Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 PayPal.
Speaker 2 00:00:58 This is disability and progress. We bring you insights into ideas about and discussions on disability topics. My name is Sam. I'm the host of the show. It's also K F I 90.3, FM Minneapolis and kfa.org. I want to remind everyone before we get started, if you'd like to be on the email list for my up and coming shows, you can do that by emailing me at disability and progress. My research team. Hello, Charlene. Hello, Mason Butler engineers. This particular episode. Thank you, Mason. And we are speaking with Mary Lee Turner. Hi, Mary Lee. Good
Speaker 3 00:01:34 Morning for evening, wherever you are in the world,
Speaker 2 00:01:37 Wherever it is. And we also podcast. So actually people could be listening at anytime. Mary Lee is with us, and she's going to talk about the seminar she's gonna be doing at oral hall foundation learning center on, um, it's called site loss. I'm sorry, living with site loss. And so can we start out MaryLee a little bit by, uh, what is oral hall? <affirmative>
Speaker 3 00:02:03 Oral hall foundation is a 22 acre parcel of well is located on 22 acres of land in Sandy, Oregon, which sits at the base of Mount hood, just east of Portland, Oregon, the oral hall foundation, which is what it started out. Being known as was begun 16 years ago. So we are celebrating 60th or 60th anniversary this year by a woman named oral hall at a ripe old age. She, uh, discovered that she had cancer and she had no family to donate her beautiful land to. So she went to a lawyer in the town of Sandy and said, could you help me come up with an idea of what I could do with my land? And he said, well, I don't know if you noticed, but when you came in here today, I am blind. Here's my guide dog. And she said, oh no, I, I, I didn't even notice.
Speaker 3 00:03:08 And he said, when I was a, a young lab, I participated at a summer camp in Spokane, Washington for blind children. And it was the doorway to my independence. That was the first time that I had the opportunity to be away from my family and try new things and begin to sprout my wings. So this lawyer told her about other places she could possibly donate her land. She decided to donate it to be used as a retreat center for blind adults. So that's when the fund began. And, uh, a group of folks got together to raise some money from lions, clubs and Kiwanis and various churches in the area. And, um, see, I think we bought the land for $1. I do believe word for price. Wow. And, um, so isn't that great. And, um, so she did survive her cancer. She lived a number of years after that and they, we, um, agreed that she could live in her home until she passed, which did.
Speaker 3 00:04:21 And so buildings began, uh, being, um, designed and built in the seventies. And, um, so we now have a, a beautiful lodge where by the way Sam has been, and, um, we, which has a dining room and a commercial kitchen, <affirmative> we also have a dormitory that has, uh, 24 bedrooms, um, that have two person occupancy. If desired, we have, um, the dorm has, at the end of, one of the halls is a deluxe 12 person, hot tub, which, um, I spend a lot of time in when I'm asking, I can guarantee you, um, we also thanks to a, a grant written and, um, partially funded by the lions club international. Uh, we have a, an additional wing that gives us, um, single toilet room and two individual showers plus a roll in shower. Um, that's, that is one of, uh, one of my favorite places to go.
Speaker 3 00:05:33 It's a nice big, and, um, we also have a heated swimming pool. We have a recreation building. Um, we have, let's see the gardens. Am I answering more than your one question? Oh, the garden gardens. Thanks Sam. One, one of our, one of our, um, premier items at the park is what we call our gardens of enchantment. This is a half acre garden that is designed, uh, created and maintained by garden clubs in the area. And we also call it our five census garden. It's a half acre film with plants that have unique and wonderful smells and tastes and sounds as the wind blows through them. Um, beautiful colors and all of the pads are paved. And, um, the, most of the plants are labeled in large print and brail. At the end of the garden, we have a beautiful gazebo, which, um, is a favorite place for, uh, for us to host weddings and family gatherings. We have a big, um, place for, um, uh, picnics and, uh, lot of grassy areas where we can play games, um, beat ball. And, um, oh, what do you call that? Where you throw the discus thing? Um,
Speaker 2 00:07:09 Like Jalin or something?
