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Sandpoint resident describes how state commission services preserved employment and independence in reappointment hearing
Summary
An applicant for reappointment to the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired told the Health and Welfare Committee how commission services helped preserve her career and independence after sudden vision loss; the committee deferred a vote until the following day.
Boise — A Sandpoint resident seeking reappointment to the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that services from the commission helped her retain employment and independence after she lost her vision nearly 20 years ago.
The applicant, who identified herself in committee testimony using the name transcribed as Bridal Raukenheimer, said staff from the commission taught her to use assistive technology and mobility tools and that she now uses a guide dog and audio-enabled devices that permit continued employment and travel. She asked the committee for support for her reappointment and described 18 years of prior service on the commission.
"Staff from the commission traveled to my home and taught me to use the technology I would need to be able to continue my work," the applicant said. "I was given the confidence that I could remain independent and that I could have a successful career." She told senators she lost vision in one eye suddenly on Jan. 29, 2003, and later lost most vision in the other eye; she said medical scans show optic-nerve atrophy but that doctors are not certain of a single cause.
Senator Harris thanked the applicant and asked about the cause of the sudden loss of vision. Senator Woodward, identified as being from the applicant’s area, asked a personal question about skiing and snowfall at Schweitzer; the applicant said she skis with a guide and that the resort had abundant snow this year. The committee did not vote on the reappointment at the hearing and the chair said the committee will vote the following day.
No formal objections or additional testimony on the reappointment were recorded in the hearing transcript.
(Reporting note: The applicant’s name appears with variant spellings in the committee transcript. The article uses the name as given during testimony and identifies the subject as the individual who spoke to the committee about her reappointment request.)
