Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Month: October 2015

  • Kicking it in Karate

    by

    Dan Burke

    Student makes a High kick into a pad held by his instructor

    We are excited about our new partnership with Karate Denver’s in Littleton. Martial Arts has long been a part of our Independence Training Program (ITP), and we’ve included classes in our Summer Youth and Senior Programs as well.

    Man with fists in front of his face in defensive stanceLike everything we teach and do at the Center, it really comes down to confidence, but of course there are other benefits – fitness, balance, awareness of one’s surroundings and learning to recognize where you are in relation to others and objects.

    Our first class with Karate Denver started up and will meet for six Tuesdays in our gym. We appreciate Jason and Rachel coming to the Center every week to work with our students.… Read the rest “Kicking it in Karate”

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  • When you think of Haylee, think of yellow

    by

    Dan Burke

    a young woman wearing sleep shades carries a large pot of boiling pasta to the strainer at the sink

    Haylee might have been a little stressed out as she approached her graduation day, but to all outward appearances, she made it all look seamless, right down to her quick change of outfits prior to giving a polished and well-researched speech after cooking all day.

    Haylee first came to the Center for our summer program in 2014, just after her high school graduation. Always a bundle of fun – riding her skate board, shooting baskets, and a mean goal baller – she wasn’t crazy about carrying a white cane at first.

    “Haylee has always taken my arm when we went places together,” her sister Kaitlynd told us at the Bell Ceremony.… Read the rest “When you think of Haylee, think of yellow”

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  • Cynthia: Kindness and Concern for Others & Independence

    by

    Dan Burke

    Woman wearing sleepshades stands beside a row of hotel pans filled with food

    Cynthia finished her final weeks in the Independence Training Program (ITP) while working her new part-time job. Thus she finished things out in a slightly unusual order, cooking a delightful grad meal on a Thursday, then finishing her woodshop project before her last requirement – giving a speech to the entire Center the next week.

    woman in sleep shades removes large sheet of cookies from a glowing ovenHailing from Oklahoma, she decided to stay in Colorado. Not only does she have her new job, but her own apartment as well.

    So it was with a special sense of pride for her achievements that we ate her final meal, checked out the lovely bookshelf she built and heard her final speech on “How to get a job.”… Read the rest “Cynthia: Kindness and Concern for Others & Independence”

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  • Good Hands from the Cowboy State

    by

    Dan Burke

    A woman wearing sleep shades returns to the Center with her white cane in one hand and umbrella in the other

    A woman wearing sleep shades returns to the Center with her white cane in one hand and umbrella in the other

    We were delighted to host six staff members from the Wyoming Independent Living (WIL) Visually Impaired Program (VIP), which provides services for Older individuals who are Blind across Wyoming for a two-day professional training on blindness. Duncan, Wayne, Anahit and Petr gave a thorough overview of blindness and aging, as well as technology, Braille, cane travel and cooking – all of it under sleep shades.

    WIL has offices across the state, and this group represented all four courners of our neighbor to the north –including Laramie, Gillette, Wheatland, Casper and Cheyenne. Every one of them is a good hand, and blind seniors in the far0-flung corners of the Cowboy State are lucky to work with any one of them.… Read the rest “Good Hands from the Cowboy State”

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  • Guys in the Kitchen Week

    by

    Dan Burke

    They had both kitchens to themselves on Tuesday as Home Management staff took other students on shopping trips in advance of the NFB of Colorado convention next week. Daniel and Marcus spread out and did their work – both preparing for their mini-meals, which is the second of three major meal requirements in Home Management. They’ve been cooking for fifteen and, as with all of the required meals they must find the recipes for three dishes, calculate the portions and the shopping list, and then do the shopping – all within the allotted budget.

    Daniel’s meal was served on Wednesday and it was an all-vegan triumph of a black bean and tortilla casserole featuring homemade tortilla chips, a vegan sour cream-substitute, and a peach cobbler for dessert.… Read the rest “Guys in the Kitchen Week”

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  • Seniors Tune In with Assistive Listening Devices

    by

    Dan Burke

    Four Seniors with earphones listen intently, pocket-sized receivers on the table in front of them.

    A couple of weeks ago Student and Senior Services Specialist Wayne Marshall presented this question to our Independence Training Program (ITP) students as part of Wayne’s Wednesday Word of the Week:

    “Is there a difference between listening and hearing?”

    Coincidentally, both our Tuesday and Friday Senior groups have been enjoying the benefits of really hearing and listening to one another during their respective meetings. They even had a discussion about Wayne’s question themselves, adding their unique perspective. It’s all thanks to our new Tour Guide Assistive Listening System from Williams Sound.

    Known as Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) or FM systems, a microphone connected to a small FM transmitter sends a low-level radio signal to one or more FM receivers with headphones plugged into them.… Read the rest “Seniors Tune In with Assistive Listening Devices”

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  • Something’s in the air

    by

    Dan Burke

    News Icon

    Hey, there’s something in the air today, the first day of October!

    It’s coming from the kitchens here at the Center.

    Here’s the menu of what students are preparing this morning … and it’s just the morning class:

    • Spaghetti bolognese
    • ravioli with chorizo sauce & garlic bread
    • Homemade pepperoni lovers pizza
    • broiled lemon prawns with mediterranean salad
    • chicken fried steak and homemade mac and cheese

    Do ya think it smells great around here?

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