Generations The Hadley School for the Blind – est. 1920 Fall 2006 Through the generosity of others, building on the past, bringing life-changing services to future generations Thanks for making The First Annual Hounds for Hadley Dog Walk a huge success! A letter from the president ast month we held the inaugural Hounds for Hadley Dog Walk to celebrate our current development of a new course about the guide dog experience and lifestyle. You’ll find many photos of the dog walk on these pages and on our Web site, www.hadley.edu. This event is an example of the great relationships we are building with local residents and businesses that remain dedicated to their “hometown charity.” While charity begins at home, our students and donors come from around the world. Jennifer Hawkins, a 2006 Hadley high school graduate, is awash in her choices for the future. Another student, Joseph Zulawski, began to lose his sight at 73, but it hasn’t stopped him from continuing to pursue his art. I’m sure that after reading both of these students’ inspirational stories, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the impact Hadley has on the lives of those who are blind or visually impaired. Get to know Sarah Barden, the new president of the Woman’s Board, and her niece Annie Donnell, who designed this year’s braille holiday card. Purchase these cards online at www.hadley.edu/holidaycard or at the school, 700 Elm St., Winnetka. Finally, we revisit the Cornells, who enrolled in the Family Education Program when their daughter Sela was born visually impaired. Today, Sela is a self- assured 4-year-old who delights in showing off her burgeoning cane skills and playing dress-up. Hadley’s donors touch the lives of many people, from those who are born with a visual impairment to those who lose their vision later in life. And while the recipients of your generosity may live far away, your compassion and commitment continues to positively affect their lives every day. Charles E. Young, President In this issue: 2-3 Donor Spotlight 3 Be an Angel 4 Passport to a Wonderful Event 4 Sarah Barden Named New Woman’s Board President 5 Annie Donnell is On the Move 6-7 Meet Jennifer Hawkins 8-9 The Cornells Then and Now Back page: Upcoming Hadley Events Donor spotlight Artist Joseph Zulawski Just keeps on giving... Hadley student Joseph Zulawski has been an artist most of his life. Even losing vision in his left eye 15 years ago and, recently, most of the vision in his right eye hasn’t changed that. “Art has always been a form of therapy for me,” says Joseph. “My most motivating influence with my art was probably my mother. She always said, ‘If you have a problem, sleep on it.’ My art has developed from dreams I have experienced. I’ve dreamed art since I was a child and would awaken to create my own personal expression of creativity.” Joseph has taught art, television production, archeology, printing, photography, furniture design and woodshop to junior high students and non- credit art courses to adults at the YMCA. He now does volunteer tutoring with blind children. He has won several awards, among them the Best of Show Award for Variety at the 2004 Amherst Art Fair in Amherst, Virginia. Emerging physical problems have led him to change his art techniques to continue working: an allergy forced him to leave oil painting and unsteady hands made it impossible to hold a brush. Heart problems and macular degeneration led to his present form of expression—collage, where he relies on corrugated matboard to draw straight lines with crayon pencils or markers and templates or dishes to create curved shapes. He uses a closed circuit television for magnification. Physical or visual impairments aren’t going to stop him from pursuing his passion. Joseph, who became a Hadley student in 2002, began donating to the school three years ago. Since then he has faithfully sent a check to Hadley each month. When we called to thank him for his monthly giving, he replied, “Doesn’t everyone?” While gifts from all donors are important to Hadley, our students who “give back” truly show how they value their Hadley education. It also shows how our donors positively impact the lives of those who turn to Hadley for assistance, enabling them to live with greater independence. Joseph Zulawski is a fine example of that! Be an Angel Hadley School Angels provide the financial resources necessary to give students the materials and equipment they need to successfully participate in the school’s tuition-free, award-winning distance education curriculum. We hope you will consider becoming a Hadley Angel by supporting the following critical needs: Braille Dymo Labeler $50 each 150 per year $7,500 Slate/styli $12/set 400 per year $4,800 Braille ruler 20,000 count Initial production run $5,625 Independent $12/kit living kit 400 per year $4,800 Chess