By ARVETTA JIDEONWO
Guest Columnist
As we wrap up Indiana’s recognition of Disability Awareness Month, efforts across our state have spotlighted the numerous barriers individuals with disabilities still face to connect with their communities.
Then President Ronald Reagan launched the national effort in 1987, dedicating March as a time to raise awareness about including people with disabilities in all areas of community life. President Reagan issued a public proclamation urging Americans to provide individuals with disabilities “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”
In spite of significant and positive change in the decades since, many challenges remain for this vulnerable population. There are 54 million Americans with disabilities, and adults and children with disabilities represent nearly a fifth of Indiana’s population.
And while the pandemic has impacted everyone, it has been particularly tough for those with disabilities, including Hoosiers who are blind and visually impaired. People who are blind experience loneliness at higher levels than the general population and are more likely to suffer from depression and experience detrimental health outcomes as a result of self-isolation.
Getting out into the community is key to addressing these issues. Many people do not know where to turn when an injury or illness takes their sight. Even basic life skills such as cooking and cleaning can be daunting. Options for employment seem highly unlikely, and hope can be in short supply.
Rooted in more than 100 years of history, Bosma is one of Indiana’s largest nonprofit organizations providing training and employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. The Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation exists to support Bosma’s mission to create opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired by providing rehabilitation and employment placement services.
Through corporate partnerships, special events and ongoing fundraising, the foundation supports initiatives that help adults gain the life skills they need to remain independent and job skills they need to stay self-sufficient.
Sadly, poverty and disability often go hand-in-hand. Many of our clients are dependent on government support as their primary source of income. One of the primary reasons for this dynamic is the fact that people who are blind or visually impaired face significant barriers to employment.
In Indiana, the unemployment rate for people who are visually impaired is 57 percent – more than 14 times the rate of other Hoosiers. And the American Federation for the Blind reports that the rate of blindness is estimated to double by 2050, due to the nation’s aging population.
The intersection of disability, poverty, age, health concerns and unemployment, combined with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, are exponentially increasing the challenges our clients face to meet their basic needs and lead self-sufficient lives today and tomorrow.
Currently, Bosma cannot deliver all of its vision rehabilitation services face-to face. We must now assess many of our clients’ needs and provide services by phone and online platforms. And while the process can be more challenging, the silver lining is that this new environment enables Bosma to reach even more people in need.
We know that even more people could thrive with access to the programs and employment opportunities funded by our foundation and other organizations around the state working to improve the lives of people with disabilities. We have the opportunity to change lives in profound ways while also serving an important role in economic vibrancy for our state.
You can play an integral role in that ongoing success. With donor support, we can expand our capability to better meet the demand for vision rehabilitation services through program support and critical access for those who are blind or visually impaired. Your gift is an investment in their independence and a brighter future – for them, their families, and our communities in Indiana.
For more information on how you can help, visit bosma.org/donate.
Arvetta Jideonwo is Executive Director of the Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation.