Independence Training Program

Yesterday we gathered 106 people into the meeting room for an ice cream social. It’s an event we hold every June because of course it’s summer and it’s hot and so ice cream tastes great! But we also do it to mark how exciting June can be with our usual Independence Training Students and staff in the building with our Seniors, who are joined by the Confidence Camp kids and the older summer students in the Middle School, High School and College Prep programs.

And since this is the year that the Colorado Center for the Blind turns 30, it’s a moment to reflect on how far the Center has come, and how far our many students have gone since leaving.

As Julie Deden pointed out, Diane McGeorge started the Center in 1988 with just five initial students.

“It’s amazing to think that we started with five students,” said Assistant Director Brent Batron, “and today we have six programs running in the building at the same time!”

No matter what the calendar says, it’s the first week of summer. The temps are in the 90s, the garden is being planted and summer staff are shadowing their ITP staff counterparts. Friday 25 teenagers (summer students) begin arriving and on Monday the elementary Confidence Camp kids start too.

So here’s another first or two. Above, Amber uses a spade for the first time out in the garden. When asked if she’d dug with a shovel before she promptly answered, “I’m about to.” And then she proceeded to do it. In the process she and classmate Annette planted this year’s pumpkin and zucchini hills.

It’s yet another sign of spring when the Arapahoe County Master Gardeners first arrive to work with our students in the Legacy Garden. Of course, everything starts with getting the soil ready for planting and, after our spring rains, that means pulling out the eager weeds already leaping up. Tyler, Annette, Abdi, Tucker and Brad took first crack at it on Tuesday. Next week planting begins!

Since January, fans attending Colorado Avalanche games have been treated to between-periods video of the Try Blind Hockey Day on January 17. Over 50 blind Coloradans went out on the ice that day, some for the first time, others with a stick in their hand for the first time. Fans are impressed by the video, but it is little more than an historical artifact now.

Back in January the Colorado Avalanche hosted a “Try Hockey” event for prospective blind hockey players. It featured several blind hockey players from across Canada and the United States and was coordinated by USA Hockey and the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association. Forty-two blind participants, including youth and some, like me, who were much older, took to the ice that day. About half of those participants came from CCB.

You can read more about it in this article, Try-Blind-Hockey Day Another Example of How Hockey is for Everyone.

Rebecca’s birthday was Tuesday and she received a special birthday delivery from her mom. It was surely especially welcome since Rebecca has been at CCB for about a month. But really, what mom could forget her daughter’s birthday? The entire center was excited about Rebecca’s birthday. Naturally we sang “Happy Birthday” at announcements, along with “The Dirge”, which only insiders will recognize, but the delivery included mini-cupcakes enough for almost everyone!

On Tuesday both Melissa and J.D. learned at announcements that they were going on their support drops. And happily they made it back in time to get cupcakes!.

Cathy Kudlick, Julie Deden and Anahit LaBarre reunited for dinner last Thursday. Cathy and Anahit, who works in our Senior Services Dept., were students together in 2000 to 2001.

It has been nearly 18 years since Catherine Kudlick first arrived in Littleton as a student at CCB, but the lessons of her training have endured, as she told staff and students in Philosophy Class last Thursday.

Cathy’s blindness is due to Nystagmus and she had never used a cane before she came for training. Still, she counted her travel training as one of the most important classes for her. She told students in frank terms about her internal struggles in that class under sleepshades.

We wanted to bring your attention to a couple of newspaper articles that appeared in November and brought attention to the Center. Both reflect great partnerships that help us ensure that our students can, as our tag line says, learn to “Take Charge with Confidence and Self-reliance!”

The first, from November 5, appeared in the Denver Post’s YourHub. It’s about our neighbor and partner, Angel Concept in downtown Littleton. The article isn’t about the Center, but it features one of our students who has been learning job skills there. For a number of years, we’ve counted on Angel Concept to also mentor one of our summer youth in the “Earn & Learn Program”, helping them gain valuable work experience.

Here’s the article by YourHubs Holly Graham:

Disadvantaged women get a chance to build confidence, learn retail skills at this Littleton boutique