Feeling This Life Anchor Center for Blind Children and VIPS (Visually Impaired Preschool Services)

This episode is a follow up to Lola’s Story with Meredith Howell that was released on September 4th. If you have not listened to Lola’s story we recommend you listen to that episode before listening to this episode. Jenny interviews Rita DeVore. Rita is mother to Meredith and grandmother to Lola. Rita is also the Special Projects & Volunteer Coordinator at VIPS.  Rita tells us about her relationship with Lola, how she supports her family and encourages other grandparents to get involved in the lives of their grandchildren no matter how difficult the situation. Dr. Cathy, Jenny & Paige reflect on the need families have for this special kind of support. Paige includes some great ideas on how to be involved with your grandchildren whether you live next door or across the country.  

 

In Lola’s story Meredith discusses creating the NR2F1 Foundation with a group of other mothers. For more information on the NR2F1 Foundation visit their website: https://nr2f1.org/  

 

  

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw  

  

Make a Donation to-  

VIPS: https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495  

Anchor Center: https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/  

  

Get in touch with us!  

Follow us on Facebook @Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife  

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org  

Jenny: jcastenir@vips.org  

Paige: pmaynard@vips.org  

Dr. Cathy: csmyth@anchorcenter.org  

www.anchorcenter.org  

www.vips.org  

 

Cathy interviews Catarina Rivera, public speaker and disability and education inclusion advocate. Catarina, who has retinitis pigmentosa, has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old.  Paige, Jenny, and Cathy consider how knowing what is available and having a choice about it is both inclusion and self-care.  They consider the positive impact of considering your strengths and how accidental accessibility makes life easier. 

Catarina’s Socials:  

Instagram: http://instagram.com/blindishlatina 

X: http://twitter.com/catarinarivera 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/blindishlatina 

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinarivera 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatarinaRivera 

Website: www.catarinarivera.com 

 

Mentioned in today’s episode:  

Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, by Haben Girma, with a forward by Stephen Curry: https://habengirma.com/book/  

Navigating Blindness: https://www.instagram.com/navigatingblindness?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== 

Prevail and Braille Mama: https://www.instagram.com/prevailandbraillemama?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== 

Crip Camp documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFS8SpwioZ4&pp=ygUJY3JpcCBjYW1w 

Book: Demystifying Disability, by Emily Ladau: https://www.amazon.com/Demystifying-Disability-What-Know-Ally/dp/1984858971/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=676936614912&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9014255&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12604771403547326959&hvtargid=kwd-1990405576204&hydadcr=22167_13517494&keywords=demystify+disability&qid=1707748629&sr=8-1 

Book: Disability Visability, by Alice Wong: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/book/dv/ 

 

Bret Dahmke Memorial Scholarship, a $500 scholarship that assists a Kentucky family of a child with a visual impairment to attend a local or national conference that is related to blindness/low vision.: https://vips.org/bret-dahmke-scholarship/ 

 



 

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠  

  

Make a Donation to-  

VIPS: ⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠  

Anchor Center: ⁠https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/⁠  

 

Get in touch with us!  

Follow us on Facebook @Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife  

Email: ⁠feelingthislife@vips.org⁠  

⁠www.anchorcenter.org⁠  

⁠www.vips.org⁠ 

Paige speaks with Sarah, Mom to Max, about caring for herself, for Max, and for her relationship with her husband, Garrett. Max is a young adult who has CHARGE syndrome and is deafblind. Over the years, Sarah and Garrett have grown closer together in their love for one another, and Sarah shares her advice for healthy relationships, including when to say "yes", and when to say "no".

Cathy, Paige, and Jenny discuss the encouraging statistics surrounding marriages of parents of children with disabilities, and Jenny shares her own relationship successes.

