Newsletter

Back to Work!

Charlene Oulette at a CCTV

Charlene Ouellet wanted to get her life on track and get back to work!

Charlene was experiencing dual sensory loss, an impairment of both vision and hearing. She received vision rehabilitation therapy and orientation and mobility training from The Iris Network and our partners at Maine's Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, but knew she needed more. At her request, Charlene took part in rehabilitation training at the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, New York, recognized throughout the world as the best place to learn to live with dual sensory impairment. The Iris Network helped her to prepare for this rigorous program and, upon her return, introduced her to The Iris Network's new Job Training Project.

Susan Anderson, Job Training Project Coordinator at The Iris Network, helped Charlene to establish a work experience in her home area. Ms. Anderson approached Paul Aldrich about taking on Charlene as a temporary employee. Mr. Aldrich, owner of the Village Candle, a manufacturing and retail business of scented candles employing more than 70 people in Topsham, Maine, was very receptive to this new undertaking. "Offering Charlene a chance fits our company's culture and values. We care about our employees and the community," said Aldrich. 'I didn't know what it would take to hire someone with vision and hearing loss, but I trusted that The Iris Network had the answers."

Charlene was offered a three month work experience in the Finance Department and used state of the art adaptive equipment such as a screen enlargement program, a video magnifier and an amplified telephone to perform her tasks.

The job training program project can be a great first step in getting a good job and Charlene was very pleased with the chance to try out all her rehabilitation training in a real work situation. "The accommodations worked very well and Charlene made a very smooth transition. "She has become a model employee," said Aldrich.

Charlene loved her work experience and was truly appreciative for the opportunity to demonstrate her skills, improve her quality of life as well as maintain her independence in the work environment. "My co-workers are very helpful and the work is challenging and interesting. The Village Candle is a great place to work and I love their products!"

Paul Aldrich, Owner of the Village Candle, and Charlene Ouellet

This story has a truly happy ending. At the completion of a very successful work experience, Charlene was hired by the company as a permanent, part-time employee in the Finance Department.

We are truly proud of her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck with her new job!

We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Paul Aldrich for his community support of The Iris Network. The Village Candle is a private company established in 1993. To learn more about Village Candle, its history and products visit www.villagecandle.com

The Iris Network's New Website is Better than Ever

New Iris Network Website

As we all rely more and more on the Internet for everything from email to personal shopping, from entertainment to news, our expectations continue to evolve. That evolution dictates that every organization should redesign, or at the least refresh its Website roughly every three years. Here at The Iris Network we've not undertaken such a project in a number of years and those who use our site to obtain information, access services or offer support have no doubt noticed it's long past time for some change.

Starting from the perspective of the users of our Website, our staff examined every aspect of the site with an eye toward optimizing its accessibility, functionality, usability and navigation for each stakeholder group. Once that process was complete, we retained the services of a well-respected Web design firm here in Portland to bring it all together.

Today, we're proud to announce the official launch of the completely redesigned site and we encourage you to visit us at www.theiris.org and experience the exciting changes and improvements for yourself.

Beyond the updated look and feel of the site, which we think is quite elegant, for those with vision loss we have optimized the layout of each page for improved use with screen readers, affording the user faster access to information and much easier navigation. Limited vision users will note that the scalable type face functionality remains, but with enhanced contrast adjustments to allow the reader even greater control. We're also very pleased with our new "Donate" page which offers our valued financial supporters a clean, simple and more efficient interface. And our brand new online store brings our clients a streamlined method to acquire equipment and other essential items necessary to maintaining independence.

Primary navigation from clearly labeled and defined tabs provide easy identification and access. But beyond all of these wonderful changes and enhancements, we have worked hard to ensure that the information within the pages of our site provides users with the answers they seek, the research they value and the real stories about real people who provide us with inspiration.

We're always seeking out new methods to convey important information to those who rely on The Iris Network and its services, and also find new opportunities to connect with potential supporters. And to that end we've been working to find productive and innovative ways to reach beyond our current centers of influence. So in conjunction with and incorporated into our Website's enhancements we are looking to utilize social media channels, such as Facebook and YouTube, to increase awareness, garner support and build relationships with people in online communities.

While we've only been able to briefly touch on a few specifics in this article, we think you'll really appreciate the changes we've made. So the next time you're surfing the net we hope you'll take a few minutes to tour our new site and send us an email and let us know what you think -- And make sure you tell a friend!

Consider Living with Us!

Iris Park Apartments

Iris Park Apartments, located on the Portland Iris Network campus, seeks to build a waiting list of applicants who meet the blind orvisually impaired preference to fill any apartments that become available.