Speaker 3 00:07:11 Uh, dude, that's scary. Uh, no,
Speaker 3 00:07:15 I'll, I'll think of it. And we also, um, we have a, um, a builtin fire pit that, uh, we can hold all kinds of fun things around. We have seating and it's, we often have our final gathering the night before we conclude any camp session. If it's good weather, we do it down there with the big fire and lots. There's always lots of singing going on and people are playing games and talking and laughing and walking. We have paved paths for walking. Uh, we have a horseshoe pit, so, um, there's always so many things going on.
Speaker 2 00:07:56 Well, I have been,
Speaker 3 00:07:57 There's probably more than you wanted to. No, that's
Speaker 2 00:07:59 Okay. Question. I have, uh, um, been to that you're right. And I spent a lot of time in the gazebo cuz I love that kind of thing. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and um, it, it, it was a lot of fun and actually I had never heard that story before that you just told, so I think I heard a version of a it, but never in that detail. So that was really cool. Mm-hmm <affirmative> I didn't know that I have a question though. Where was her house located on that land?
Speaker 3 00:08:29 It is, um, it's um, it it's the, it's the house it's as you fir well, you know, I'm not sure Sam it's either the care what's now the caretaker's house is, um, close to the, uh, entrance or it's where we have the office. So it's on the, what would that be like? The north side of the campus,
Speaker 2 00:08:54 It truly is a beautiful place. And if anybody's thinking of going, um, after they hear this show, it is, it is a, I, I, I agree with the guy that it's just a door to your independence. You do what you want to do. You don't have to participate in what you don't want to do. And it just is you're truly, I felt free there. I wanna talk a little bit about the learning center though.
Speaker 3 00:09:22 You bet. When the, when the retreat center first started, it was known as a camp. Now, when you think of camp, what comes to mind? Hot dogs and sleeping on the ground? <laugh> well, the, I don't get to sleep on the ground unless you so choose. And the hot dogs are usually gourmet. So we have, uh, transformed from the, um, from a camp, more of a camp setting to a retreat center. We have changed our name, um, from the oral hall found and for the blind to the whole foundation and learning center and for the blind. And, um, that came about mainly because when I joined the board as a retired, uh, orientation and mobility and rehab teacher, um, I've worked, um, I am legally blind and I've worked in, uh, for the commission for the blind in Florida, New Jersey and Oregon off and on for 30 years.
Speaker 3 00:10:29 And so I'm very, very aware of the increasing number of folks who are new to sight loss. They've lived their lives to the fullest, doing whatever they wanted to do. And now they are, uh, posed with the challenge of sight loss. And, um, so I said, when I came on the board and I think it was like 2009, I said, you know, recreation is fun. In fact, that's my master's degree is in therapeutic recreation. Ah, excellent. I'm really, yeah. I'm really concerned about the folks who are, you know, now faced with the challenge and the nightmare of all their fantasies and fears about what blindness is. And so, uh, we created programs that we call living with, uh, introduction to living with sight loss seminars. And those were three day seminars that so folks would come out, they'd show up, um, you know, on the first day.
Speaker 3 00:11:36 And they would typically be anxious, fearful, um, upset, worried, afraid, embarrassed, ashamed, and pretty well upset. And cuz they didn't wanna be there. They didn't wanna face, um, the reality of their sight loss. But once we got started and we dealt with the, what is blindness and what isn't it, you know, it, isn't all the horrible pictures that people get, you know, lights over, all that horrible stuff. And so by the time the end of the seminars, they were crying because they didn't wanna leave <laugh>. And um, so then, then we branched out into doing, um, one or two hour sessions at retirement communities and, um, uh, recreation, uh, senior centers in the, the Portland metropolitan area. Also working with staff to educate them about, you know, what blindness is and what it isn't and you know, how they can let go of their assumption of incompetence and all that dreadful stuff.
Speaker 3 00:12:45 So when the pandemic came, it's like, well, people aren't gonna come out to the park. So we moved to, um, offering seminars, um, hour long seminars or workshops on zoom. And of course with zoom, you can join with your, you know, with your, um, your devices so that if you choose to, you can see the screen and, or be screen or be seen or you can, um, enter with a dial up telephone if you choose mm-hmm <affirmative>. And um, so we offer those, uh, we have four to six a week that are all available at no charge, um, offered by the, um, the learnings instructors through the, the whole foundation. And last year we had our first three day seminar, um, uh, living with blindness and 15 people registered, but only eight people showed up because of their fear, anxiety, the pandemic and all that stuff. Right. So we're trying something new, um, that we're calling, living with site law, us, um, what's our, our, you know, sneak preview, um, seminar. And this is gonna be two, one hour sessions that are held on Tuesday on Wednesday, April 21st and Thursday, April 22nd from 10:00 AM to noon Pacific daylight time. So it's a, it's basically a four hour course
Speaker 2 00:14:26 Thursday, April 21st, Friday, April 22nd. Okay. Correct.
