Color Outside the Lines

For many of Outlook Enrichment’s consumers, losing vision meant eliminating many of the hobbies and crafts that they once did. Vision loss creates a significant barrier to completing hobbies such as painting, crocheting, and other artistic outlets.

Our team provides opportunities in various crafts and hobby areas to open the door for our consumers to understand if there is a will, there is a way they can still participate in activities they love.

Participants enjoy the arts, from painting in the park to jewelry making, by using adaptive techniques. They learn different, often tactile, ways to bring their artistic vision into reality.

Hobby-based activities are also a part of our Color Outside the Lines programming. Gardening and plant care are areas of interest that many of our participants continue to enjoy after their vision loss.

Participants enjoyed our classes on plant care, creating fairy gardens, and seed starting, which allowed them to care for other living things independently.

One of the most popular classes we offer lends itself to exploring other senses, such as smell, touch, and texture, in our adaptive soap-making classes. Participants are exposed to aromatherapy and learn how to make soaps, salts, lotions, and even perfume.

Audiobook Club

This group meets monthly through the winter via Zoom. Members select books based on the participants’ current interests and reading styles.

The audiobook club always selects books readily available through Nebraska Talking Book & Braille Services. If a participant is not an existing library patron, we will help the individual apply for services.

Emotional Well-Being

Low Vision Support Group

Enrichment offers four sessions annually. Support group meetings are held every Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. The group facilitator coordinates additional in-person engagement opportunities.

Program

For many individuals, losing vision causes trauma in their lives, and most will experience the stages of grief and loss as they move through the vision loss journey.

Our support group is open to anyone with a vision loss needing assistance adjusting to the changes in their life. The support group provides information on vision loss to peers by visually impaired peers.

Sessions focus on holistic aspects of an individual’s life and how they interact with others and address interaction out in the community. The group will frequently address aspects of mental health models such as the Wellness Wheel, including emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial, and spiritual wellness. Sessions may also focus on trust, confidence, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and more.

Peer Modeling

In addition to the moderator, long-time participants also take ownership of the group. They often come up with topics and lead the discussion. Past issues have included stigma, alternative health, loneliness, developing trust, and isolation.

Individualized Adjustment Services

Individual counseling for adjustment to blindness is available for those who prefer a one-on-one rather than a group session.

Independent Living

Independent living services were initiated in the fall of 2020. Many of the virtual sessions focused on changes in cleaning procedures to keep individuals and families safe, using safety precautions when using sighted guides, and adaptive aids for labeling and organization.

We expanded independent living services in 2021 and included monthly Zoom workshops on independent daily living tasks such as safe cooking skills and home organization.

In 2022, Independent Living Services expanded into small group classes and in-home services.

Program

Training classes and workshops may be in person, or participants can participate in remote training opportunities. Consumers enrolled in one-on-one training are assessed to determine their current level of independent living, including safe cooking techniques, time/money management, labeling/organization tips, and medication management tools and aids.

How it Works

Once the assessment is completed, the participant and instructor establish specific goals that the consumer works toward. All training is completed at the consumer’s pace while skills are developed and objectives are met toward the independent living goal.

Remote, independent-living skills classes focus on a specific topic or skill set. These classes are open to anyone interested in gaining knowledge, tips, and tricks from peers with vision loss. These group classes promote peer modeling and idea-sharing.  As the instructor presents information, class members suggest or talk about the challenges they have faced. Through peer modeling, individuals see that they are not alone. Youth in transition benefit from adults living with vision loss who face the same challenges.

Braille Services

We provide braille translation and produce small projects for community venues. Types of projects may vary from a restaurant menu, bus schedules, playbills, and exhibit information.

Enrichment can transcribe print materials into high-quality braille for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Access to printed material is essential to independence, efficiency, and full access to the community.

Contact Enrichment for details on service availability and pricing.

Braille Training

Our Curricula

Exercises are carefully planned to increase fingertip sensitivity, which is crucial for developing skills in reading braille.

Each lesson introduces a topic/concept and provides clear examples. Lessons build upon each other and are organized to reference basic braille concepts and rules.

Classes

Consumers in the program engage in two 1-hour weekly sessions with an adaptive technology trainer.