Support Group For People With Visual Impairments Meets Nov. 19 at Claremore Community Center

CLAREMORE, Okla. − The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Claremore Support Group for Individuals with Visual Impairments from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 19, at the Claremore Community Center, 2301 N. Sioux in Claremore. Those who are interested in working with people who are visually impaired are also invited. There is no charge to attend.

Visual Services, which is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), sponsors the meeting, which is regularly held on the third Wed of each month at the same time and location.

The group will hear two expert speakers from DRS’s Visual Services at the November meeting.

Joan Blake, Specialist on Deaf/Blindness, will focus on services available through the Senior Citizen Hearing Aid program and the Equipment Distribution program. The programs provide hearing aids or special equipment at little or no cost for individuals with hearing or speaking problems that prevent them from using the telephone. Blake will demonstrate some of the equipment that is available through the Oklahoma School for the Deaf and Visual Services.

Debi Trout, an Orientation and Mobility specialist, will share basic techniques for safe and independent travel. Families can learn how to safely guide their family members with visual impairments using sighted guide techniques. Trout will also discuss the use of white canes, the white cane law in Oklahoma, controlling glare on reading materials, making the environment safe and the use of vision aids.

“The purpose of the Claremore support group is to give those citizens in the Claremore area an opportunity to gather on a regular basis, to share their experiences and be supportive of one another,” said Charley Tipps, a rehabilitation vocational teacher for DRS’ Visual Services. “Educational and recreational activities will also be a part of the purpose of the support group.”

Visual Services provides vocational rehabilitation, employment assistance and services that enable Oklahomans with vision loss to regain or maintain maximum independence and self-sufficiency. The division also operates the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which provides free audio books to individuals who are not able to use standard print.

For more information about the Claremore Support Group for the Visually Impaired or Visual Services programs, contact Charley Tipps at 918-581-2343 or rehabilitation technician Melissa Partee at 918-581-2365.

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