Speaker 3 00:14:32 I should have, I should have said that. Thanks Sam. And no problem if you, and the way. And, and so in these, what you're going to get is a taste of what happens at those three day seminars. So we are gonna be, first of all, we always address I spend and I'm the one that's facilitating. So you could get four hours of me plus you who are there because it's always very interactive. Um, I, you know, my, um, I start off by acknowledging the people that came. We, what did it take for you to get here and acknowledging them for having the courage and the, you know, to, to do what it took to register and to be ready to go. And then we take on what is, what is blindness and what isn't it simply blindness is the loss of the, um, of, of sight to varying Greece. But what it isn't is that you have, um, that you are, um, that you're lost in a field of darkness or partial darkness and that you are going to die alone.
Speaker 2 00:15:48 And we're talking about how you introduce that Mary Lee and what site is and isn't, and I'm wondering mm-hmm, <affirmative>, what's the general age of people you tend to get. Are they all seniors or do you get any younger ones as well?
Speaker 3 00:16:01 I would say that they are mostly, I would say we've had some young ones, 30, 40 mm-hmm <affirmative> um, can't remember if we've had 20 year old. Um, but we're certainly welcome to them and, but, um, most of our participants for these seminars are, um, I'd say 70 through 90.
Speaker 2 00:16:25 Wow.
Speaker 3 00:16:27 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:16:27 So they're, they're kind of late bloomers. They're late people. Who've lost their vision late and life.
Speaker 3 00:16:33 And so many of them have horrible perspectives about what blindness is mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, they see somebody tapping around lost, crying, begging whatever. Um, anyway, so, um, we address that head on and then we get into, okay, here, the, the rest of the time, miss spent introducing tips that will help, um, that may help people be able to efficiently and effectively describe their level of sight to people so that they don't, you know, sometimes I'll ask people, well, tell me about your site loss. And they wanna start at age two and tell me every doctor through over and
Speaker 2 00:17:14 Keep going.
Speaker 3 00:17:15 You know, I don't care, you know, so, I mean, I'll listen to anything, but you know, the general, general public doesn't want to hear it. So I get 'em past, you know, how do you, I, um, we talk through how to figure out where you are in your home and how to get from there to the bathroom. Cause isn't that one place that everybody needs to get to. Yes. And then we take it on from there about how to basically live your life with safety, efficiency, dignity, and fun. All of my, all of what I'm introducing is based on those challenges. And we go through and I give people homework, um, at the, by the end of the first session. So they practice doing things like, uh, writing their name, signing their name, cuz think about it. How many times have, have all of you signed your name?
Speaker 3 00:18:08 <affirmative> mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, a lot of times it's purely a mechanical action and it can be learned unless you have, um, a condition that has your hands very, you know, even if you're shaky, you know, or, um, not very strong, you can, most people can hold a pen and do something that can become their signature. Don't give your signature away. People say, well, why don't you just give a signature stamp? Well, because anybody that gets that stamp can be you. So, um, so we deal with, you know, signing your name, um, how to weigh, to be able to keep track of information. Um, if you have some site, uh, we, um, I'm gonna back off and say that everybody who has registered by this date by the, by the 14th of the month of April will be sent a packet that has a, um, a couple of signature guides, a check writing, guide a notepad.
Speaker 3 00:19:16 I really am a promoter of steno pads, cuz your hand doesn't get caught in the, um, wire at the top of the page. And so I, I demonstrate ways for, um, using limited most efficiently. Talk about if you, if you, if you don't have sufficient enough vision, enough sight, excuse me. Um, to be able to, um, to have that be of use to you when you need to keep records, what are other ways you can keep records? And we talk about using, uh, you know, tape recorders and you know, various equipment, um, phones, phone messages. Um, anyway, I'm not gonna go into all of it now cuz probably all of you guys know it.
