From the Editor

We can take for granted our ability to take a quick jaunt to the grocery store for some milk or log on to a computer to check our email. But when one has experienced significant vision loss, these tasks can seem impossible at first.

We know that with the proper training in nonvisual techniques, a blind or visually impaired person can live as full a life as anyone else. Before those skills are mastered, however, a person must gain the confidence necessary to know that he or she can carry out those tasks with grace and assurance.

This issue explores many ways the Department for the Blind has helped Iowans discover their confidence in living with vision loss. From slicing a cantaloupe to crossing a busy intersection, the stories inside exhibit courage and self discovery in truly inspiring ways.

— Shoshana Hebshi, Editor