Imagine that your bedroom has a chandelier with a dimmer switch on it. You wake up one morning to find that the dimmer switch no longer works. The dimmer is either permanently stuck on the lowest setting or you are in total darkness. The room around you, which was once so familiar, is now blurred to the point that you cannot tell the difference between your dresser and your bedroom door.
This is what it is like to wake up visually impaired. Imagine the fear and despair that would grip you, not being able to see the world around you.
Fear is a funny thing. For some, it can cripple to the point of inaction. For others, it can drive us to climb outside our comfort zones to reach our full potential. For 6 years, Terri Thomas has seen and helped hundreds of individuals to go beyond what they thought was possible.
Terri is the executive director at the Vision Resource Center (VRC) in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. The VRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with the mission to enhance the lives of adults and children with visual impairment. They work with individuals ages 6 to 86, advocate for their needs, help build confidence, teach life skills as well as provide education and socializing opportunities.
VRC attendees jump at the opportunity to do everything from riding horses and archery to rock climbing and surfing. There are even plans in the mix to provide a skydiving experience, an activity that would give anyone with 20/20 vision a panic attack.
According to Terri, the individuals at the VRC excel most when pushed to the limits of what is typically thought of as impossible for someone with visual impairment. “They feel fear,” Terri says, “but time and time again they will do it anyway.”
Meet the incredible individuals at the Vision Resource Center…
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