A fundraising gala is scheduled for April 1 at the Vineyards Country Club to celebrate Lighthouse of Collier’s 10th Anniversary. The gala will present world class musicians, a delightful dinner and more information on how you can support this worthy cause. Please call 239-430-3934 or go online to www.lighthouseofcollier.org for ticket information. The mission of…
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The Lighthouse of Collier Annual Appeal reached new highs in terms of total donors and total raised. The $100,000 plus donations were received between November 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018. Scott Flagel, Executive Director says “this overwhelming support makes it possible for Lighthouse of Collier to continue to transform the lives of people with…
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This annual event will be held this Saturday, October 13 th from 10:00-11:00. Clients and their families and friends are encouraged to participate in a short walk up and down 5 th Avenue. The goal of White Cane Safety Day is to bring public awareness about the White Cane Law and to recognize the white…
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Lighthouse of Collier will begin providing Google Home Devices to clients at no charge. This will enable the blind and visually impaired to be able to use voice-enabled shopping and delivery services from Walmart and other Google Express partners. In addition to providing the funding for the devices, Walmart Store 5391 in Naples, Fla., will…
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Sports & Recreation Camp – June 13 – June 15 This three day daily event will enable children with visual impairments to participate in adaptive sports against other athletes who are visually impaired. In addition, children will participate in recreational activities including fishing and paddle boarding. This program is open for children ten and up….
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The League Club, Inc. has chosen the Lighthouse of Collier as the recipient of a $10,000 grant to help fund its free Summer Camp for children who are blind or visually impaired that runs from July 9th through August 3rd. This camp is specifically designed for children with vision loss to help them participate in…
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Scott has joined Lighthouse of Collier as the Executive Director in March 2018 after completing a successful career in the Senior Living Industry. He spent 23 years with The Eddy Senior Living Communities in upstate New York. The Eddy is a comprehensive continuum of healthcare, supportive housing and community services that reaches 22 counties and…
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Jeremy is an 18-year-old student with cortical vision impairment and cerebral palsy. Communication is a challenge for Jeremy, as he is nonverbal and has difficulty controlling his movements. As a result, it is important to communicate with Jeremy’s family to formulate goals that are meaningful to him. One particular goal was to increase social interaction with family, friends and teachers using a voice generating switch.
Lighthouse of Collier, Florida Division of Blind Services (DBS) and Jeremy’s parents all contributed to purchasing a switch, heavy-duty mounting arm and mounting plate. Jeremy’s father and brother pitched in to record approximately ten messages, ranging from hilarious movie quotes to favorite foods and music preferences. Because most of Jeremy’s movements are uncontrolled, various wheelchair mounting placements were tried to determine how Jeremy could activate the switch on his own. It was noted that Jeremy frequently moved his left hand backwards by extending his wrist. As a result, the switch was placed toward the lower part of his wheelchair, where Jeremy would extend his wrist and hit the switch with the back of his hand. Jeremy loved the switch and began to locate and activate it repeatedly. In addition to home use, the switch is transported to school and used throughout the day by Jeremy and his teachers.
The voice switch has given Jeremy a degree of control over his environment by enabling him to initiate conversation. Furthermore, it gives others information about topics relevant to Jeremy, so they can engage in meaningful conversation with him. Lastly, the collaborative effort of parents, siblings, Lighthouse, DBS and teachers demonstrates how great things can be accomplished when working together.
