OKC Organization Goes Virtual To Help Blind Community

NewView Oklahoma helps blind and visually impaired people through rehabilitation, employment and community outreach. The organization has had to learn some new methods to serve their clients, which includes going virtual.

Tuesday was day two of the Keys to Work program. It's aimed at teenagers and young adults to teach them everything from daily living skills to resume writing and job interview tips.

Normally all this training would be done in person, like going to the grocery store to teach them how to shop independently. But not this year.

"That's going to be an interesting thing to FaceTime with them while they're grocery shopping around the store, and make sure their parents don't actually help them with it," Lindsay Turner, a NewView occupational therapist said. "Yeah, they can take them, but they need to be able to do it on their own, so we're going to FaceTime them the whole time they're in the store."

It may not be ideal, but it is imperative for the blind and visually impaired community.

"Just inherent in the nature of the disability, there's a lot of isolation and challenges involved anyway. And so, it's even more important in this period of time...that we're even more connected," NewView President and CEO Lauren Branch said.

In addition to Zoom and FaceTime, NewView has tried to strengthen that connection through things like care packages for their class members.

The Keys to Work program runs for two weeks.