“You have to move forward one more rock.” – R.J. Best Missouri in July can hover around 100 degrees in the shade, and 17-year old RJ Best was feeling every bit of that heat as they scaled a climbing wall (the first obstacle in a ropes course at Alphapointe’s Adventure Camp). They tried their hardest…
Miyaa came to us for the same reason so many others do. She wanted to be more independent. But there’s something else driving her, something much more personal and closer to her heart. It’s what her mother would have wanted. In this Q & A with Miyaa, she talks about her journey with vision loss…
I suppose it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say that blindness itself has come a long way. Someone who was completely blind in the 19th or 20th century would be just as blind in 2025. What has come a long way is the quality of life and level of independence available to blind people today….
No matter what a nonprofit’s mission may be, there’s always far more happening behind the curtain than most people ever see. And while having the right staff in place is essential, the men and women who freely give their time and energy – volunteers – are truly indispensable. They take on roles and responsibilities that…
“If you want any kind of independence, you must be motivated.” Sara Fitzwater The ice cream that Sara Fitzwater wasn’t altogether sure she wanted was beginning to melt. It wasn’t that Sara didn’t like ice cream, or that she didn’t appreciate the kind gesture that Alphapointe’s Career Placement Specialist, Martin Callen, had provided; rather, she…
I have been blind for 37 years … since birth as it happens. In that time, like so many others, I have learned a variety of different skills and techniques for living as a fully functioning and highly independent adult. I have a full-time job, I cook, clean, take care of my two small kids,…
This edition of “Through Our Eyes” is dedicated to my older sister, Dr. Alexis Black, who taught me that I would be able to see if I just opened a book. “I cannot live without books.” Thomas Jefferson. The room was dimly lit, all lamps and light fixtures having been extinguished hours before, with the…
Have you ever wanted to ask someone who is blind about their experiences, but weren’t sure how? In this edition of Through Our Eyes, I sit down with Tracie Thompson, one of Alphapointe’s newest clients, to talk about her journey with vision loss and how she has learned to adapt. Q: How long have you…
“Just because you lose your sight, doesn’t mean you have to lose hope.” – Kevin Eschbaugh. In the small town of Wilson, Kansas – a place that is, geographically speaking, next to nothing – Kevin, then 16, stood looking at his first car with an odd mixture of disdain and reverence. The car was the…
There are some who hold the belief that a blind person has no interest in sports, that we might just be unimpressed when, say, Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, throws a perfect dime to a receiver as he is sprinting into the end zone with seconds on the clock. Or that we’d be…