First Steps for the Blind has both short term and long-term goals. We also have dreams of what it could someday be.
Our primary goal is to reach individuals who are beginning to suffer from the onset of visual problems. By connecting with them in the early stages of vision loss we can help them in small ways. When we reach them early we feel that we can help them through the transitional phase. The adjustment can be at least a little bit easier if they already have an idea of what may lie ahead for them. Not everyone can do this, but for those who can face it early on it helps to make the adjustment somewhat easier. It also helps the family members come to terms with the problem too.
Our clients will be offered our friendship, assistance and emotional support. We will achieve this by monthly support group meetings. These meetings will be kept small and informal. Held in a homey setting and surrounded by their family or friend and our staff of volunteers they open up and discuss their problems and feelings. We have found this system to work very well. We offer the same friendship and support to their families as well. The family needs information and comfort almost as much as the client. Their life is changing too. This makes us different from the larger agencies that do not include the family. In addition, we have a mentoring system in place. One of our volunteers will make calls to the client between meetings to make sure all is well and to see if they need Help with anything. There will not be a time limit on our support or services as with RSB. Some people need more help than others and some just don’t learn as quickly. First Steps does not feel that you can put a time limit on something like this.
Encouraging independence is vitally important to a person of any age and we will promote this by encouraging them to learn to take care of themselves and to brave the outside world. Mobility means independence. Our clients will be encouraged to receive orientation and mobility training so that they can travel independently.
We can address more areas of their life than other organizations. We feel that we need to treat the whole person. Showing them new forms of entertainment, learning new ways to do some of their favorite pastimes. Introducing them to the possibility of computers and how it can open the world up to them, introducing them to DVS videos and described television and the wonderful world of books through The Library of Congress Talking books, computer games and many other activities for the visually impaired.
In the future we hope to expand our benefits to include the funding of adaptive equipment for those individuals who do not qualify for equipment purchases from RSB. They will be required to first go through RSB and then if they are not able to obtain the equipment they need to maintain an independent and fulfilling life we will purchase it for them. With a maximum amount available per client, depending on how much money is available.
In the future we plan to expand to the six county metro area. Including the Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.