The Carroll Center’s is inviting the blindness community to their annual summer hands-on motor vehicle event. Explore the wide selection of vehicles on display. Even though you may not be able to drive, the more you know about the vehicles you encounter while traveling the safer you are! Come check out a police cruiser, a fire truck, an ambulance, an MBTA bus, motorcycles, earth moving equipment, and more.

A police cruiser on the Carroll Center’s campus
gets explored by visually impaired
children and adults.

Enjoy a presentation by Carroll Center graduate, Jay Blake, about his personal rehabilitation story and how he founded the successful “Follow A Dream” racecar company. Jay will have his “Funny Gas” racecar with him to show and fire up after his presentation. Join us for this exciting fun fill and educational event and enjoy some tunes and ice cream provided by radio station Mix 98.5.

Thursday July 31 2:00-4:00 PM,
RAIN OR SHINE
on the grounds of The Carroll Center for the Blind,
770 Centre St. Newton, Massachusetts.

Families are welcomed.

The event is free of charge. No registration or RSVP required.

For most of the last 40 years, Eric Sollee was an important part of the success of The Carroll Center for the Blind. Eric taught Fencing to blind clients in rehabilitation training at The Carroll Center. Fencing? For blind persons? Yes. It’s one of many unique features at the Carroll Center, while Eric, himself, was another of those unique features.

Fencing was initiated as a training tool in the 1940’s by Fr. Tom Carroll and Larry Dargie in the rehabilitation of blinded veteran’s of WWII. It was designed as a corollary to orientation and mobility training and the use of the long cane for safe travel. Fr. Carroll and Larry then brought that successful concept to the Carroll Center (formerly known as the St Paul’s Rehabilitation Program) in 1954.

Eric first came to The Carroll Center staff in 1968 to help his good friend Larry Dargie. Eric, an all American collegiate fencer at Harvard, and later a renown Fencing coach at MIT and Harvard, was challenged by Larry to fence with his blind students. Eric, wearing a blindfold, lost all three bouts to the blind students and was greatly intrigued by their ability and the value of Fencing to the rehabilitation training of persons who are blind.

Eric succeeded Larry Dargie as Fencing Instructor in 1972 and also joined the Carroll Center staff as the Shop Instructor. Eric became the second and longest serving Fencing instructor and in many ways Eric rewrote the book on the impact and value of fencing to blind persons. He brought much more than fencing to those he taught. His commanding voice, dynamic personality, and expertise in modifying fencing for therapeutic purposes were wonderfully balanced with his genuine interest and help with each client at CCB to make the personal adjustment to blindness. Fencing was the tool and Eric was the conduit for success with each of the clients he reached over the many years.

Those who knew Eric will never forget him and never forget the very positive effect on the many clients and many staff members that he touched over the years.

Eric Sollee will be sadly missed by clients, staff and graduates and always remembered for his tremendous impact on the lives of persons who are blind at the Carroll Center.

Please feel free to leave messages for Eric’s family using our comment form below. If you are a former student of Eric, you are welcome to post a message, or tell a personal story.

Albano Berberi is a longtime member of the Carroll Center family and we congratulate him on his ongoing success. To learn more check out the video: The Sound of Learning: Albano Berberi

Quick Links

The 2008 VISION 5K run or walk was a great success for all of the runners, walkers and benefiting agencies. Blind, visually impaired and sighted persons enjoyed a spectacular, sun filled morning in Boston’s Back Bay Fens.

After the run or walk, everyone enjoyed a great post-race party, including live music, awards, BBQ, Legal Sea Foods Famous Chowder, Ice-cream and more!

The Carroll Center would like to thank all of those who participated in this year’s race and everyone who supported them.

We have posted some photos from this years event on our Photo Gallery page.

The results from the 2008 Vision 5K race have been posted at CoolRunnings.com:

• Walker Results

Senator Galluccio visited the Kelly School in Chelsea MA on Thursday to award Precious Perez with a special citation signed by Senate President Therese Murray, honoring her for achieving the highest score in the entire 4th grade class at her school on the recent the spring 2007 English Language Arts MCAS test. This is a very special accomplishment given that Precious is totally blind and took the test in Braille. In collaboration with the Chelsea Public Schools, Precious has received specialized instruction from the Carroll Center’s Educational Services Department since she was in kindergarten, enabling her to acquire the adaptive skills she needs to be fully integrated with her sighted peers in her local public school. Congratulations to Ed Services teachers Janet Ulwick-Sacca and Kate Crohan and to the staff of the Kelly School for their very successful teaching partnership!

Precious is also a frequent participant in the CarrollKids Academic and Social Enrichment Programs, and has recently been named a finalist in the National Braille Challenge which will be hosted by the Braille Institute of America in Los Angeles on June 28th. This is the second time in three years that Precious will be among the New England students who will be representing the Carroll Center at this national competition!

For individuals who are blind and visually impaired and those who work with them as volunteers and coaches.

Have you ever wished you could play baseball? Run a marathon? Sail or ski? We know you can! And we’ll show you how.

