Seminars@Hadley - Family Oriented

Celebrate Grandparents Day by joining seminars@Hadley as we share advice and stories on grandparenting. We will explore the loving and unique role of grandparents with “Granny” Alice Raftary (a grandmother with vision loss) and “Grandma” Linda Smatla (a grandmother of a child with vision loss).

This seminar will discuss the importance of learning braille for both children and adults, including information on the value of using braille at school, home, and in the workplace. Join Hadley instructors Debbie Siegel and Susan Fisher in this frank and informative discussion.

Your vision may not be what it was but you are not blind. Some days are better than others and you are always confronted with different visual challenges. To make things worse, your friends and family members do not quite understand that visual abilities range widely from perfect 20/20 vision to total blindness. Join us for Seminars@Hadley as we present "Aging and Low Vision" with Bryan Gerritsen, an orientation and mobility specialist and a certified low vision therapist.

Join us as Seminars@Hadley presents "Challenges of a Parent Who is Visually Impaired." Unique obstacles are common among parents who are visually impaired compared to their sighted peers. Join us as Seminars@Hadley discusses common issues and strategies used by others. Discuss ways to monitor your children's safety, help them with homework, manage transportation, and more. Presenters include L. Penny Rosenblum, Ph.D. and Hadley instructor Susan Melrose.

For many families, the kitchen is the most important place in a home. Often a focal point for family social interaction, the kitchen offers many activities that engage every member of a household: from eating to chores to discussion of day-to-day events. It is also a place for learning and offers smells, tastes, sounds and hands-on experiences, especially essential for children. Safety concerns often discourage parents of visually impaired children from allowing them to participate in kitchen activities. In the upcoming Seminar@Hadley, "Kids in the Kitchen", we will discuss techniques and teaching tips to help caregivers feel comfortable allowing their blind child to participate in cooking and cleaning activities. Please join us and share your own concerns, experiences and ideas. Presenters will be Linn Sorge and Sue Melrose, Hadley instructors, with discussion moderated by Karen Woodfork, Director of Student Services.

The Hadley School for the Blind will host “Braille: Every Day, Every Way,” its first Seminars@Hadley to be broadcast over the Internet Wednesday, April 26, beginning at noon, CDT. The seminar will last approximately 90 minutes and is open to Hadley students already enrolled in the Professional Education and Family Education programs or to professionals in the blindness field. Participants will learn how braille can positively impact the lives of family members who are blind, the importance and value of braille and how braille can be used in everyday life.