She found out she had Glaucoma, a disease where the inner eye pressure gets so high that it permanently damages the optic nerve often causing blindness. I asked Kathy if she had been to the CNIB. She told me she had mentioned it to her daughter but the reply she got was: "Why do you need to change banks?". So I made arrangements to take her to the office near her in Calgary.
This is Kelly. She is the Intake Services Coordinator for CNIB. We found her to be bright and energetic. She met with us for almost two hours.
Kelly went through the programs and services available to Kathy. I was very impressed by just how much help is out there for people with visual impairment. Kelly is arranging for a Tech to show Kathy how to reconfigure her computer so she can use the Internet again. Kathy will also be meeting with people on staff who can help her determine what tools she needs so that she can read again. There is even a special transportation service that will take a person anywhere in the City for the same cost as riding the bus.
Kathy and I left the meeting feeling very encouraged. Kathy still works her job at MacDonald's but she doesn't know how much longer she will be able to continue there. She is planning a visit with the CNIB Occupation Councillor to get some ideas on what do next.
1 comment:
Kathy is a brave and insightful lady and she has good friends to see her through.
The friend who took her to CNIB is kind and tenacious and will provide humor and strength along the way.
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