Jill Thomas from Walnut Media rejoins us for another conversation with our host, Dennis Nelson. After revisiting highlights from their previous interview, Dennis takes a deeper dive into his life story, from being adopted and living with congenital blindness to the places he’s called home, the jobs he’s held, and the experiences that shaped his career in radio.
When Jessica Wilson’s coworkers nominated her for Associate of the Year, it reflected the journey she’d been on since joining Outlook Nebraska.
“It tells me that my work matters,” Jessica says. “That people notice I’m willing to help, collaborate, and get the job done every day.”
Jessica has spent three years at Outlook Nebraska, where she currently works on the Spartan Chemical line, helping bottle janitorial cleaning and disinfectant products for purchase by the Federal Government. What Jessica found at Outlook was more than just a job—it was a chance to grow, challenge herself, and prove what she could achieve.
Jessica and her family moved to Nebraska during the COVID-19 pandemic to be closer to relatives in Bellevue and to seek new opportunities. After researching Outlook Nebraska, her husband Chris applied and joined the team. A few years later, when their youngest daughter started kindergarten, Jessica decided it was time to rejoin the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom.
With no prior manufacturing experience, Jessica wasn’t sure what to expect. Jessica started on the converting floor as a Finisher I before being offered a role on the Spartan Chemical production line. Rather than shy away from an unfamiliar role, she embraced the opportunity.
That willingness to learn has defined Jessica’s time at Outlook. Along the way, she’s gained confidence, developed new skills, and takes pride in continuously improving her work.
Looking ahead, Jessica is enthusiastic about the future of our janitorial cleaners and disinfectants. With a new filling machine on the way and more products being added to the line, she’s optimistic about the department’s ongoing growth.
“I’m excited and hopeful that the Spartan side can grow as big as the paper side,” she says.
Jessica was born premature with congenital nystagmus, a condition that weakens the eye muscles and causes involuntary shaking of the eyes. She also has strabismus, which causes her eyes to shift outward (exotropia) and misalign, affecting both her depth perception and visual acuity. With 20/200 vision, Jessica has peripheral vision but cannot see clearly at a distance and must get close to read print or see objects. She uses magnification tools, including ZoomText, to help with daily tasks.
Jessica attended public school until seventh grade before attending the Arkansas School for the Blind, where she stayed through her senior year. It was the first time she met other people with vision loss and learned how to apply the skills she had been taught to everyday life. It was also where she met her husband, Chris.
After graduating, Jessica studied social work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock but ultimately decided to focus on raising a family. Aside from a seasonal retail position at Target, Outlook Nebraska has been her first long-term career.
Jessica is raising two daughters, both thriving in school, and says day-to-day parenting hasn’t looked much different for her family. Her parents never treated her differently than her sighted sibling growing up, and she’s carried that same approach into raising her own kids, who are both fully sighted.
The biggest obstacle, she says, is transportation. She doesn’t drive, so she relies on rideshare services like Uber to get to the store or to doctor’s appointments, which means planning everything well in advance.
“I feel like I am always on someone else’s time,” Jessica says.
If there’s one thing Jessica wants people to understand, it’s that vision loss doesn’t define what someone is capable of.
“I wish there wasn’t so much stigma around vision loss,” she says. “I wish people were more educated and less quick to write off what we can do. We can do what a sighted person can—you just have to give us the opportunity and let us show you, especially in the workplace.”
Between work and raising her daughters, Jessica admits she doesn’t have much free time, though she’d love to get more involved in Outlook Enrichment’s community events when she can. For now, she’s focused on what’s in front of her: doing good work, continuing to grow into her role, and supporting her fellow associates.
Congratulations to Jessica Wilson, Outlook Nebraska’s 2026 Associate of the Year.
Curious about opportunities at Outlook Nebraska? Submit a General Employment Interest Application, or share this with someone who’d be a great fit.