There are currently no openings, but vacancies are filled from a waiting list on a first come, first served basis with priority given to applicants with vision loss. Iris Park Apartments is a low income property with one and two bedroom units managed by Avesta Housing. Iris Park Apartments are not subsidized apartments, but subsidies such as Section 8 are accepted. Residential Support Services are provided by The Iris Network. If you would like an application, more information or a tour, please contact Emily Barker at The Iris Network. More information is also available at www.theiris.org

Fast Fact about Sun and Your Eyes

One of the great wonders of the human body is the ability of damaged cells to be repaired or replaced. Red blood cells, for instance, live for about 120 days. Each day, about 1% of your red blood cells retire to be replaced by a fresh generation. The lens of the eye is a notable exception. The cells of the lens of the eye are never replaced; the proteins of the lens are never replenished. The lens cannot repair itself; damage accumulates over a lifetime.
Cataracts are the result of gradually accumulating damage to the proteins of the lens. The most important source of this damage is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially while one is young.
Behind the lens lies the retina, the thin lining of the back of the eye. The retina is the eye's miracle. This patch of tissue, about the size and thickness of a postage stamp, is able to dissolve and create a new image every tenth of a second.
Today in the United States, retinal diseases are the leading cause of blindness. Macular degeneration, the accumulation of damage in the retina, is the leading cause of blindness from retinal disease. Slowly, over the years, the macula is irreversibly damaged by exposure to UV radiation. About one third of adults over age 65 experience this steady decline of central vision, not correctable by glasses.
Excessive exposure to sunlight during early childhood is harmful to the eyes. Sunlight contains harmful UV radiation.
The risk for retinal damage from the sun's rays is greatest in children less than 10 years old, although the consequences usually do not become apparent until well after they are adults.
All children should be taught to wear sunglasses, especially between 10 AM and 2 PM, when ultraviolet exposure is the most dangerous. This is true even for children with darker eye colors, even though their darker pigments afford partial protection. Of course, children with light-colored eyes need sunglasses all the more.
Ultraviolet exposure is at its peak when children are at high altitudes, snow-covered landscapes, bright sandy beaches, or near reflective bodies of water.
All sunglasses are not the same. Effective sunglasses should block both UVA and UVB radiation. The sunglasses must be measured to block 99% to 100% of UVA or UV400 (400 nm is the wavelength of UVA radiation). Thankfully, all sunglasses block UVB radiation.
Large lenses that fit close to the eyes are best. Those that block visible blue light are even safer.
Expensive brand names and polarizing lenses are no guarantee.
Ordinary sunglasses make the situation WORSE! The dark lenses cause the pupils to dilate, allowing more of the dangerous UVA radiation to damage the lens and the retina.

--Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine Found, Author, Raising Baby Green & Feeding Baby Green

Community Connections Program

The Iris Network is pleased to announce the appointment of Aisha Hixon, as Community Connections Project Coordinator. The Community Connections Project, our newest initiative, will connect individuals who are blind or visually impaired with their community. These opportunities may be social or recreational and include a therapeutic component; in some instances advocacy training is also provided. The goal of the Community Connections Project is to convene organizations around the state of Maine who provide these opportunities to consumers and publicize events so that individuals can be more involved.

Aisha recently graduated from USM with a degree and certification in Recreation Therapy. She will be continuing her education through the University of Massachusetts-Boston in the Fall of 2010 where she will be working towards a Master's degree in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy.

Aisha has developed an electronic Community Connections newsletter that can be found on Iris Network website, http://www.theiris.org/services/community-connections-program. This newsletter shares information on a variety of events going on throughout the state. Please feel free to contact Aisha with any comments, event information, ideas for opportunities, or if you would like a print copy of her newsletter. She can be reached at (207) 632-4520, or ahixon@theiris.org.

The 12th Annual Iris Network Golf Classic

Click play button below view the video. Double-click to view full screen.

The tournament took place on June 14th at The Woodlands Club in Falmouth. The event provided great golfing, an enjoyable day as well as an opportunity to network with colleagues and friends, all in support of a good cause. The event was a great success, raising $26,000 in revenues. Proceeds from this event will help ensure the sustainability of programs and services so vital for maintaining independence and community integration for over 40,000 Mainers with significant vision loss.

Our thanks to the following sponsors and supporters!
We could not have done it without your help!

Lead Sponsor	Shirt Sponsor	Golf Cart Sponsor

Dinner Sponsor

Hole Sponsors: Anthony Ackerman, Avesta Housing, Baker Newman & Noyes, Baxter Title Co., Bruen Family, Clark Insurance, Cloutier Direct, Inc., Clyde Ricker, Cole Harrison Agency, Creative Printed Solutions, Haley's Tire & Auto Ctr., Hancock Lumber Co., Healey and Associates, Inc., Macdonaldpage & Co., LLC., Nationwide—Mary Gavin, Northeast Delta Dental, Norway Savings Bank, Olympia Sports, PretiFlaherty, Ram Trust Services, Re/Max by the Bay—Jane Leonard, Shaun Dowd, DMD, LLC, TAB Office Systems, The Thaxter Company, TruChoice Federal Credit Union and Unum

Donors and Prize Donors: Captain Daniel Stone Inn & Restaurant, Casco Bay Lines, David's Restaurant, DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, Fox Ridge Golf Club, Hannaford's, Hilton Garden Inn, Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, Oakhurst Dairy, Olympia Sports, Poland Spring Resort, Portland Sea Dogs, Purpoodock Club, Selby Shoes, Etc., Silly's and Wal-Mart - Team Sponsor: Charlie Prinn

"I enjoyed playing at The Woodlands Club, great course, good food, well organized and an enjoyable day all around." - - A 2010 Golf Classic participant

1st Gross Fred Haley, Joe Moran, Matt Moran, and Matt Z,1st Net Dick McArdle, Chris Pope, Jeff Moore, Rich Bazarian