walmart Store 5391 in Naples, Fla., will…
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Sports & Recreation Camp – June 13 – June 15 This three day daily event will enable children with visual impairments to participate in adaptive sports against other athletes who are visually impaired. In addition, children will participate in recreational activities including fishing and paddle boarding. This program is open for children ten and up….
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The League Club, Inc. has chosen the Lighthouse of Collier as the recipient of a $10,000 grant to help fund its free Summer Camp for children who are blind or visually impaired that runs from July 9th through August 3rd. This camp is specifically designed for children with vision loss to help them participate in…
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Scott has joined Lighthouse of Collier as the Executive Director in March 2018 after completing a successful career in the Senior Living Industry. He spent 23 years with The Eddy Senior Living Communities in upstate New York. The Eddy is a comprehensive continuum of healthcare, supportive housing and community services that reaches 22 counties and…
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Sam is a retired physician in his 70s. He was originally enrolled under the Division of Blind Services Older Blind program, and was encouraged to participate in various classes and events. After 9 months of inactivity, despite regular invitations, the Division of Blind Services advised his case be closed.
However, during the pandemic, Lighthouse case managers could recommend new clients for support under the legislative grant. Sam was proposed as a candidate, as he had requested technology training but was unwilling to make the physical trip to the office. The Lighthouse instructor contacted Sam and he was indeed interested. Sam’s vision had decreased and he struggled with accessing his iPad and iPhone. Sam was pleased to be able to receive services from his home.
First, the instructor reviewed Sam’s functional vision, current skill level, accessibility options, and training goals. The majority of Sam’s daily living activities and needs were being met, so his primary goals were to access his iPhone to read emails and texts, perform internet searches, read audio books, and tend to paperwork. Sam was leery of using voiceover as he knew there was a high learning curve, and also wanted to use his remaining vision. Simpler accessibility options, Speak Screen and Speak Selection, provided him with the tools he required. Additionally, Sam was provided with a list of Siri commands to easily input and read calendar appointments, read unread texts, and access additional functions on his phone.
Sam’s instructor helped him sign up with the Talking Book Library (TBL) program and the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) app administered through the National Library Service. An outspoken Republican, Sam was under the impression that the TBL only offered “liberal books.” He was assured that the program is apolitical and he would be able to find titles that suited his interest. After TBL approved his application, his instructor taught him how to use the player to set bookmarks, rewind or fast forward, use the sleep option, and search for book titles or authors. During a follow-up lesson, Sam reported that he was thrilled to be using the program and had found materials he enjoyed, to the extent that he was considering joining the monthly Library of Congress book club. Sam was encouraged to attend, as long as he could follow the rules (no politics or religion!).
