Honoring Women of Vision

During the month of March, we celebrate the many contributions of women throughout history and today such as Anne Sullivan, Adelia Hoyt, Martha Morrow Foxx and Georgia Trader who helped to advance education and opportunities for people with vision loss.

We are honored to highlight our very own women of vision, including the women of Society for the Blind’s newly expanded Low Vision Clinic team: Our two optometrists, Dr. Jackelyn Meyer, OD, FAAO, and Dr. Kayle Edwards, OD, FAAO; Clinic Director and Occupational Therapist Rachel Norton, OTR/L; Occupational Therapist Toni Boom, OTR/L; Senior Clinic Assistant Chelsea Gray and Patient Services Coordinator Oshchane Walker.

In the past year, nearly 500 patients received low vision evaluations or occupational therapy in our Low Vision Clinic. Earlier this month, we began providing our mobile clinic services in Stockton through a collaboration with the Community Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Our Low Vision Clinic team is planning to expand its services for pediatric patients in the coming year, as well, and will provide mobile clinic services to more communities in northern California.

Our doctors typically spend 1 ½ to 2 hours with a patient when conducting a low vision evaluation. This includes examining the eyes, educating the patient about their eye condition, and telling them about the various assistive devices and training programs available at Society for the Blind. Many of these patients go on to receive occupational therapy, where they get specialized training and hands-on practice with devices.

The dedication and passion of the women in our Low Vision Clinic team reflects the commitment of the entire staff at Society for the Blind as we strive to empower our patients and clients to discover, develop and achieve their full potential.