As a mom of twin seven-year-old boys, Jason and Daniel, Elizabeth has her hands full.  But her family’s lives have been more complicated as her twins were diagnosed at six weeks old with a condition resulting in blindness.

As Elizabeth’s boys were about to enter school, she was very anxious about ensuring they would have the appropriate support they needed to succeed. By the middle of the first grade, this mom felt that her sons’ Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) was not providing her boys with the support that was detailed in their education plan, but Elizabeth was not clear where to turn to for support.  It was the Carroll Center for the Blind’s Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) that arranged for a consultation from the Carroll Center’s Education Director to meet with the team at the boys’ school. As a result of that meeting, the boys’ education plan was updated accordingly to meet their needs.

Today, as second graders, Elizabeth’s boys are flourishing working with a TVI and COMS from the Carroll Center’s Education Services department.  They are fluent Braille readers and are even doing their math in Braille. Her sons love music with one playing the drums and the other singing.  They are on a town soccer team and Elizabeth loves watching them. Elizabeth points to engaging a TVI from the Carroll Center for the impactful change in the boys’ education.  She says that the Center has made her feel that everything is doable. She also feels as if she is part of the team that works to create equal access to education for her two sons. Elizabeth says, “The Carroll Center has given me access to a dynamic team who know what the right steps are for my boys. As far as I am concerned, the Carroll Center for the Blind will never leave me or my boys. We would not be where we are today without this amazing organization.”