Vision Fair 11am-2pm Friday, March 08 Bookbinder Center (2685 Horseshoe Drive South, Suite #101, Naples, FL 34104) Please join us for our vision fair. Vendors will be providing information and hands-on demonstrations of equipment and technology designed especially for those who are blind or visually impaired. Light refreshments and drinks served. Vendors and Guests Include:…
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Lighthouse of Collier is confident that our new logo will capture the mission and vision that this organization has held since 2009. We hope that our community embraces the spirit, energy, and vitality of our new look. BOOKBINDER CENTER Lighthouse for Blindness and Vision Loss of Collier County is proud to announce that our center…
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Liz Freeman Naples Daily News The holiday spirit of giving came early for Lighthouse of Collier which serves the visually impaired. Longtime board member Sue Bookbinder donated $1 million to the nonprofit organization in memory of her late husband, Art Bookbinder. He was one of the founders of Lighthouse of Collier in 2009. It is…
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Our 14th Annual Benefit “Celebrating LIGHThouse” on November 8th was a tremendous success! We were able to raise a record breaking amount to fund our programs and services that directly benefit individuals who are visually impaired within Collier County. It featured Dave Steele, The Blind Poet as the keynote speaker. The evening was highlighted by the announcement of a…
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Lighthouse of Collier is pleased to announce it has received a $1,000,000 (one million) donation from Sue Bookbinder in memory of her late husband, Art Bookbinder. The gift was announced at our annual benefit dinner that was held November 8, 2023. It is the largest single gift that Lighthouse of Collier has ever received. Story/Quote…
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Lighthouse of Collier is pleased to announce it has received grants totaling $43,000 from the Collier Community Foundation. These funds will support two key programs. One program is a six-week independent living skills course for adults and the other program is a two-week summer camp for Transition students (ages 14-24). The independent living skills course…
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Lighthouse of Collier is holding its Annual Benefit Dinner on November 8, 2023 at the Naples Hilton beginning at 5:30P. The featured speaker will be The Blind Poet (Dave Steele) who is an award-winning poet, author, speaker, singer and advocate for the blind. He was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in 2014. Learn more about…
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What a camp! Our Children’s camp concluded on Friday, June 16, 2023. During each week of camp, students participated in several outings, providing them with opportunities to integrate into the community and practice independent travel skills. Our summer camp for children ages 6-13 offered an opportunity for children to apply skills they have practiced and…
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We’re excited to announce that Lighthouse of Collier has been awarded FULL Accreditation through the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) Accreditation Program. The mission of the AER Accreditation Program is to advance excellence in the field of blindness and low vision services by ensuring that: organizations and specialized…
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Our 13th Annual Benefit “Celebrating LIGHThouse” on November 9th was a tremendous success! We were able to raise over $100,000 towards our programs and services that directly benefit the visually impaired community within Collier County. As always, our annual event wouldn’t be a success without your help by spreading the word about how important Lighthouse of…
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Whether, working as a TVI in the schools or as a CVRT in an agency (such as the Lighthouse), vision specialists have the unique privilege of following their students’/clients’ growth and successes over a long period of time, sometimes throughout their entire educational career! This is a story about one such young man (“Wyatt”) who has been a Lighthouse client (off and on) since he was in 6th grade.
Wyatt is currently 21 with a progressive eye condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa. This month, Wyatt enrolled in classes at a local college and will take his first steps toward his college career. To achieve this point, Wyatt took the road less traveled- with extra turns, valleys and hills. However, he successfully reached this important mile marker and is on a path to success!
Wyatt’s school career has been anything but traditional. In elementary school Wyatt was never identified as having a vision impairment. Without receiving the extra support from a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and IEP accommodations, Wyatt struggled in school. In middle school, his vision impairment was eventually discovered, but he was also a shy, quiet young man; which made the traditional school setting even more challenging. As a result, Wyatt spent his remaining school years in and out of virtual education programs and at home.
However, fast forward to age 19, Wyatt matured and overcame his anxiety-related issues with school. He enrolled in a GED class and set in motion a new path to success. He buckled down, studied for the GED and within a year obtained his GED. Immediately afterwards, he began studying for the SAT college entrance exam.
While studying to pass the SAT exam, Wyatt contacted the Lighthouse to request mobility training. As a person with night-blindness and field loss, Wyatt knew he would need skills to navigate an unfamiliar school campus. At this point, Wyatt was a very determined young man and reliably showed up every Tuesday in downtown Naples (for three months) to complete the training.
Also, during this time, Wyatt contacted the College Board to advocate for special testing accommodations (i.e. use of video magnifier) for the SAT. He was eventually approved and passed the SAT test. Having not attended a typical brick and mortar school since middle school, this was no small feat!
After securing his option to enter college, Wyatt took steps to explore career and school options. As a part of his research, Wyatt visited a local technical college and met with the Marine Mechanics professor. He also met and interviewed two Lighthouse clients who worked in careers of his interest. Wyatt asked the clients (one a retired chemist, the other with a degree in Environmental Sciences), very thoughtful questions about: their specific job tasks, accommodation options and possible career challenges as a visually impaired person. Thus, with a now solid career goal in mind, Wyatt decided to pursue his original goal of becoming a chemist and enrolled in a nearby college.
Next, Wyatt met with the Director of the Office of Adaptive Services. She assigned Wyatt with multiple tasks for enrollment. As a newly determined student, Wyatt quickly completed the tasks and proved that he can advocate for his needs, follow-through and take initiative. Wyatt is now enrolled at a college and recently began his first three college classes!
Over the past few years, I have observed Wyatt mature and gain confidence in himself and his abilities. As his instructor, I have no doubt that Wyatt is capable of meeting his goal to become a chemist. Good things are in Wyatt’s future!
