How Alani thrived with virtual school
In March of 2020, Teacher Emily Wright helped the classroom staff load a box of markers, crayons, art supplies, booklets, and paper into the seat of a car parked outside of Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. The straps of masks around the back of their ears still felt nonnative and uncomfortable.
While many of the supplies in the box could be found in every classroom throughout the country, it also contained books with small dots lining the page, written in braille.
That afternoon, the box was dropped off at the house of Alani, a completely blind student at CCVI. Neither Alani nor Emily would realize that their in-person sessions earlier that month would be the last time they would see each other face to face in over a year.
“When COVID-19 was relatively new, I really had no idea that it would still be impacting us this much an entire year later,” said Wright. “I was worried about their families staying healthy but knew they’d try their best to continue the education at home.”
Uncertainty has swirled around all of our environments in the past 19 months, even those of a young child with a visual impairment—especially for a child with a visual impairment.
For Alani, senses other than sight connect her to her teachers and friends. She can feel their guiding hands during a lesson and can hear their smiles based on the tone of their voice. During an Orientation and Mobility session, Sara Bushland (COMS) would sing in the hall for Alani to place her ‘back on the wall’ and to ‘square off’ to the tune of ‘The Wheels on the Bus,’ a technique that is used for navigational purposes among populations with visual impairments. The music is a comforting adaptation and easy to remember; however, it loses its impact when sung from behind a computer screen. For the past year, Alani hasn’t had the opportunity to experience that crucial connection in person.
But, the methods for replicating those experiences have improved. Every two weeks, a box of curriculum related materials arrives on the doorstep of Alani’s home. Once a week, a certified therapist from CCVI schedules a Zoom call with Alani’s mother to observe everyday behaviors that take place during her routine. They provide consultations and advice on how Alani can adapt to her environment without the use of sight. These services are the difference between Alani fearing the sighted world and reaching her highest potential in it.
The difference CCVI has made in Alani’s life is only possible because of your support.
A year has passed since Emily Wright loaded that first box of supplies into the car. 88% of staff members have received the vaccine. Face masks are still worn, and sanitizing wipes are still supplied on tables throughout the building. Concerns continue to swirl around variants and the rapid rise in cases among child populations. But the staff at CCVI fills each day with learning, education, and hope.
Every morning at 9:15 a.m. during her virtual school, Alani logged onto a computer and launched a Zoom call. The faces of her classmates appeared on the screen. While she couldn’t see Arthur, another student at CCVI, sit with his red fire truck toy or Emily kneel on the blue oval rug, she could hear the giggles during circle time and could feel the texture of the materials sent in the mail. Two months ago, CCVI welcomed Alani back into the building during the extended school year. She was able to square-off to Ms. Sara’s song and could reunite with Emily.
But the work doesn’t end here. Alani will never have the time back that was lost during virtual schooling. 85% of what a child learns before the age of five is learned incidentally through sight. These years of a child’s life are essential for education, and all of the students at CCVI are beginning another atypical year.
For Alani, students with compromised immune systems, and children with special needs, COVID-19 is still a massive crevasse between where they are and the support network they need to succeed. However, our supporters-- people like you--build a bridge between the two.
After a full year in our new territory—unlike any other in our nearly 70 year history of serving the visually impaired populations—CCVI is grateful for you. Your gifts allow us to move forward as one community and one CCVI.