Speaker 2 00:20:04 Anyway, I have a question though. Um, okay. So are, are the people, can people take part in this seminar if they don't live in Oregon?
Speaker 3 00:20:15 Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2 00:20:17 Okay, excellent. So it's, you know,
Speaker 3 00:20:19 Sight loss is sight loss. I don't care where you live.
Speaker 2 00:20:22 Right? And
Speaker 3 00:20:23 You, you may hear me use the word sight loss more than vision and that's because I think I think of vision. And so do, um, you know, quite a few people, vision is what you carry in your heart mm-hmm <affirmative> and your, and your mind about what, you know, what's your vision for your life. What's your vision for your relationship with other people? Sight is simply, uh, what's a good way to put it the use of your eyes. If I based my life on how much sight I have, it'd be a pretty boring life. Cuz I have this tiny bit of tiny bit of sight in, in one eye and my twin sister has no sight. Well believe me, that doesn't stop us. Did I answer your question? I'm ready for more.
Speaker 2 00:21:12 All right. So one of the things that I know that you're thinking of, of talking about and addressing is mm-hmm <affirmative> being in the kitchen, which is mm-hmm, <affirmative> a huge matter <laugh> it really is an important thing. And, and there so many differences with people's kitchen and what they used to cook on and maybe what they feel comfortable now cooking on a lot of people I know fall to the microwave <laugh> mm-hmm <affirmative> and they don't stray from it. But so what, right. Tell me a little bit about how you deal with stuff in the kitchen with people.
Speaker 3 00:21:46 Okay. Okay. And again, we can't get into a lot of this in this four hour session because there's so many things to cover, but kitchen is where I use, you know, I, the focus there is safety, so mm-hmm <affirmative> um, you know, I, first of all, talk about how, and I do this throughout the seminar that if you have had sight for most of your life, it, you know, more things visually than I'll ever know. And so you can, um, you can call on that. And I use the example of when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, do you turn the light on and turn around before you flush?
Speaker 2 00:22:28 <laugh> right. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:22:31 Most people don't because how many times have you done it? Okay.
Speaker 2 00:22:36 Yes, exactly.
Speaker 3 00:22:37 Your body, your body knows where that handle is. Okay. Whether the light's on or off and the dials on your stove have not changed just because you can't see them as well as you used to. One of the things that gets set out that is sent out in these packets are a small sample or a small, um, selection of raised dots. And these are dots, you know, you can make 'em out of all kinds of stuff. Mm-hmm um, but, um, the, what is it? What is, what's the most important position on any dial? This is a test Sam. Uh, oh, what would you say is what's the most important position
Speaker 2 00:23:23 I would say off?
Speaker 3 00:23:25 Well, you would be right. If you don't know how to identify off, you need to address that first. So if you and I, you know, make suggestions like you want, you know, you want life to be easy. It shouldn't be so hard. So if there is a burner on your stove that you and the folks you may share your home with live with that you never use take that, dial off, just pull it off the stove. If it's, if it's, if it's a dial, you can pull off. Now don't throw it away. Don't hide it, put it in, you know, in a drawer, maybe silverware drawer so that, you know, it's easy for you to get back out and put on, you know, when the rest of the family shows up to cook the Turkey mm-hmm
Speaker 2 00:24:13 <affirmative> yes. Right.
Speaker 3 00:24:15 And so start simply and, and acknowledge that it's it, it typically, it may take more time for you to do what you used to with literally, without thinking about it, you thought about it, but it was so quick that that, you know, you've, you, you know, it seems like it's, um, it just comes to you naturally. It doesn't, it takes, it takes work, takes effort, takes time and it takes being present. Yes. So I talk a lot about being present. So if you are cold, tired, lonely, hungry, low, or high blood sugar, or have to pee, you are not
Speaker 2 00:24:56 Present to what you're
Speaker 3 00:24:58 Working on.
Speaker 2 00:24:59 And
Speaker 3 00:25:00 Trust me, nature always wins. So take care of those things first.
