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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1983)
Texas A&M The Battalion Thursday, March 31, 1983/The Battalion/Page 1B lev' cope with blindness Elderly teach kids to read United Press International ISHINGTON — For three .Lillian Miller has visited a land elementary school a month to tutor slow stu- , in reading, iller, 83, is blind, first, I asked, ‘How in the dean I help a child to read 11 can’t even read myself?’” :r said. But they explained how I listen to them read out and help them when they word they don’t under- ervisits to the Takoma Park >ol are part of a unique ram called “Internal t,’’which helps elderly blind )le learn to cope with the of their sight. Jot only do children benefit ii her visits, hut Miller has aed she has not lost her use- ess. Ifs as good for me as it is for IChildren,” she said. “It’s a and friendly atmos- liur programs now operate paryland, and another satel- program was started in Sep- in the District of Col- pi bv Evelyn Saile, the real force behind Internal Light. “I want the senior citizens to realize that they can give to the community, not just take,” she said. “Many have had to depend on social services.” In 1972, Saile, who is not a senior citizen herself but whose husband is blind, became dire ctor of a small program at the Jewish Community Center in Rockville, Md. When she first approached the Maryland Board of Educa tion with the idea for the tutor ing program, they weren’t en thusiastic. Later, she had to bat tle reluctant teachers, skeptical principals and financial difficul ties. At the Stevens School, a Dis trict of Columbia program, In ternal Light volunteers tutor students one-to-one in a bright yellow room. “The senior citizens have to have a lot of courage to come here,” said Juan Febles, coordi nator of the school’s program. “I guess the students instinctively know this and respect them.” According to Feyishara Adelekan, 9, it doesn’t matter to her that her tutors are blind since they still “have had lots of experience in reading.” Besides, added Gohar Baba- zaden, 12, “It’s fun reading to someone not just to yourself.” “The children learn a great deal more from the program than reading,” said Leslie Chepenick, director of the Re tired Senior Volunteer Prog ram, which works in conjunction with Internal Light in Maryland. “It lets the children learn that handicaps aren’t something to be afraid of or ashamed of. It definitely changes the lives of the senior citizens, too.” Most of the senior citizens lost their sight gradually and late in life. “As well as blindness, they are coping with aging problems, like a change of residence, or death of a spouse,” Saile says. “There are horrendous things happen ing at this time and then to lose your vision, too.” T he majority of blind Amer icans are over 60 — most of them having lost their sight from incurable diseases, Saile said. To help the elderly confront their anger at being blind and their fear of living alone, Saile invites professional counselors to lead discussions. Saile teaches them they can do anything a sighted person can, except drive a car, and they can lead independant lives. “Blindness is not a handicap,” said Saile, whose husband is a labor economist. “It is an incon venience.” Beneath the surface of Inter nal Light runs the river of her philosophies. “Ten years ago, when I took over the existing program,” Saile said, “they took me to a closet and showed me beads and baskets. I said, if that’s what you want me to do, I’m the wrong person.” In a few years, word of her success spread, and the Univer sity of Maryland’s Center of Ag ing suggested she apply for a state grant to fund satellite prog rams. She wrote the grant prop osal and won a year’s funding for 1979. The f ollowing year, the Mary land Board of Education re newed her grant — the only re newal in 26 applications. Cur rently, although private dona tions help, the financial wolves still howl at her door. “I always live from grant to grant,” she said. “I’m always worried and I’m always writing grants.” & .iIk <r ... in*" Filled with news staff photo by Eric Evan Lee Pranksters filled the interior of this owner was out of town. The automobile with newspapers and automobile, belongs to Robert painted the windows with shoe Lundberg, a sophomore biology major, polish Sunday afternoon while its linen-look coordinates from our Clubhouse ' collection Orig. $44-135...32.99-90.45. You'll save 11.01 to 54.01 on this select group of polyester/rayon coordinates with the look and touch of linen. Choose from jackets, skirts, pants and matching blouses and sweaters in pastels or brights. 4-14. shop Dillard's monday thru Saturday 10-9; post oak mall, college station save 8.01 to 24.01! Pant-Her spring coordinates! 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