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From YouTube: From City Hall - Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer
Description
Councilwoman Salyer learns how blind and vision impaired Oklahomans are being helped by NewView Oklahoma from it's President/CEO Lauren Branch.
A
Hello,
I'm
Meg
Salyer
and
I'd
like
to
welcome
you
to
the
ward
6
council
show.
I
have
a
real
treat
today.
I'm
privileged
to
have
Lauren
branch
with
me
and
Lauren
is
the
president
CEO
of
new
view,
Oklahoma
and
Lauren
right
off
the
bat.
Why
don't
you
tell
our
viewers?
What
new
view
is
and
what
you
all
do
well.
B
First
of
all,
thank
you
for
inviting
me
here
today.
I'm
very
excited
a
new
view.
Oklahoma
is
a
non-profit
agency
here
in
our
state
that
serves
blind
and
visually
impaired
employees.
Our
mission
is
really
to
empower
people
who
are
blind
or
visually
impaired
to
achieve
their
maximum
level
of
Independence.
Well,.
A
B
We
actually
have
our
rehabilitation
staff,
we
actually
have
them
positioned
in
the
four
quadrants
of
the
state.
You
know
kind
of
you
know
we're
all
spread
out
and
pretty
rural,
and
so
we
kind
of
have
it
quadrant
and
off
into
geographic
areas,
so
that
we
can
reach
those
populations
of
visually
impaired
individuals
that
are
not
in
the
metro
area
and
in.
A
C
B
Important,
you
know,
being
the
only
non
profit
in
the
state
serving
people
with
vision
impairments
and
having
the
only
comprehensive
low
vision,
rehabilitation
clinic
in
the
state.
It
was
really
important
for
us
to
serve
that
birth
to
death
population,
because
you
know
parents
need
the
support
on
the
front
end,
but
then,
on
the
back
end,
we
have
this
large
population
of
baby
boomers
like
us
who
are
losing
their
vision
to
things
like
age-related
macular
degeneration,
glaucoma
and
diabetic
retinopathy,
and
so
and
then
we've
got
the
working
age,
adults
you.
A
Still
stocking
up
on
drugstore
glasses,
but
that
decimal
point
is
increasing
and
increasing
and
it's
it
is
tough,
and
you
begin
to
recognize
that
you
very
subtly
take
corrective
action
right
to
deal
with
situations
where
you're
not
seeing
quite
as
well
as
you
were
so
I'm
really
excited
to
talk
about
the
new
clinic,
because
this
is
something
very
unique
in
Oklahoma
and
I
think
hopefully
will
be
a
model
for
what
happens
in
other
states.
Well,.
B
We
also
get
it.
We
already
are
and
I'm
excited
about
it
too,
because-
and
you
know,
we
really
we've
been
to
envision
rehabilitation
for
several
years
about
five
years,
and
you
know
we
we
found
that
there
was
a
tremendous
need
here.
Obviously,
age-related
macular
degeneration
is
the
leading
cause
of
blindness
amongst
people
aged
55
and
older.
My
dad
is
suffering
yeah.
B
A
B
B
Doesn't
know,
that's
exactly
right,
and
so
you
know
how
do
we
address
that
issue?
Well,
in
the
state
of
Oklahoma
we
don't
have
any
degree
programs
who
graduate
people
with
those
skill
sets,
and
so
we
tried
to
go
down
this
original
yummy.
We
have
a
fabulous
clinic
abs
and
we
have
a
great
partnership
with
DNA
McGee,
but
you
know,
and
doctors
are
interested
in
treatment
and
cure
and
we
deal
with
low
vision,
which
is
not
curable.
B
Low
vision
means
that
you've
lost
your
vision
to
the
extent
that
in
interferes
with
your
day-to-day
life
and
it's
not
correctable
via
surgery
or
you
know
corrective
lenses.
So
you're
really
so
you
know,
doctors
don't
deal
with
that
and
so
where's
the
handoff
you
know.
So
if
you
were
diagnosed
with
macular
degeneration
and
we're
losing
your
vision,
you
know,
and
your
doctor
told
you
that
and
he
says
well,
there's
nothing
else
we
can
do.
Then
you
do
you
know,
do
you
go
home
and
you
sit
and
your
struggle?
B
You
know,
or
is
there
a
handoff
place
where
you
can
learn
adaptive
techniques,
to
be
able
to
continue
to
do
the
things
that
you
want
to
continue
doing
I
mean
think
about
losing
your
vision.
Think
about
setting
your
thermostat
think
about
all
of
those
wonderful
digital
appliances
you
have
in
your
house
and
how
you
would
continue
to
operate
those
and
cook
your
meals.
Think
about
how
many
medications
we
take
my
older
adults
and
think
about
having
to
manage
that
with
the
small
print.
Oh.
