We are excited to announce that Lighthouse of Collier has established a scholarship fund to support our local community and future leaders! The scholarship grants will be awarded to Lighthouse of Collier clients who are in high school, college or graduate school. The fund will help recipients complete an undergraduate or graduate education in the…
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The program utilizes GoodFeel software to convert print music scores into Braille. To best illustrate how the program works and its benefits, please read the story below: Music has powerful effects on human beings, including lifting moods, reducing anxiety, improving memory and connecting with others. Children who are blind or visually impaired currently face barriers…
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Scott Flagel, Lighthouse of Collier CEO was elected Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Florida Agencies Serving the Blind (Florida ASB). This is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 consortium of 17 not-for-profit agencies serving the blind. It is considered a national leader in setting standards and best practices for providing services to the blind. Learn…
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Two staff became certified! Congratulations to Jennifer Nieves and Phyllis Dratnol whom both are now Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRT). Stephany Estremadoiro promoted to Intake Specialist Stephany Estremadoiro has been promoted to Intake Specialist (also known as Case Manager). She is responsible for the initial contact with the potential client, and for conducting a detailed…
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Lighthouse of Collier’s annual summer camps are approaching! The Children’s Summer Camp will be hosted virtually June 14 through July 2, MWF 9am – 2pm. The camp will consist of daily career presentations from guest speakers, as well as cooking, and arts and crafts, activities with an “Around the World” theme. The goal of the…
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Lighthouse of Collier is pleased to announce the addition of 2 new members to the Board of Directors. Eloy Ricardo Fire Chief, North Collier Directs North Collier Fire’s all-hazards response efforts. A fundamental element to Ricardo’s management style is the Service First philosophy that guides him in all aspects of his personal and professional life…
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Lighthouse of Collier will be entering the next phase of re-opening the office. On April 5, 2021, we will begin to host small groups in the office, as well as one-on-one appointments. Please contact the office in order to reserve your spot for the group classes as there will be a five-person maximum. For those…
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At Dining in the Dark on March 24, 2021, Joe Meade received the Art & Sue Bookbinder award. This award recognizes individuals or companies that go above and beyond in multiple ways to support our mission, our work and our clients. There is not a more committed person to helping others and giving back to…
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The 2021 Virtual Dining in the Dark event in support of Lighthouse of Collier was a tremendous success! You can view the program here if you missed it or just want to view it again. Dining in the Dark is a unique dining event meant to offer an immersive experience into a world of smell,…
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Ready to Lend a Helping Hand? We’re counting down the days to February 10 – 11 and Give Where You Live Collier. We need your help to make our campaign a success, and we’ve included a few easy ways that you can support us. SUPPORT A WORTHY CAUSE Tell your friends and family members about…
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Dan is a 78-year old client of the Lighthouse of Collier. He sought out the services of the Lighthouse because he was having trouble reading. He has hereditary cataracts in addition to glaucoma.
His vision impairment was affecting his activities of daily living. But, what upset him the most was how difficult it had become for him to read print. He is an elder in his church. His greatest passion is teaching the Bible and providing sound guidance regarding its interpretation. In order to accomplish his ministry, he spends many hours studying history and theology. He had a CCTV, and magnifiers that were supplied to him by the instructor. However, these low vision devices were not helping him to continue his studies to the extent that he needed. His eyes would become too tired.
The instructor introduced a portable CCTV that had OCR (Optical Character Recognition). The device could take a picture of the page he was reading and then read it back to him. He could control where he wanted to be in the text so that he could go backwards and forwards with ease as he studied. He was thrilled by the OCR capability. The low vision adaptation gave him the ability to continue his studies despite his visual impairment. His wife said he had been in a deep depression. She said his mood and motivation returned with the introduction of the OCR technology.