sets $75 each 50 per year $3,750 Raised marker kits $4.50/box 400 boxes per year $1,800 Braille-O high-speed $50,000 braille printer As always, your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Passport to a Wonderful Event What do you get when you combine a dynamic group of women, great food and wine, lively music and a very entertaining master of ceremonies? You get the 2005 Woman’s Board’s Annual Benefit, “Passport to Independence.” An early evening rainstorm didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits inside the Sunset Ridge Country Club on May 12 where an enthusiastic crowd of 300 guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while bidding on spectacular silent auction items that included fine wine, art and premium tickets to sporting events. After a sumptuous dinner, guests, wearing goggles that simulated various visual impairments, were captivated by George Abbott, dean of educational operations, who spoke about “a day in the life of a blind person.” New to the Benefit was a successful raffle for Cubs tickets complete with a private luxury suite and an entertaining live auction conducted by Master of Ceremonies Richard Laible. Guests vied for the chance to bid on such items as a golf trip on a private jet, rare magnums of wine and a historic boat cruise. A record $240,000 was raised for Hadley’s Business Skills Series, and the evening was topped off with guests being treated to a parting gift of a bottle of wine, courtesy of Hadley Life Trustee Marilynn Thoma’s personal vineyard. Warmest thanks to chairs Vicki Apatoff, Ladd Mengel, Katie Stevens, past President Judy Castellini and their committee members for the countless hours of work in creating and hosting this memorable event. Sarah Barden Named New Woman’s Board President Sarah Barden has had a connection with The Hadley School for the Blind since 1969, when she interviewed former President Richard Kinney, who was deafblind, for her junior high school project. The experience made an indelible impression upon her. After working on Hadley’s Woman’s Board in several capacities, she began her term as president in July. We caught up with Sarah as she started her two-year term. How long have you been active on the Woman’s Board and what attracted you to Hadley’s cause? Although I have a very talented niece (Annie Donnell) who is blind, I was attracted to Hadley long before she was born. In 1992, Patti White, a Woman’s Board member, invited me to a meeting as her guest. I was impressed with the passion and dedication of all of the women. Also, I feel Hadley’s work is so important, as anyone, anywhere, who needs their services can take their courses, free-of-charge. What is the philosophy of the Woman’s Board? Although we have no “formal” philosophy, I feel the Woman’s Board members need to be spokespeople who represent the school and spread the Hadley word, and we need to financially support the great work the school does through events such as the Holiday Card Sale, Annual Benefit and Book Fair. Tell us about your family and other clubs or causes you’re active in. My husband is Larry Barden, who is on Hadley’s Board of Trustees, and we have three sons: Matt, 23; William, 21 and Sam, 16; and three dogs! I’m also active on Ravinia’s Woman’s Board and the Northbrook Woman’s Club. Where do you see the Woman’s Board in five years? We will, of course, continue to raise money through a variety of fund-raisers. It is very important that we attract new members who believe in the mission of the school, while holding on to our longstanding members whose expertise and insights are invaluable. We welcome Sarah to her new position and wish the Woman’s Board all the best for what promises to be yet another successful year. Annie Donnell is On the Move Annie Donnell isn’t afraid of anything—not climbing to the top of the rope in gym class, riding horses or her bike, rock climbing or swimming. She takes tap dancing lessons Saturday mornings, loves being outside and loves baseball. “She’s a big Cardinal’s fan,” says her mom, Libby. “She knows the players and their positions. Not because we’ve taught her any of this... she just listens.” Annie, age 9, was born prematurely at 26 weeks and developed blindness because of Retinopathy of Prematurity. “She was our third child, so in a way we were lucky,” says her mother. “We were experienced parents. We just needed to learn how to parent a child who is visually impaired.” The Donnells, who live in St. Louis, found support through Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. Libby also took courses through Hadley’s Family Education Program. Last year, coaches from the girls’ baseball team called Annie and asked her to try out for the team. “She loves being out there,” says Libby. “A teammate runs bases with her and stands with her out in the field. During