When Marina and Cameron McCombs welcomed their second son, Reuben, they learned something unexpected: he was born blind with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a rare genetic condition that causes severe vision loss. Until then, they were unaware they were both carriers of the same gene. They later learned that each pregnancy carried a 25% chance of having another child with LCA. Their third son, Alden, was also born blind.
Although the diagnosis came with plenty of unknowns, one thing never changed for Marina and Cameron: the way they wanted to raise their children. Today, they focus on helping all four boys experience life to the fullest.
Before moving to Nebraska when Reuben was two years old, the McCombs family lived in a small town in Texas. While some resources were available, opportunities to connect with other families raising blind children were limited. After settling in Nebraska, they learned about Outlook Enrichment through Reuben’s orientation and mobility counselor at school. Their introduction to the organization came through the annual Family Beep Baseball Clinic, which quickly became a family favorite.
“Reuben was so young when we first went to beep baseball,” said Marina. “Now, he is much older, and he can do so much more and participate fully in all the various stations. I think the most important thing he has taken from beep baseball is that we can join in different physical activities with adaptations. We love doing things as a family, and these events are a great way to grow closer together and have fun. It’s also great for our sighted children to see how to adapt activities for their blind brothers.”
Reuben has become a familiar face at Outlook events with staff, volunteers, and other clients. A true adventurer, he loves exploring and approaches every challenge without fear. Over the years, he has learned that he can run just as fast, climb just as high, and participate right alongside his sighted peers. More importantly, he has built the confidence to know that being blind should never keep him from participating in activities.
Reuben is a favorite at Outlook events with staff, volunteers, and other clients. A true adventurer who loves exploring and tackles every challenge with no fear. He has learned that he can run just as fast and climb just as high as his sighted peers. He’s built up the confidence to know he shouldn’t be excluded from activities just because he is blind. This is because he and his brothers, both blind and sighted, were all raised with the same expectations.
“We look at each of our kid’s personalities and what they prefer, especially their different temperaments. All of our kids have the same expectations, depending on their age or development level. We make adaptations for our blind kids, but they are still expected to participate in everything that we do as a family,” shared Marina.
Those adaptations are often simple. Reuben sweeps the kitchen floor toward a chair before collecting the crumbs underneath. When Alden helps with dishes, the family makes sure there are no knives in the sink, a precaution they would take for any child his age. Whether they are doing chores or spending time outdoors, the goal is the same: everyone participates.
Like many parents, Marina and Cameron faced plenty of questions and anxieties after Reuben’s diagnosis. One of the most valuable resources they found was other families who had already walked a similar path. Family events gave them the opportunity to watch, learn, and ask questions of people further along in the vision loss journey than they were.
Meeting other families with blind children and tapping into resources from various blindness organizations in Omaha has been central to Reuben’s growth. He has learned everyday life skills, Braille literacy, cane travel, and participates in adaptive recreation and outdoor adventures.
“Without all of these organizations that have helped Reuben and connected him with so many great people, we would definitely be in a much different place in our journey. Reuben looks forward to every activity and feels special to be able to participate. We’re looking forward to beep baseball. It is always super fun for our family! It’s just awesome to be able to come to events as a family where every one of us can feel included,” shared Marina.
Looking back, Marina and Cameron couldn’t have imagined how much their family would grow through this journey. They’ve watched Reuben and Alden develop confidence, independence, and a love for trying new things. And as all four boys continue to grow, one thing remains the same: every child is encouraged to participate, explore, and enjoy life to the fullest.
For families navigating blindness or vision loss, no one should have to walk the journey alone. Whether you’re looking for support, adaptive recreation, or ways to connect with other families, Outlook Enrichment is here to help.
In this episode of Outlook On‑Air, we’re joined by Stacy Cervenka, Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind and coauthor of the new middle‑grade novel Roxie in Color.
On this episode of Outlook On-Air, we wrap up a few loose ends before welcoming Jane, an Outlook Enrichment client, to the conversation. She shares her experience of losing her vision rapidly in 2022 due to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a genetic condition passed through the maternal line.
