Guiding Lighthouse

Generally, people don’t learn independence, independently. In the best of circumstances, the lesson of self-sufficiency is guided by a person/people with good intentions and care. In the case of the local, visually impaired community, Lighthouse is the guide.

Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision is a non-profit organization that provides services and resources for the population in its title. The mission is for these individuals to be able to maneuver independent living according to their age, ability, and desire, with the ultimate goal of gaining employment.

“Our goal is to teach people how to be independent, and that looks really different for all ages and backgrounds and [when considering] people’s individual goals. We also have a main goal of helping people gain employment, and that can be challenging for those who are visually impaired, so we provide lots of training on technology skills, orientation, and mobility, and how to live at home independently,” explains Elizabeth Wade, who has worked for Lighthouse since 2017. The support from Lighthouse, located in Downtown Winter Haven, serves all of Polk and Hardee Counties. They develop autonomy and foster a space for individuals to find a collective where their disability isn’t unique or ostracizing.

The core initiatives are Employment Programs; Independent Living; the Veteran’s Program; Statewide Rehabilitation Engineering; and the age specific programs. The Early Intervention program helps infants and toddlers; the Children’s Program is for ages 5-13; and the Transition for Teens program prepares teens for college, the workforce, and independent living.

The teens of Lighthouse can be seen working once a month at the Winter Havens Farmers Market to learn mobility skills (while navigating the market), social skills (how to speak and interact with people), and job skills (hosting the stand and presenting items they make for customers). The adults of Lighthouse are learning to utilize new devices to help facilitate social interaction at work and in the general public. They also learn transportation solutions to aid in shaping a good quality of life, all while being emotionally supported through the difficulty of vision loss.

Wade, a teacher for students with visual impairments and a certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist in Polk County Public Schools and with Lighthouse, further explains what the routines of some programs may be. “My job is to primarily work with the transition program for the teenagers. We have a year-round program where we work with them every other Saturday, and we do different activities. Some involve working at the [Farmers] Market … and events where we’re working with them on cooking skills, on technology skills, and this looks different for all of our students. We do ‘Home Mobility’ day where we teach them how to use a public bus to get around in the community. In the summer, we have a five-week-long work experience program. They have a week to prepare and go shopping and get their work clothes and practice their different job skills. Then the next four weeks, they actually go to a business and work.”

Of the various offerings of Lighthouse, the Transitions for Teens program appears to have a special imprint on all involved. Through a quick giggle, Clarisma Vargas-Lopez, 16, shares her favorite part of Lighthouse, “definitely the summer program when we get paid … And technically we don’t get paid, we get a stipend,” with a smile that can be heard, she continues, “I really like when they take us out, and let us walk around and shop. I really like that.” Vargas-Lopez is a 10th grader at George Jenkins High School with glaucoma (an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and causes vision loss) and Peters Anomaly, which caused her to lose her left eye at age four. In school, she uses a Clover Book - a magnifier that enhances anything she puts under it. With the tutelage of “Ms. Elizabeth,” she’s learning to use Jaws (Job Access With Speech), a screen reader.

Vargas-Lopez is ready for whatever awaits her with Lighthouse because everything they put forth is enjoyable and useful. “Us teenagers get sent around to different places. My first year, I went to Party City and the last two years, I’ve been at a horse ranch, mucking stalls, raking fields, grooming the horses, bathing the horses … I love the outdoors and I love animals so it was very fitting. I loved it. It was a really amazing experience.”

Wade’s favorite part of Lighthouse has been watching the teens demonstrate their capabilities in a work environment, “Showing the employer and jobsites, ‘Hey, people with visual impairments can do this, they can do these jobs.” Because of Lighthouse, Wade gets to be with the students in multiple arenas, wearing multiple titles. In school and on weekends, she’s their teacher. She’s their job coach in the summer. The amount of time spent promotes a relationship beyond a basic student and instructor bond. She is afforded the chance to learn about the kids on a personal level and truly champion their growth. Most notably, she gets to earn a place with them as a trusted mentor.

Clarisma Vargas-Lopez

Vargas-Lopez describes her development as a result of her participation at Lighthouse, “...my confidence [in] my awareness of my disability. Before [this] I was never surrounded by people that were like me. Once you’re put in that situation, you go like ‘Oh, this is ok to have, it’s ok to live with. I’m not as different as every other kid.’” Clarisma recognizes that she may be rare in a traditional group of youth, but understands that it shouldn’t hinder what she can have or do in the world. Her disability is but another feature in the very full person she is. Eager, confident, and excited to brave her bright future further illuminated by Lighthouse. “And, yes, I am different, but it’s not something that should be held against me. I deserve as much as everyone else does … and I should be able to advocate and ask for those things. Lighthouse and Ms. Elizabeth taught me that.”

Clarisma may have visual limitations, yet her time with Lighthouse is proving that her vision for life is vast. Her story is what the organization stands on, a disability will not take your independence, as long as you have a light for a guide.