Visual impairment doesn’t slow down Gilroy advocate
By Jacqueline Solari, Special to the Dispatch
Walter Schinke is determined to shed light on the reality of visual impairment and the potential of those who suffer from the disability.
Schinke was not always visually impaired. He’s an Air Force veteran who served in Korea from 1950 to 1951 and in Vietnam from 1968 to 70.
He had a career as an engineer for Reliance Electric until he was diagnosed 18 years ago with macular degeneration, a disease that causes light-sensing cells to malfunction and cease to work.
He lost most of the central vision in his right eye almost instantly. Within four months, his left eye followed suit. Unable to effectively use the computer for work, he retired. Yet Schinke, who will turn 75 in January, was faced with a dilemma far greater than early retirement.
Prior to suffering from visual impairment, he made his own assumptions in regard to the visually impaired.
“Before I lost my vision, I saw someone with a white cane, and I thought they were completely blind … It caused me to rethink about people with disabilities,” Schinke says.
Unwilling to classify himself as blind, he resisted rehabilitation programs. But a woman who worked for a rehabilitation center in Tucson, Ariz. – where he was living at the time – showed him how to use a cane and analyze traffic, giving him greater freedom to travel.
“People don’t want to admit their loss of sight,” Schinke said. But the help that he received showed him how independent he could become with the right tools and instruction.
When Schinke moved to Gilroy seven years ago and began talking to those suffering from visual impairment, he realized that South County offered little support for them. Inspired enough to do something about it, he founded the Center for the Visually Impaired, which consists of a computer class and a support group.
Schinke teaches the computer course, offering instruction with technology that enhances the abilities of the visual impaired. These tools include a software program that magnifies material on the computer screen by as much as 16 times. Additionally, he teaches students how to use a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), a machine that combines a video camera with a television, allowing printed text to be magnified and its color to be manipulated.
Focusing on more than living skills, Schinke’s support group offers the visually impaired companionship with others who face similar challenges.
The number of people who attend varies from as few as three to as many as 20 when there is a guest speaker. They frequently discuss topics related to visual impairment, usually taking the time to research a new member’s particular visual disability. Yet they also discuss topics such as politics, current events, or even cooking.
They share humorous anecdotes about their day-to-day experiences with those who best understand their predicaments.
“I think it’s a necessity for South County to have a program for visually impaired people,” Schinke states. “I think it will enhance their independence in the community.”
Schinke said that 18 years of visual impairment has turned him into an advocate, not only for the visually impaired, but also for the disabled community.
“I feel that I’m making the community a better place,” he said.
Program Times
Computer Course
Tuesday 12:30 to 2:30pm
Friday 9:30 to 11:30am
Support Group
Friday 12:30 to 2:30pm
For more information regarding the Center for the Visually Impaired, call Schinke at (408) 847-4331.
