One Hundred Years of Leadership
by Carol J. Sussman-Skalka
This spring marks the launch of Lighthouse International's Centennial year. Founded in 1905 by Winifred and Edith Holt, the Lighthouse is celebrating 100 years of helping people live better with vision loss. Our century-old mission promotes independence, employment, equal access and quality of life for people of all ages who are blind or partially sighted.
Sharing Solutions embodies the Lighthouse mission. It debuted nearly 12 years ago, establishing an exchange among support groups for people with impaired vision around the nation and abroad. This information-sharing network has grown considerably since 1993 and, thanks to our readers, so has this newsletter. Your input -- sharing questions, concerns, experiences and solutions about living with vision loss -- has been vital. And we have responded to your requests to cover such topics as the latest treatments, new technologies and research on coping with, and adjusting to, vision loss.
In this issue, we address a common concern and difficult decision people who become visually impaired face: the decision to drive -- or not to drive. Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences related to "giving up the keys" and the impact it has had on your lives. We hope you'll find what your fellow readers had to say interesting and helpful.
We also explore the roles spirituality and religion play in coping with vision loss, highlighting findings from Lighthouse research studies. And we invite you to share your spiritual or religious experiences, and how they have affected your adjustment to vision impairment in our next "Coast to Coast" exchange.
In addition, an update about vitamin E and age-related macular degeneration is included to keep you informed about the latest recommendations.
Enjoy the newsletter!
This article appeared in Sharing Solutions - Spring 2005 Edition
Carol J. Sussman-Skalka Newsletter Editor