B
Know
and
so
we're
that
handoff
place.
So
what
we
do
well
and
we
now
have
a
doctor
who
is
in
our
clinic
who
does
low
vision
assessments,
and
so
they
can
figure
out
where
that
usable
vision
is
and
and
when
they
do
that,
then
the
handoff
goes
to
our
low
vision,
occupational
therapy
staff
who
can
go
in
and
assess
environments,
assess
skill
sets
work
with
the
client
on
what
their
goals
are
and
then
we
go
in
and
train
them.
I.
B
Oklahoma
yeah,
we,
we
were
really
fortunate
that
you
know
a
couple
of
years
ago.
We
presented
this
concept
to
the
downtown
rotary
club
and
and
they
valued
what
we
were
doing
and
saw
the
potential
in
being
able
to
create
this
low
vision,
rehabilitation
center,
so
we
partnered
with
them
and
then
impact
Oklahoma,
funded
the
equipment,
and
so
now
we've
got
this
state
of
the
art
program.
That
really
not
only
does
it
not
exist
anywhere
in
Oklahoma,
our
model
is
really
you
mentioned
about
becoming
a
model
for
other
places.
B
Ours
is
really
becoming
the
model
for
the
country.
Interestingly
enough,
we
just
hosted
two
and
two
day
seminars
and
last
month,
and
we
had
people
from
across
the
United
States
thanks
again
to
see
to
see
what
we're
doing
I
mean.
It
really
is
that
unique,
but
yeah
a
person
would
come
into
our
clinic.
C
B
They
would
see
our
low
visions
specialist
now
working.
We
get
referrals
from
about
a
hundred
referring
physicians
in
the
state.
So
this
is
not
a
regular
optometrist
or
your
regular
eye
doctor
where
you're
going
for
a
15-minute
exam,
hey
a
low
vision
assessment
is
a
very
specialized
and
vision
exam
that
lasts
about
two
and
a
half
hours.
So
it's
it's
a
long
visit
and
then
we
have
this
really
cool
piece
of
equipment.
A
B
B
Than
focusing
in
on
on
where
you
might
still
have
those
pockets
of
vision,
and
sometimes
they
don't
even
know
how
to
do
that.
So
when
we
know
that
our
therapist
can
go
in
on
day
one
and
they
can
start
retraining
you,
they
know
where
you
can
see,
even
though
you
don't
know
where
you
can
see,
and
they
can
start
teaching
you
how
to
use
that
eccentric
vision
and
and
start
continuing
to
do
things.
But
then
we
go
in,
like
you
said,
in
their
environment,
we
go
into
their
homes.
It's
really
important.
B
To
do
that,
we,
you
know,
address
safety
issues.
We
address
mobility
issues,
we
look.
At
contrast.
We
look
at
lighting,
we
look
at
training,
we
look
at
at
markings.
Even
you
know,
marking
appliances
with
you
know
tactile
and
features
so
that
they
can
still
operate
the
microwave
or
you
know
crockpot
or
washing
machine
or
whatever.
So
you
know
stat
the
time
in
you
know
three
to
six
months
of
training.
We
can
keep
somebody
safe
and
independent
and
in
their
home,
rather
than
going
into
an
assistive.
B
B
A
A
B
Well,
our
main
number
is
405
2324
644,
our
vision,
rehabilitation
clinic
is
located
at
7,
10
west
wilshire.
Our
main
location
is
located
at
501,
north
douglas
just
west
of
downtown,
and
yes,
we
use
volunteers
as
a
matter
of
fact
we're
gearing
up
our
volunteer
and
segment
right
now.
The
biggest
thing
we
use
them
for
is
our
youth
programs,
which.
A
B
We
do
summer
camps
more
and
kids,
who
are
visually
impaired.
We've
got
year-long
programs,
rowing,
fencing,
dance,
I
mean
those
types
of
things
istic
and
you
know
the
money.
Our
fundraising
efforts
are
really
geared
towards
our
low
vision,
rehabilitation
clinic.
We
do
take
Medicare
and
private
insurance
that
only
covers
about
thirty
percent
as
the
services
that
we
provide
so
that
other
seventy
percent
and
we
raise
money
for
individual
donors
and
foundations
and
separate.
B
We
do
an
annual,
we
do
an
annual
luncheon
and
our
next
luncheon
isn't
coming
up
until
the
spring
of
next
year
next
year,
but
we
certainly
enjoy
that
support
all
year
long,
and
so
you
know
somebody's
interested
in
what
we
and
what
we
do
and
we
do
tours
on
a
regular
basis.
All
they
need
to
do
is
call
us.
We
have
regularly
scheduled
tours.
We
do
them
during
the
day.
We
do
them
in
the
evening.
They
can
see
our
main
facility.
They
can
see
our
low
vision
clinic.