Speaker 2 00:25:05 All right. Well, I have another thing for you when, if you're, um, this one is, well, it's a sensitive topic and I remember growing up and I went to a school for the blind for some of my junior high and my elementary school. And mm-hmm <affirmative>, this was a huge topic there. And I remember meeting people later in life that had vision issues and don't trust me, this is not just for vision issues. I know plenty of sight people that need assistance with this too, but I want to address the topic of hygiene. Cause I think it's such a personal, sensitive topic and not enough people. I, I was a tech trainer too, and used to work in a rehabilitation center. And I remember even the people who taught, you know, kind of that daily living did not address as much. They felt uncomfortable addressing as much as they should have. And <affirmative> so talk to me about how you address that and how you have, you know, if you've worked in that area, addressed that with your clients.
Speaker 3 00:26:17 Okay. Yes. I have worked in that area and it's really different when you're dealing with folks that have lived long, uh, seemingly successful full lives and they are now, they are now, um, you know, have the added challenge of site loss, right. For them. So for them it's, um, it is, uh, calling them to think about, okay, what's important to you. And for some people that, you know, have never, ever Flo flossed their teeth without looking in the mirror and now looking in the mirror, doesn't work, don't quit flossing your teeth just cause you
Speaker 4 00:27:00 That's.
Speaker 3 00:27:01 Yeah. You, so again, you wanna sit down, you wanna practice doing that, flossing your, whether, whether it is plugging a, um, a plug into the wall or, uh, which is, uh, a big challenge for folks. And so I'll use that as an example, but it really does tie into hygiene that, you know, you, you want, wanna practice it and don't practice, uh, using a, um, a, what do you call those things in the wall that you plug into, um, outlet anyway, outlet, you don't wanna practice plugging something into an outlet that you have to lean over the couch in the living room to get to yet, you know, find an outlet that is easy for you to reach either in the kitchen or the bathroom. Uh, preferably not next to the sink where the water is because electricity doesn't care if you're blind or sided, you know, it'll get you, if you put yourself in the, you know, set yourself up to get shocked, but you wanna practice again when you're are not cold, tired, lonely, hungry, lower high blood sugar thirsty, or have to pee.
Speaker 3 00:28:11 And so that, that goes like with your hair, you know, people that have worn, um, had gone to the beauty parlor once a week for 60 years, and now they don't trust their beautician because a, the person died or moved away and now they can't see the back of their heads. So, you know, go to your beautician and say, what would be a haircut that would be most, uh, hairstyle and haircut. That would be most complimentary to the shape of my face, uh, my body and my age. So, you know, get work with people that are skilled in that area. Um, so that you have so that when you, like, if you have, um, if you have it's, it's a good idea to have somebody, um, who you trust, who is, you know, who respects? You can hear clothes every once in a while for spots, because food is not a drips are not a respector of intention.
Speaker 3 00:29:16 You know, and particularly when you're new to sight loss, you may spill, um, more food off your fork or off the plate than you used to until you learn how to do it with, with safety efficiency, dignity, and fun. And, you know, in regard to, uh, shampooing your hair, I I've worked with folks that, that I guess they just decided not to bother washing their hair since they couldn't see it. Oh, my believe me, it was a hygiene issue. And so you just, you know, you, you have to talk it through with people. Do you wanna spend your time, you know, alone because nobody wants to be around you because your body odor is, um, is, uh, overwhelming the neighborhood
Speaker 3 00:30:05 <laugh> so, you know, love yourself enough to shower, because I've also learned that if you have a, uh, a medical issue that may create, um, an odor mm-hmm <affirmative> that you get used to it. And so you really don't even know it's there. So sometimes, you know, if you're in a position to, with dignity, respect, and, uh, of the person talk with them and say, you know, I, I notice that, that there is, uh, an odor when I get close to you. And, and I don't know if anyone's ever had the courage to tell you that or not, but I've got a good nose. And, um, it is alerting me to the fact that, that, um, maybe you need, you know, are you using soap? Are you, uh, washing under our, under your arms and between your legs, um, and your backside, because, you know, that's, uh, those are areas that need to be cleaned in our society.