Jane walks us through what her vision looks like today and how she got connected with Outlook Enrichment for support and resources along the way. She also reflects on how her vision loss temporarily put her hobbies on hold, and how she’s since found new ways to adapt and regain independence, from using her cane and smartphone to exploring tools like Meta glasses and navigating grocery shopping.
Adaptive technology continues to advance, with popular software like ZoomText and devices like CCTVs. Yet, handheld magnifiers haven’t kept pace. Though often pictured as classic Sherlock Holmes glasses, today’s diverse magnifiers suit many lifestyles. With so many options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This guide focuses on what matters and helps you find the magnifier that fits your needs.
Magnification is the process of making an object appear larger than it is. Power refers to the amount of magnification and is usually represented by an ‘X.’ For instance, 3X means the object appears three times its original size. Even though this may sound straightforward, selecting the right magnification level is not just about choosing the highest number.
Lens curvature is another important factor. A greater curvature results in a shorter focal length (the distance from the lens’s center to the point where the object comes into focus), yielding a higher-power lens. Inversely, a lens several inches wide generally has less curvature, providing a larger viewing area but relatively low power. The main takeaway: lens size and magnification level are not directly related. Even broad-coverage magnifiers may only offer limited magnification (1X to 3X), so choose your tool based on clarity and your reading needs.
While an option may initially seem convenient, it may no longer meet your needs as your vision changes. Many individuals begin with a page magnifier, believing it will eliminate the need to move the device. However, as vision evolves, such lower-powered options may no longer provide enough clarity. You may also find that features such as color and lighting contrast become increasingly valuable.
Now that you have a better understanding of how magnification works, the next step is exploring the different types of magnifiers available. Numerous low vision aids are designed for specific tasks and preferences, and selecting the right one depends on your intended use. Magnifiers typically range from 2X to 10X, are offered in a variety of formats, and are generally handheld or mounted on a stand.
Reading Glasses
Often, the first solution people try is over-the-counter reading glasses (“cheaters”), which are relatively affordable and easy to find. These lenses are in the lower-power range, with magnifications from 1x to 3x. Cheaters help bring small text into focus by magnifying it, making it appear larger.
The catch is that cheaters magnify everything you see through them, not just the text. They’re fine for close-up tasks, but distant objects can look distorted, and using them too much might cause headaches or eye strain. If you’re reaching for cheaters all the time, it’s a good idea to check in with your eye care professional. Bifocal glasses have the advantage of only changing part of your field of view. If you view something through the base of the lens, the text will appear larger or clearer, but if you look through the top of your glasses, objects appear as they would normally.
Handheld, Electronic, and Stand Magnifiers
For more flexibility, handheld magnifiers are great for quick tasks like reading a menu, price tag, or directions on packaging. They are portable and versatile, and often include built-in lighting. If you require additional support, electronic magnifiers use a camera and a screen to magnify, letting you adjust settings like contrast and background color. We often cover these features in adaptive technology training sessions.
When longer periods of reading are needed, stand magnifiers can provide more comfort and stability. They rest directly on the page, keeping the lens at the optimal distance for clearer viewing. Some models are also designed for reading and writing tasks, such as writing checks, signing documents, or taking notes. Often, stand magnifiers include a swing arm, allowing hands-free use and making them perfect for hobbies or longer tasks where comfort and positioning matter.
Monoculars and Binoculars
For distance viewing, monoculars and binoculars function as small handheld telescopes. Both devices help users see objects at distances of 15–30 feet. They allow users to see items such as street signs, menus, and performers more easily. Because they have a smaller field of view, they often require practice and scanning techniques to use effectively.
With so many options, start by understanding your specific needs. The right magnifier is about how it fits into your daily life, not just the device itself.
To help guide your decision, start by asking yourself:
Your answers, combined with guidance from a low vision specialist, can help you find the right mix of tools for your needs. In many cases, using a variety of devices for different tasks is the most effective approach, and insurance may help cover the cost of an evaluation.
Choosing a magnifier can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking better tools, our team can help you find what works and ensure you know how to use it. Contact us today to connect with a trainer and take the next step toward greater independence.
