Brooklyn is the biggest borough in New York City. To locate an organization that has a fine work history, look no further than 57 Willoughby Street in Brooklyn, NY, home of "Helen Keller Services for the Blind." This agency has been serving the handicapped community for over 100 years and counting. Since 1893, the agency has been a pioneer in the field of blindness rehabilitation. In their brochure they state, "Our mission is to help individuals all ages who are blind or visually impaired, and who may have additional disabilities, to develop independence and to participate actively in their communities." While headquartered in Brooklyn, the agency has additional sites in Hempstead and Huntington, Long Island. They also operate the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in Sands Point, New York.

Short history of Helen Keller
Before continuing, here is a brief history of the accomplishments of this outstanding human being, Helen Keller. In 1904 at the age of 24, Helen graduated from Radcliffe cum laude, the first deaf and blind person to graduate from a college. Keller became a world famous speaker, author/writer, political activist, and advocate for the handicapped. She was also a suffragist, pacifist, and a birth control supporter. In support of these causes and as an invited speaker about disability, she traveled all over the world to 39 countries. Keller met with every United States president from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B Johnson. She was also a member of several political organizations among them the Socialist Party and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). On September 14, 1964 she was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the United States highest civilian honor, presented by President Lyndon Johnson.

Overview of Helen Keller Services for the Blind
Michelle A. Spinelli who is director of development and Jennifer C. Stephens who is the public relations associate of the organization, stated to this reporter some of the main functions of the organization. Some of the main areas they focused on were: the Children's Learning Center, Services for Students, Rehabilitation Services and Employment Services.

The Children's Learning Center and the Services for Students provide services that are very similar. One might say they work well together. Spinelli and Stephens informed me that: "In our downtown office in Brooklyn we have an early intervention program for children from birth to three."  They added, "There is also a Parent and Early Educational Resource Center which offers informal seminars, specialized training, and peer support for families of young children with disabilities."

One of the main areas of focus of the Children's Learning Center is the Braille and Large-Print Library. The library has a collection of over 10,000 titles in Braille and large print text. The Pre-Vocational Training program provides assessment and job-readiness training to teenagers from Long Island who are visually impaired. The Rehabilitation Services program area includes Orientation and Mobility Training with mobility instructors who teach skills for traveling independently and safely and the use of public transportation. The Instruction in Daily Living Skills program, also part of Rehabilitation Services, trains clients in cooking, cleaning, personal care, and communications. They work individually and in groups with people who are blind or visually impaired.

Brooklyn, the melting pot
Stephens pointed out, "Brooklyn is a community that everyday is growing into a bigger melting pot. We are seeing more Latin-Americans, Africans, and people from Eastern Europe everyday, and we try to provide best service possible to all these groups in need." Not only do they provide job-readiness services to teens but also to adults. They provide clients with Academic Remediation, Vocational Training and Assistive Technology. In these areas they train their clients in the latest adaptive software that allows individuals who are blind or visually impaired to work with computers using speech and or Braille output. Also offered are internship and job placement assistance. Specialists work with employers to create opportunities for employment in the community as well as advise them on accommodations and modifications in the workplace, if necessary.

Latino success story
An individual who recently took advantage of the services provided by Helen Keller Services for the Blind and has become a success story is John Calixto. Recently he was honored with the New York State Third Senate District Hispanic Heritage Month Award for great contributions to the community. Calixto was granted a vendor's license through funding from the Business Enterprise Program and now operates a convenience store/newsstand at the Perry B. Dureya Jr. State Office building in Hauppauge, New York. Calixto lost his eyesight in a motorcycle accident in 2000. He went to Helen Keller Services for the Blind in 2002 for rehabilitation support including assistive technology training, instruction in Braille, and mobility and safe-travel skills training. He was then accepted to a business enterprise program where he successfully completed a program designed to provide technical skills to manage a business. "John is truly one of the most amazing individuals I have ever worked with," stated Diane Shelto Academic Studies Instructor at Helen Keller. "His never say die attitude is an example of a powerful and influential human spirit."

Calixto stated, "If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I am today. After my accident I didn't know where to turn to and their doors were open and the rest, as they say, is history." Asked if he would recommend the services of Helen Keller Services for the Blind to the Latin-American Community? Calixto responded, "In one word, YES! They don't turn their back on anyone."  

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