Speaker 2 00:31:08 Yes, that's right. <laugh> why don't you give me again the dates of this seminar and how it gets, you know, how you get to be signed up. Is there still more
Speaker 3 00:31:23 Okay. Uh, uh, yes, there is. Okay. Uh, the seminar that we've been talking about this last segment of time is at the whole foundation and learning center, and it is a four hour seminar that takes place over two days, Thursday, April 21st and Friday, April 22nd, from 10:00 AM to noon on Pacific daylight time, the course will be offered via zoom. So you can either enter on your, on your tablet, your phone, or you can call in and, but you do need to register. And you do that by calling the hall foundation and learning center office. Our phone number is (503) 668-6195.
Speaker 2 00:32:21 Can you give that one please? Yes.
Speaker 3 00:32:23 You bet. 5 0 3 6 6 8 6 1 9 5. Um, you can also, um, you can also email us and request information and registration, not only about this seminar, but future seminars and retreats. And I'll tell you about them in a minute. Our, we have several emails, but the one I've written down here is the H H U L L Paul Park for the blind. Everything's spelled out.org.
Speaker 2 00:33:07 All right.
Speaker 3 00:33:08 H H U L L park, P a R K F O R T a E B L I M d.org. And we do have other emails. So if you are, um, you know, if you're adventuresome, you can go on the web and look around and see what you come up with. If you would like to read anything about me, I have a very underutilized website that is living with site as I G ht.com,
Speaker 2 00:33:43 Right. Living
Speaker 3 00:33:45 With site.com. And, um, so I'd like to tell you a little bit about other things that are coming up. Is that okay?
Speaker 2 00:33:55 Can we, can we talk about one last thing before, uh, you do that? Absolutely. There's one thing also that you're gonna be covering, um, and I'm sure you'll go into more detail, but, and it, it really is very important. And I think that gets missed a lot, um, is, is feeling comfortable talking with friends and family about, you know, your vision loss and one of the biggest things that, for me as a teacher that I hear students come and say is, I've lost all my friends. I've lost my vision and my friends. Like I thought they were friends <laugh>, I don't know when they went. Um, but you know, it, it's a very sad and uncomfortable situation. And, um, so talk a little bit about how you kind of coach people to deal with that because it is a big thing.
Speaker 3 00:34:48 Absolutely. Yes, it is a very big thing. So this is, this is your challenge to, uh, to become it, to not, to, to relinquish being a shrinking violet. Okay. Shrinking violet, not because people who, even if you have known them all your lives, they don't understand, and they never will really understand your sight loss until they experience it. And so whether you like it or not, you will always be in their focus as somebody experiencing sight loss until they, until they tell until both of you get past that, because the more comfortable you are in your skin with sight loss, um, that that's the, one of the main keys that facilitates that your friends and family acquaintances and strangers to get over of their anxiety about and discomfort about now being around you. So, yes, we absolutely talk about how to, um, how to address that with friends and family.
Speaker 3 00:36:10 Um, and, and it's, it's different if it's family or if it's, you know, somebody in the grocery store. So we deal with all of that. And in this four hour seminar, we can't possibly deal with all of this. Our goal of these seminars is to give you a basis so that you can then, um, step out and get connected with, um, uh, positive support groups in your community because having access to other friends, other people who are experiencing sight loss, not just those that wanna bitch and moan about it because they're there too, but people that are exploring, okay, what's next? Do I get to do what I wanna do? Why am I not doing it? Is it really because of my sight loss? Or is it because I have arthritis and, or I have, um, you know, other other disabilities. So we talk about that too.
Speaker 3 00:37:12 Um, I am a, uh, person with hearing loss. I wear hearing aids and I would, I mean, it would just be it, I would miss out on so much if I didn't really pay attention to what it is I need. And as I, and everybody else ages things change, you know, okay. We don't, you know, we don't need to deal with, with our periods anymore necessarily, but now he gets to deal with arthritis, you know, so, um, figuring out positive ways. So we practice, um, you know, asking, you know, figuring out who people are and where they are. And believe me, if you have, if you have a, uh, a, a white cane in your hand, and you see it as a tool, an implement for you living your life fully, then not as, as a, um, uh, something that is you're ashamed or embarrassed of, everybody's uncomfortable, almost everybody, when they first get a white cane, cuz they don't know what to do with it, but we, you know, we deal with that and um, or if you choose to get a guide dog or how to use, um, and how to travel, um, efficiently using possibly using a human guide at sometimes, um, how to travel in your, your own neighborhood and in the country and around the world.
