Earlier this year, Rosie had a bad headache and went to sleep after watching a movie. When she woke up, she couldn’t see at all.
Rosie was diagnosed in 2005 with neuromyelitis optica, a rare autoimmune disease that causes vision loss. She kept the vision in her right eye until 2020. That year, she had a flare-up that left her blind for a month and affected her mobility. “My vision would come and go for a short period, but the more attacks, the more permanent the condition becomes,” she says.
For the last few years, Rosie could see shadows and some light and color, but her vision loss forced the Long Beach resident to stop reading, driving, cooking and cleaning. “My independence was taken away,” says Rosie, who previously worked as a life insurance agent and an optical manager.
Rosie is a single mother to a 15-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD. Suddenly, she found it difficult to keep track of his schooling and doctors’ appointments. She also wondered how she would read with her son, who loves the Harry Potter series.
The Wayfinder Difference
Rosie enrolled in Wayfinder’s Davidson Program for Independence, where students train in braille, independent living skills, assistive technology, and orientation and mobility (traveling independently and safely), so they can reach their greatest levels of independence at home, at work and in their communities.
Since enrolling, Rosie has taken cooking classes and relearned how to type on a computer. “My goal is to get back to work, get my independence back and be able to show my son that even after everything, I can still get up and be independent,” she says.
At a previous program, neuropathy in Rosie’s fingers, caused by her autoimmune disease, had made braille impossible to learn. The devices she tried didn’t produce dots distinct enough for her to feel. Wayfinder provided a sharper device so she could read the dots, which is one example of how Wayfinder individualizes services for each person in our programs.
Beyond helping Rosie lead a fuller, more productive life, the Davidson Program has given her back the ability to manage her son’s care. Through assistive technology training, she can keep track of his appointments and use her phone and email again.
Wayfinder also introduced her to the world of audiobooks, and Rosie appreciates their vivid soundtracks. “My son and I read all the Harry Potter books, and I was able to watch the movies with the voiceover audio description. It was amazing,” she says.
Giving Back to Her Community
Rosie is working toward returning to school, with the goal of becoming a licensed clinical therapist. “I want to be able to help people going through the same situation and get them through whatever disability they have,” she says.
In the meantime, she’s found other adults at Wayfinder who can relate to her situation. “It feels really good to be able to talk to somebody who knows what I’m going through and is experiencing the same difficulties,” Rosie says. “We tend to work together to get advice and overcome challenges. I no longer feel isolated, and I’m now connected to a new community I didn’t know I could be part of.”
October 13, 2026