one game, her teammate scooped up the ball and then turned and handed it to Annie to throw.” Annie has a brother, Forest, 13, who plays football, and a sister, Julie, 20, who plays tennis. “We tell her there’s nothing she can’t try, but that some sports are naturally going to be harder and not worth the frustration,” says Libby. Libby and her husband John wanted Annie to get involved in everything everyone else was doing so her peers wouldn’t think of her as different. “She’s in the classroom with the same kids she’s known since kindergarten. Everyone knows she’s visually impaired, and everyone is very supportive. School is a happy place for her. “When we discovered Annie was visually impaired I remember thinking, she’s never going to see Forest or Julie. But that hasn’t been the case. She knows us. She knows when I have a new shirt on. Annie observes the world better than anyone else we know.” Happy Holidays! The Hadley School for the Blind Woman’s Board 2006 Braille Holiday Card Sale October 16 through December 15 Hadley School, 700 Elm St., Winnetka Weekdays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 800-323-4238 Order online at www.hadley.edu/holidaycard $25 for a box of 25 cards Imprinting offered at an additional cost. Photocards, other designs, wrapping paper and holiday accessories also available. The artwork for this card was designed by Annie Donnell (featured above), who was prematurely at 26 weeks and developed blindness because of Retinopathy of Prematurity. Meet Jennifer Hawkins This Hadley High School graduate stands just 5 foot 3 and weighs about 90 pounds, but her passion and spirit far outweigh her. ennifer Hawkins just returned from a camping trip to Devil’s Lake, in Wisconsin over Labor Day weekend, where she and her family and a few friends went rock climbing. And she’s not sure what she’s going to do next. She’s considering pursuing an online degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in technical writing, or going into the vending program and opening her own vending business. And then there’s her poetry and sculpting, and her volunteer work to educate deaf people about the Bible, work she hopes will eventually take her to other countries—Ghana, Malaysia, Mexico, Australia, Belize. “It would be a dream come true to do that,” she says. There’s also her work rehabilitating wild turtles—she has a total of six right now. Oh, and she wants to learn five languages; so far she’s mastered American Sign and English. Spanish is next, and after that? Korean maybe? Bosnian? Or or or... And then there’s Hadley—Jennifer says she loved studying with Hadley. She graduated with a total of 29 courses and still “saved a few noncredit courses for after graduation.” But what to take next? “It’s hard to pick a favorite,” she says. “I found Hadley’s courses much more interesting than information presented at public schools. I liked ‘Elements of Poetry’ best. I love to write, and I write mostly poetry, so I had fun with that class! After taking it, I can’t say I don’t know poetry.” It seems the only thing stopping this articulate, energetic 19-year-old deafblind student is having to make a decision. “I don’t remember Jennifer focusing on challenges or difficulties in her life,” says Hadley Instructor Debbie Worman. “She was a spirited student who knew what she wanted and was going to stick with it and achieve her goal.” “Jennifer taught me to look on the bright side of things,” adds Julie Kay, another Hadley instructor. “She was very upbeat. I looked forward to opening her emails.” “Hadley was a big leg-up for me,” says Jennifer. “I’d been going to public school mainstream with an interpreter until eighth grade, but the quality of the braille textbooks was very poor. My teachers were supposed to give handouts to my vision impairment teacher to be transcribed a few days before the handouts were used in class, but they rarely did this. So I ended up taking a pile of homework home while other kids got it done in class. But Hadley had everything already accessible for me, and the quality was very good. So for once I was able to actually concentrate on the content and enjoy learning instead of thinking about due dates and whether or not my rare low grade was because of a mistake in my textbook. I could work at my own pace, taking my time to enjoy it instead of pushing myself to keep up with a class when the materials were given me the day after it was due.” Whom does someone with such high ambitions choose as a role model? “It’s very difficult for me to pick one person,” she says. “I see something very impressive in many people! For example, there was a man in the ICRE-Wood program with me last August (a program to help newly blind adults adapt to blindness and gain skills needed to become independent in daily living) who found out halfway through the term