Speaker 3 00:38:39 So all these things get touched on. And hopefully that if, uh, for the folks, you know, folks, um, who attend, may decide that they wanna be a part of a, um, a, a more, a long of this kind of, um, interaction. And so we have just created our schedule so that we have the whole foundation and learning center is, um, we are hosting three day living with site loss seminars that will focus on different topics, um, every other month. And then the, every other month when we don't have those, we will be doing these seminars on via zoom or phone, these shorter ones to give people a taste of what's out there and, you know, introducing you to support groups in the area, how to use some, how to find resources, the Hadley school, uh, I always call it the Hadley school for the blind, but that's not what it is anymore Hadley Institute, which is a free, um, uh, distance learning, um, program that offers all kinds of seminars.
Speaker 3 00:39:54 Um, the, the American council of the blind and national Federation of the blind are two consumer groups that have a myriad of resources. So, um, you know, how to connect with a, uh, positive support group in your community or, uh, via this radio station. And thank you, Sam, for all the time and effort and energy you've put into hosting these and other programs, uh, because you don't have to be in your blindness situation alone. You can, you know, people do it all the time, but you know, that's, that's why this that's why Sam does what she does because she's also committed to people, you know, living their lives to the fullest again, that's right. Safety, efficiency, dignity and fun. So there, so I can tell you a little bit about some fun things that we're doing.
Speaker 2 00:40:53 Yes, you may
Speaker 3 00:40:55 Not that these aren't fun. You know, I, I tell told you earlier that people, uh, when they come out to the park, they're off for the first time, they're often a little anxious and fearful. And then, then it's like, you know, once people feel safe and respected and honored on the, on the property at the whole foundation, then they start playing and laughing and singing and dancing and having a lot of fun in our hot tub, in the swimming pool, um, playing, you know, whatever games are going on or creating their own making. We always are making music. And I just, the place is filled with laughter when I, every time I go out there, um, I go and I sent, we have a, another garden space that we call the OIF garden and it's right outside the rec, the, um, the LA the, the lodge.
Speaker 3 00:41:51 And whenever we have a, um, a session going on, we have the fountain playing. So you can always hear the fountain. And, um, I don't have to sit out there because I hear the echoes of people laughing and crying and questioning and exploring and taking on their lives. So we have, um, three different, um, retreats, um, scheduled this summer that we've had for years. The first one is for, um, we call it alum, uh, friends and alumni. And this is in, um, this is June five through nine of 2022, it's at the park. And this is for folks who, you know, really, um, are, are, are eager to connect with old friends. Some of the folks that come have been coming for 20 years and you need to apply, and you, um, we request a, um, I, I wanna say donation, but that's not the right word to hold your space. And then you pay before you come. And we, to the best of our ability, um, you know, have some scholarship money that we can make available to, um, to people that apply. And, um, so that, that's the first one. The second one is our modern adventure camp. And I think this is where we met Sam. I don't remember
Speaker 2 00:43:19 No high adventure. That's
Speaker 3 00:43:21 High adventure. Okay. So moderate adventure is August 10 through 16, and that's at the park and believe me, um, I recommend, uh, elastic way bands because the food is abundant and delicious. So yeah,
Speaker 2 00:43:42 The cooks were always amazing.
Speaker 3 00:43:44 Yep. That's a high priority for us. So we'll be doing at the moderate adventure camp. First of all, what Sam said, you don't have to do anything. You can just lay around if you want. Um, oh, and we do have, we have a dog relieving, a dog, uh, what do you call it? Like a dog park. Um, yep. So that dog area can be, um, yeah, so it's a enclosed area. So the dogs can just, you know, get off leash and play and, uh, not have to, um, not have to be a dog, but just get to be a dog dog. If there are activities that you choose to go to, that wouldn't be appropriate for your dog. Um, like whitewater rafting then, um, a staff person is at the camp and stays with your dog. So, and no other dogs are allowed on the property.
