Landrieu touts RESTORE Act
July 11, 2012Working poor all but forgotten this election
July 11, 2012
Cheryl Domingue has lived life with severely limited sight. Born with juvenile macular degeneration, which later developed into retinitis pigmentosa, she got around and cared for her family as best she could.
On Saturday, Domingue returned to her Thibodaux home after having attended the National Federation for the Blind Convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
While at last week’s conference with her also legally blind brother, Ferral Domingue, Cheryl Domingue interacted with 2,387 other attendees (154 from Louisiana) and gathered information to begin work on her next goal – starting a NFB Chapter to serve residents of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.
The desire Domingue took to Dallas has grown into determination that was 27 years in the making.
Self Awareness
In 1985, the mother of two realized that she felt lost when her children were at school. “I was home alone, lonesome, bored and aggravated,” she said. “Going to the mailbox became the highlight of my day.”
One afternoon, the ritual mailbox walk offered an opportunity that changed her life. “In the mail there was a pamphlet,” Domingue said. “It said, ‘Are you blind or visually impaired? Here is a number you can call.’”
With the support of her parents and children, Domingue called the number and connected with the source of the pamphlet – the National Federation for the Blind.
With help from the NFB, Domingue was able to attend the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston. Away from her family for 10 months, she received life skills training. She then returned home and enrolled at Nicholls State University.
Domingue graduated from Nicholls in 1995, with a general studies degree and an emphasis on special education. She achieved certification in special education and taught for six years, until her progressive loss of sight brought that career to a close.
After that, she spent much of her time in a lifestyle of retirement. In her opinion, it was too much time.
Domingue was headed toward a passive lifestyle that did not suit her desire to be active and help others.
Plan of Action
With assistance from her fully-sighted granddaughter, Amber Guidry, Domingue decided that just as someone had once taken the time to help her emerge from a lonely existence and become active, she could do the same for others.
Already an individual NFB member, Domingue decided it was time to organize blind and visually-impaired individuals in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes, and bring to this region educational resources and employment training opportunities that slightless people otherwise have to travel to Ruston, Lafayette or Baton Rouge to receive.
“I want to help her do this,” Guidry said. The Thibodaux High junior assisted Domingue in creating a flier that was distributed by the Louisiana Rehabilitation Services regional office in Thibodaux to 39 registered, visually-impaired persons in Lafourche and Terrebonne parish.
Domingue said that because of privacy laws, she was not allowed to know who was receiving her material or who is officially listed as blind or visually impaired.
It is known that a total 624 visually-impaired persons are listed with LRS statewide. Domingue said there is a great probability that a majority of sightless people are not documented through any state agency.
This organizer told her message over a local radio station, and was able to secure funding for her and her bother to attend the NFB Convention.
“I heard about this woman that made a public appeal for finances to have a stomach stapling surgery,” Domingue said. “I thought, ‘If someone could ask for something like that, I can ask for help to get to the NFB convention.’”
Listeners came through with $1,900 and Domingue and her brother were able to take the next step toward what they hope will be a genuine service in southeastern Louisiana.
Carolyn Hawkins is a Head Start employee in Houma. Living with glaucoma, she heard of Domingue’s effort and intends to get involved.
“I’ve been teaching for 20 years and working with children for 40 years,” Hawkins said. “I’m trying to find out more about this [NFB] chapter. I hope to get to know other people with this disease and we can support one another.”
“We believe vision loss does not have to be a tragedy,” NFB Louisiana President Pam Allen said. “The [Lafourche/Terrebonne] chapter would be part of our statewide affiliate. We have state scholarships, support for families, and employment and advocacy resources.”
Vision for Sightless
Domingue’s daughter, Sheila Guidry, said it was only the reactions of other people and thoughtless remarks from the general population about her mother that ever bothered her as the child of a visually-limited person. “She’s just like anyone else,” Guidry said. “She just can’t see.”
Amber Guidry said she intends to assist her grandmother step-by-step in reaching her goal. “Maybe other kids my age will understand so blind people my age don’t have the same challenges in the future,” she said.
“I don’t know who sent that pamphlet I got in the mail [27 years ago],” Domingue said. “It goes with what I’m doing now. At the [NFB] convention we learned about using social media and traditional media to get out our message. So, maybe one of my fliers, or something we can do with the Internet, newspapers, television or radio can help organizing a group for the blind and visually-impaired here and help someone who needs it like I did.”
Domingue explained that the NFB has a membership of more than 50,000 people and is the largest organization of blind and visually-impaired individuals in the United States.
Organized in 1940, the NFB has been instrumental in legislative advocacy, developing educational and career opportunities for the sightless, and participates in technological research.
For information on the formation of a NFB chapter in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes, Domingue can be reached at (985) 493-8108. Inquiries for the NFB Louisiana can be made at (800) 234-4166.
With assistance from her granddaughter, Amber Guidry, Cheryl Domingue (standing) dictates what she wants on an announcement letting the public know about her efforts to form National Federation for the Blind chapter for Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.
