Meet Dominican Republic native Omar Rodriquez Taveras. Taveras was poked in his left eye when he was seven years old. Following several surgeries, both his left eye and right eye became severely infected. By the age of 12, he was completely blind. Undeterred, Taveras attended a special school for youth with low vision in the…
By Mark D’Altorio The unemployment rate for people with vision loss is 70 percent and Alphapointe aims to address the situation by offering career counseling, job search assistance, resume/cover letter writing and skills for networking, job interviewing and position placement. Erik Ramos was an Alphapointe employee for more than 10 years and held a variety…
Carla Rhines is a senior living with age-related macular degeneration, a condition affecting the central part of the retina (the macula) and resulting in distortion or loss of central vision. Carla was referred to Alphapointe’s Low Vision Clinic where she received an evaluation by the low vision optometrist and occupational therapist. She then received follow…
Bessie Kelly is a 65-year-old woman living with diabetic macular edema. Needing assistance, she was referred to Alphapointe to receive Occupational Therapy services. Alphapointe started with an in-home evaluation and has continued with follow up training visits to help Bessie increase her independence with daily activities. Initially, Bessie’s main challenges included difficulty reading small print,…
As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Terri Wright on why she chooses to donate her time and energy to Alphapointe. Q&A with Terri Tell us about you… I grew up in Independence, Missouri and attended pre-school at Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired in Kansas City. I received…
As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Mike Williams on why he chooses to donate his time and energy to Alphapointe. Q&A with Mike As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Mike Williams on why he chooses to donate his time and energy…
As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with Beth Kelloff & Kristin Wing of the Delta Gamma Alumnae Chapter of Kansas City on why they choose to donate their time and energy to Alphapointe. Since 1921, Delta Gamma Alumnae Chapter of Kansas City has served our neighbors with many and varied…
What if your entire world changed in a matter of a few days? Everything you knew how to do would need to be done differently. Now, imagine if you were in high school when it happened. Willie Solano can relate because that’s exactly how his life unfolded. As a sophomore at Shawnee Mission (Kan.) West…
As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Mandy Myers on why she chooses to donate her time and energy to Alphapointe. Q&A with Mandy Tell us about you… My name is Mandy Myers. I am a junior at Western Kentucky University. I am majoring in Chinese and Psychology. I…
As part of the ongoing Volunteer Spotlight series, we checked in with volunteer Chris Gray (pictured in the middle with her two daughters) on why she chooses to donate her time and energy to Alphapointe. Q&A with Chris Tell us about you… I am Chris Gray. I am married and my husband, David, and I…