Speaker 3 00:44:34 It's just working dogs. And, um, so again, the moderate adventure is, um, August 10th through the 16th of 2022. And then the high adventure is August <affirmative> 24 through 30. And, um, they will, you know, they just, I know that they're doing rock climbing this year and, um, there's, uh, whitewater rafting and kayaking, and I don't know all the things that are planned, but, um, if you have questions or concerns, you can call the park, I'll say the phone number again, it's five oh three. And I'll say the number twice 6, 6 8 6 1 9 5. That's 5 0 3 6 6 6 1 9 5. And, um, see, so I've given you the dates of both and, um, we also have the seminars going on, um, the three day seminars. Um, you may wonder how, how do we survive? Well before the pandemic, our, our administrative, um, um, director, um, really worked hard at renting out our facility to be used during the times that we didn't have retreats and, um, going on for, uh, the blindness community.
Speaker 3 00:46:12 But most of those, well, actually all of those were canceled because of COVID right. So we lost a lot of our funding. Our funding typically in the past has come from donations and from bequeathments when people have passed on, um, many people have been so, um, play to participate that they and their families donate funds. Well, we never say no to those, but we, um, we need a whole lot more money than that. So we always have some kind of fundraiser going on, uh, one or two. And we also, we encourage people to become members and there's different rates for family and, um, nonprofits and that kind of stuff. And you can get that through the park by calling us or emailing us. We also do rent out our facility, um, for, we have all kinds of, um, musical groups that come out and practice. And, um, uh, we have, uh, weddings and Memorial services. Um, we have retreats for other organizations that come out. So, um, we are eager to, we also hold weddings. And, um, Sam, you said that you enjoyed going to the, to the, um, uh,
Speaker 2 00:47:33 Gazebo. Yes.
Speaker 3 00:47:35 The gazebo. And I love it there because you can hear the Sandy river down below.
Speaker 2 00:47:42 Yeah. It's, it's wonder
Speaker 3 00:47:43 On the cliff. Yep. And I, I actually hosted a birthday party there for myself
Speaker 2 00:47:49 Couple
Speaker 3 00:47:49 Years ago and it was, it was just great. The gardens are beautiful. The staff, we really work hard. So when our guests come, they feel, um, safe, they feel respected, they feel honored and, um, and acknowledged when they're here. So we would love to have people come and join us either for this course or future courses. We do. We also have a newsletter that, that you can sign up for. It's available, um, electronically, and also in large print. Um, we do have access to do braille, but that's, that's not available. Um, we are, we, and we also have a new director who starts on April 25th.
Speaker 2 00:48:40 Oh my
Speaker 3 00:48:40 Goodness. Her name is Barb. And, um, our previous administrator who was here for, um, eight plus years, finally, um, retired and moved to Colorado where she's now living, um, near her daughter who, her, her daughter who has two sets of twins.
Speaker 2 00:49:00 Oh my gosh,
Speaker 3 00:49:01 Got grand grandchildren gore. And she's having a wonderful time out playing in the snow with them.
Speaker 2 00:49:07 All right. Well, we have to wrap this up. This is K 93, FM Minneapolis and KFI org. My name is Sam. I'm the host of the show disability on progress. We've been speaking with Mary Lee Turner, Mary Lee. I really appreciate you coming on. And now we need to call and end to the show. Um, so I thank you very, very much for coming on and talking about all this. And hopefully I will make it to one of the camps this year, because they are really amazing camps. And I, I don't know what they're doing in regards to vaccinations, but we, um,
Speaker 3 00:49:45 We, we, uh, we abide by the vaccination, um, situations set up in, uh, that's, that's decreed in, um, in our county and state. So, um, you know, believe me, we're safe and we ask everyone else to be safe.
Speaker 2 00:50:04 Yes. All right. Well, thank you very much,
Speaker 3 00:50:07 So much. You've been great being here and we'd love to have you and a bunch of your friends come and join this summer.
Speaker 2 00:50:12 Oh, believe me. I talk about the camp all the time. <laugh> so thank you again. And I appreciate that. Um, this has been disability and progress. The view has expressed on the show, not necessarily those of K or it's board of directors. My name is Sam. I'm the host of the show. Charlene dos, my research team, Mason Butler is the epi. Uh, the engineer of this episode, we've been speaking with Mary Lee Turner, Mary Lee. Turner's going to be facilitating a seminar from Paul foundation learning center called living with site loss. You call the number that she stated in the show, or, um, go on the website to find that you can also hear our podcasts. We will be podcasting, and this should make it up on the podcast within a couple days, or join us on our archives, which lasts for two weeks. Thanks. You so much for listening, gonna.