**Intimacy is briefly discussed from 30:00-32:00**



Article by Robert Naseef, Ph.D. and Brian Freeman, Ph.D.:
Maintaining+a+Marriage.pdf



Sarah's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahcawthon7511



Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠  

  

Make a Donation to-  

VIPS: ⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠  

Anchor Center: ⁠https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/⁠  

Get in touch with us!  

Follow us on Facebook @Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife  

Email: ⁠feelingthislife@vips.org⁠  

Jenny: ⁠jcastenir@vips.org⁠  

Paige: ⁠pmaynard@vips.org⁠  

Cathy: ⁠csmyth@anchorcenter.org⁠  

⁠www.anchorcenter.org⁠  

⁠www.vips.org⁠ 

Paige interviews Ashley Reynolds and Brian Runyon, both graduates of VIPS. Ashley and Brian share what self-care means to them and their favorite ways to care for themselves. Ashley shares encouraging words for families of young children with vision loss.  

Paige, Jenny, and Cathy reflect on how technology skills learned in the classroom can help children with blindness and low vision access activities they like to do.  


Ashley and Brian's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MiracleMarshmallows 

 

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠  

  

Make a Donation to-  

VIPS: ⁠https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495⁠  

Anchor Center: ⁠https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/⁠  

Get in touch with us!  

Follow us on Facebook @Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife  

Email: ⁠feelingthislife@vips.org⁠  

Jenny: ⁠jcastenir@vips.org⁠  

Paige: ⁠pmaynard@vips.org⁠  

Cathy: ⁠csmyth@anchorcenter.org⁠  

⁠www.anchorcenter.org⁠  

⁠www.vips.org⁠ 

 

This season the Feeling This Life team read the book Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson. Thunder Dog is a New York Times bestseller telling the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust. The book tells the story of Mr. Hingson’s life and how he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped the Twin Towers on 9/11.

In this episode Paige, Jenny and Dr. Cathy will share their thoughts on the book focusing on what stood out to them the most including how Mr. Hingson was raised and the courageous story he shares. Dr. Cathy discusses research and a brief history of visual impairments and how society and medical advancements have changed since the 1950’s.

Thunder Dog can be purchased on Amazon using the link below or wherever books are sold. It is also available as an Audible Audiobook.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=thunder+dog&crid=3OONMJP3852D8&sprefix=thunder+dog%2Caps%2C137&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

Please give us your feedback using
this survey link: https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw 

 

Make a Donation to- 

VIPS: https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495 

Anchor Center: https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/ 



Get in touch with us! 

Follow us on Facebook
@Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife 

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org 

Jenny: jcastenir@vips.org 

Paige: pmaynard@vips.org 

Dr. Cathy: csmyth@anchorcenter.org 

www.anchorcenter.org 

www.vips.org 

 



 

Jenny interviews Amy Nichols, Amy is a teacher of the Visually Impaired at VIPS and
has been in the field of education for over 30 years. Amy encourages families
to concentrate on what their children can do and celebrate those milestones. She
reminds us not to compare our child to others. Amy shares her own struggles as
a parent and what helped her through the challenging times. Paige, Jenny and
Cathy reflect on how encouraging Amy is and how important it is to focus on
what we can do.

 

Amy mentioned CVI Now Perkins School for the
blind and recommends it as a resources for families you can learn more at https://www.perkins.org/cvi-now/ 
https://www.perkins.org/cvi-now/ 


Please give us your feedback using
this survey link: https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw 

Make a Donation to- 

VIPS: https://secure.vips.org/np/clients/vips/donation.jsp?forwardedFromSecureDomain=1&campaign=495 

Anchor Center: https://www.anchorcenter.org/get-involved/donate/ 

 

Get in touch with us! 

Follow us on Facebook
@Feelingthislifepodcast and Instagram @Feelingthislife 

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org 

Jenny: jcastenir@vips.org 

Paige: pmaynard@vips.org 

Dr. Cathy: csmyth@anchorcenter.org 

www.anchorcenter.org 

www.vips.org