Guide Dogs Of Hawaii Adaptive Aids Canines & Advocacy For The Blind

PROVIDING GUIDE DOG SERVICES, MOBILITY AIDS, AND TECHNOLOGY AIDS TO HAWAII RESIDENTS WHO ARE VISUALLY HANDICAPPED.

ANNUAL GET VISICAL TRAIN-A-THON: 10-DAY PROGRAM ACTIVITY THAT BRINGS BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES, CREATING AN AGE-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE ORIENTATION & MOBILITY TRAINING WHICH INVOLVE DEVELOPING AND STRENGTHENING SENSORY SKILLS, MENTAL MAPPING OF ENVIRONMENTS, INCORPORATING ACCESSIBLE NAVIGATIONAL DEVICES AND APPS, AND LEARNING TO NAVIGATE ON A VARIETY OF GROUND SURFACES. THE WAS TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS, SKILLS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS TO NAVIGATE THEIR WORLD SAFELY, EFFICIENTLY AND INDEPENDENTLY, ALLOWING THEM TO LIVE FULFILLING AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES. THE 34 PARTICIPANTS NOT ONLY LEARNED FROM CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS, BUT THEY SHARED EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN THEMSELVES, CREATING A STRONG BOND, KNOWING THEY ARE NOT ALONE AND HAVE SOMEONE TO TURN TO WHO WILL FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE DAILY.THE ANNUAL CAMP GET AHEAD BROUGHT TOGETHER 12 CAMPERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 18, ALONG WITH STAFF AND 10 VOLUNTEERS, FOR A WEEK. THE CAMPERS RECEIVED ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE IN LEARNING AND PRACTICING A VARIETY OF SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE SKILLS. EACH CAMPER, MENTORED BY A FORMER CAMPER, LEARNED THE VALUE OF ADVOCATING FOR ONESELF AND THE GREATER CONFIDENCE GAINED FROM TAKING OWNERSHIP OF INDEPENDENTLY CARING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS. THIS EXPERIENCE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE CAMPERS' SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SOCIAL SKILLS, PREPARING THEM FOR A MORE INDEPENDENT AND CONNECTED FUTURE.POSITIVE AGING: WE PROVIDED 71 DUPLICATED WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED RESIDENTS OF HAWAII OVER 18. THESE SERVICES WERE DESIGNED TO HELP MAINTAIN GENERAL WELLNESS AND INDEPENDENCE IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY, IMPROVE TECHNOLOGY AND MOBILITY SKILLS, PROMOTE POSITIVE AGING, AND FIND WAYS TO COPE WITH EVERYDAY CHALLENGES. WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON SENIORS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PRESERVING AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE THROUGH LEARNING TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS. OUR PROGRAM, FROM PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS WORKSHOPS TO SOCIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY, HAS PROFOUNDLY IMPACTED PARTICIPANTS, INSPIRING A RENEWED SENSE OF SELF-RELIANCE AND WELL-BEING.