20210917 PCB 2021 Virtual Conference and Convention: Day 2 Afternoon

Pennsylvania Council of the Blind 2021 Virtual Conference and Convention Friday, September 17, 2021 Support Groups- Sharing Ideas and Resources to Build a Stronger Peer Community. Marcy Graboyes, Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, Jeanette Schmoyer, PCB Mentor and Residential Group Leader, and Jule Ann Lieberman, CVLT CATIS. Sponsored by the PCB Vision Loss Resource Team, this session will cover the role of support groups in the lives of persons impacted by vision loss or blindness. Join the experienced group leaders in discussion of their support groups, their settings, how they started a group and how they engage members. Come learn how to start a group in your area. Nurturing the Handler/Guide Dog Bond. Join Pennsylvania Guide Dog Users and Supporters (PAGDUS) and representatives from Guide Dog Foundation (GDF) as we discuss the bond with our trusty guides. In the first half, Lauren Berglund, GDF Consumer Relations Coordinator, and Cameron McLendon, GDF Graduate Support Manager, will discuss cultivating the unity of the handler and new dog team, including trust between the handler and new dog, and the information handlers can expect their guide dogs to provide. The second half of our session will focus on the handler perspective of bonding with our guides. A panel of PAGDUS members, who are graduates from various guide dog schools, will discuss the joys and challenges of bonding with our guides, whether it’s our first or sixth. They will talk about bonding with a new guide dog after retirement, loss, and bonding with a new dog during the pandemic. Whether you’re an experienced or potential guide dog user, we hope you’ll join us. Enabling the Deaf-Blind Community, Jessica Adams, Director of Deafstone and Melissa Hawkins, Director of the PA Office of Deaf & Hard of Hearing, sponsored by the Golden Triangle Council of the Blind, Community Advocate underwriter. Many individuals who are deaf-blind rely on the services of workers called SSP’s to assist them with bill paying, grocery shopping, doctor visits, and other errands. We will learn why these assistants are so important and what we can do to ensure future services continue. Gadget Gallery, hosted by the PCB Peer Engagement Team and underwritten by Tech OWL, Community Organizer. Are you looking for ways to make your life a little easier? Never fear, just call a PCB peer! Make sure you have your note-taking materials nearby when a cadre of peers share information about their favorite life-simplifying gadgets. Volunteering outside of the Blind Community, with Panelists, Ellie Goldfon, Angela Hadbavny, Jody Mullis, and Art Rizzino, Facilitator, Sue Lichtenfels. Many of us who are blind or have vision loss are unemployed, multi-talented, and highly skilled, so let’s consider how we stop wasting our abilities at home and start playing an active role in strengthening our communities. A panel of individuals will discuss both the trials and triumphs of their volunteer experiences in mainstream society. Find out more at https://acb-events.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.