The US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is the nation’s premiere organization for visually impaired sports. The Vision 5K is a road race that celebrates the accomplishments of blind and sighted runners alike. Together, they know that with a little knowledge and the right support, you can have the active lifestyle you want.

Take the first step by attending this free clinic for demonstrations of sports that are accessible to the blind community. Our experienced athletes, volunteers, and coaches will discuss how to get started in a sport, explain the benefits of being an active blind person, suggest ways to enjoy recreational activities, show you how to build confidence, and share tips on how to compete and coach at a Paralympic level!

Whether your interests are recreational or competitive, Abilities Day is for you. Sign-up today!

This event will be held Thursday, June 5, 2008 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02458

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: May 30, 2008

Abilities Day is open to anyone who is blind or interested in working, coaching, or volunteering with blind sports enthusiasts. All participants will receive a USABA t-shirt, and a one year membership to USABA. Children between ages of 14-18 who attend Abilities Day and the VISION 5K will be entered in a lottery to receive a travel stipend to Colorado Springs for the USABA Sports Festival in July 2008.

Curious about the Carroll Center’s programs? Nervous about going there? Need more information in order to make good decisions? Do you wonder what kind of people work there?

The Carroll Center’s monthly Orientation Program serves to provide consumers, families, professionals and students an opportunity to witness the process of rehabilitation, specifically as it relates to our different programs. The staff loves this chance to help participants become informed, relaxed and motivated! And the lunch is superb!

This orientation program starts promptly at 10:00 am and concludes at 2:00 PM. Please join us for lunch, free of charge.

If you have questions, call Rabih Dow, Rehabilitation Director at (800) 852-3131 or send an e-mail to Dina Rosenbaum, dina.rosenbaum@carroll.org

Schedule of events

• 10:00 Welcome,
• 10:05 Carroll Center Video
• 10:20 Rehabilitation, What is it? Rabih Dow, Director
• 10:35 Things you will learn: Staff Panel Presentation
• 11:05 Technology in the Life of a Blind Person, Brian Charlson
• 11:25 Low vision, Joann Callahan (in Low Vision Department)
• 11:55 Tour, O&M staff (meet in Low Vision and Main lobby)
• 12:30 Lunch!
• 1:00 Psychosocial, Laurie Anderson
• 1:15 Former Client Perspective, Brian Mahoney
• 1:30 Community Services: Low Vision, Education, & Recreation, Dina Rosenbaum
• 1:45 Programs, Admissions, and Wrap up, Margaret Cleary

• 2:00 Store, Joe Donnelly

• Apprentice: Jack McPadden
• Freshman: Precious Perez
• Sophomore: Daisy Russell
• Junior Varsity: Minh Tam Ha, Marisa Parker and Morgayne Mulkern

• Varsity: Jameyanne Fuller, Josh Pearson and Albano Berberi

  The finals of the 2008 National Braille Challenge will take place on
  Saturday, June 28th, in Los Angeles CA. This event concludes many months
  of preliminary testing completed by approximately 500 students in Grades
  1-12 from across the United States and Canada. For a complete listing of
  finalists or for more information about the Braille Challenge, go to
  www.BrailleInstitute.org.

  The Carroll Center congratulates each student, their parents and teachers
  for their wonderful accomplishment, and we wish them well in the final
  competition. We can all be extremely proud to have this amazing group of
  students representing us at the National Braille Challenge!

  We are also grateful to the Braille Institute of America for hosting this
  great program, and to the many volunteers and donors who join with the
  Carroll Center to make this such a successful annual event for students
  throughout New England.

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  View photos taken at the Cathedral Ledge climbing event

  

  Blind climber descending the ledge

  The Carroll Center’s Outdoor Enrichment Program recently completed a successful rock climbing trip on Cathedral Ledge, North Conway NH. Six blind climbers, most of whom were beginners, spent the weekend meeting the daunting challenge of climbing Cathedral Ledge, the same location where famed blind mountain climber, Erik Weihenmayer, was introduced to climbing over twenty years ago.

  With a light rain falling the morning of the climb, the group decided they had traveled too far to let a little rain stop them. They put on their climbing gear and listened to instructions by the professional climbing guide from International Mt. Equipment. The trek into the climbing area was equally as challenging, requiring hand over hand crossing of boulders to get to the base of the ledge. Once at the base, the group learned the skills required for rope climbing on belay and took turns climbing the ledge. The light rain made the rocks slippery and more difficult to get a good grip, but the blind climbers met the challenge successfully. To finish the day’s climbing experience, the trek down from the ledge was another type of challenge that all were successful at conquering.

  Completing the Cathedral Ledge climb were blind climbers Matt Chao, Bruce Howell, David Kingsbury, Mark Bos, Nancy Jodoin and Jenn Harnish assisted by sighted guides Tim Simoes, Vanessa Howell and Mary McKinnon

  The climbing experience was considered by all to be very rewarding in knowing that when confronting a new and difficult challenge, that proper techniques, a bit of tenacity and a positive attitude can get you far.

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