that he had six months to live. But he didn’t stop there, oh no, he went ahead and finished the classes and went on as if nothing happened. “A lot of people I know would have just stopped, let their hands drop, and said there’s no reason to improve their lives because it’s not going to be very long now,” she adds. “But I think it’s good to keep trying to the very end.” Jennifer was one of nine students graduating from The Hadley School for the Blind in June. Her plans for the future? “Since I love to write, and I love computers, I’d like to combine the two interests into a career,” she says. “Maybe writing manuals for specialized technology for blind people, like the Pac Mate.” Jennifer was a spirited student who knew what she wanted and was going to stick with it and achieve her goal. —Debbie Worman, Hadley instructor Oh, The Places You’ll Go . . . A Family Learns and Lives Together When Mike and Christine Cornell’s daughter Sela was diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, a degenerative retinal disease, they reacted as any other parents would, with tears and fear. They wondered how Sela’s quality of life would be affected and how they could offer her the best support and education. “Several people told me about Hadley, Christine says. “It was one of the first places I contacted in search of information and support.” The Cornells enrolled in Hadley’s Family Education Program, which includes topics such as child development, independent living and braille instruction. “Our family benefited tremendously,” Christine says. I enrolled in “Reach Out and Teach” and “Learning Through Play” and learned important information about my daughter’s unique development. Being able to put this knowledge to use immediately made me feel empowered during a challenging time.” The Cornells are one of thousands of families touched by Hadley’s Family Education Program, established in 1984 by former Hadley President Dr. Robert J. Winn and the first of its kind in the United States. The Family Education Program is open to relatives (age 14 and older) of a blind or visually impaired child or adult. These programs help families better understand their loved one’s adjustment to blindness, foster their development and communicate through braille. For parents like the Cornells, these courses help them learn about the physical, emotional and educational needs of blind infants and children. Students receive free course materials and study manuals that provide guidance, encouragement, opportunity and resources. “Hadley gave us the opportunity to be part of a community that was dedicated to helping visually impaired people and their families, a place that would be a support for Sela as well as for parents of a visually impaired child,” says Christine. Twelve million school-age children—one in four—are visually impaired. Our unique Family Education Program is designed to answer the questions parents and grandparents have during every step of their child’s development, and to build on their own instincts and develop confidence in their role as a caregiver. “Hadley courses have allowed me to feel more confident as a parent,” says Christine. “I can provide Sela with important educational opportunities and help meet her unique needs. Educating myself has helped me let go of some of the initial worries and fears I had when Sela was diagnosed and focus on enjoying her precious childhood.” The Cornells are still involved with Hadley. Christine reports, “As Sela has gotten older, I’ve learned along with her. Now that she is four and learning the braille alphabet, it’s time for me to enroll in one of the braille courses, which I plan to do in the next couple months.” Susan Dennison, Hadley’s director of development and communications, recently visited the Cornells to meet Sela and her parents. “Mike and Christine have provided a wonderful environment for Sela. She is engaging and funny and a ball of energy. Sela couldn’t wait to show me her dress-up clothes and model her feather boa. Working for Hadley, I’m so proud that we can provide courses that help parents like Christine and Mike.” Family Education Programs The Family Education Program offers courses of interest to parents of blind children and family members of blind adults. Topics include child development, independent living and braille instruction. ? Abacus I, II ? Access Technology: Beginnings ? Braille: Using Raised Markers ? Braille: Introduction to Braille ? Braille: Contracted Braille ? Braille: Basic Nemeth Code ? Diabetes: Toward Self-Management ? Early Independence ? Glaucoma ? The Human Eye ? Independent Living ? Introduction to Low Vision ? Learning Through Play ? Macular Degeneration ? Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness ? Self-Help Groups: An Introduction ? Self-Help Groups: Advanced Topics upcoming Hadley events