Dear Friends,

INsight Online is a monthly news update from the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We're interested to know what you think of the content, or if you have any news or information that you'd like to share. Please give us your feedback at

In this month's issue...

Drivers play key role in carrying out Agency mission

Delivering person-to-person vision rehabilitation services to blind and visually impaired clients is the mainstay of GDABVI’s services since its beginnings. Many of our professional providers are blind or legally blind and cannot drive. In order to continue to serve clients in their homes, where the training they receive is most effective, GDABVI relies on committed paid and volunteer staff to drive to clients’ homes and assist the staff with their work.

Our drivers/educational aides literally keep GDABVI on the road and in the neighborhoods…driving staff to client’s homes, presentations, and community meetings. They provide sighted guide for the therapists as needed and are often referred to as “the eyes” for staff and even clients, when assisting during service visits.

GDABVI maintains its own vehicle that is used by the drivers who work a part-time schedule, usually two days per week (8:30 – 4:30, M-F). A love of people and driving in all sorts of weather within the seven counties of Southeast Michigan is a requirement. Their commitment and devotion to the agency and our clients is noteworthy.

Six years ago, Arlene Zalewski had retired from her career in banking but wanted to keep active. She came to work at GDABVI as a part-time driver and teacher aid.

“It’s really been an interesting experience,” she says.

Dave Lemaux, a retired construction engineer, also wanted something to keep him occupied. He now drives for the Agency as well.

“I enjoy the work and think it’s rewarding to help people,” Dave says.

“It’s more than just driving a car,” Arlene says. “I’ve been able to help a lot of lovely people.”

GDABVI is currently accepting applications for paid and volunteer drivers. Applicants must possess a current Michigan driver’s license, show proof of an excellent driving record and current auto insurance. A criminal background check is required of all GDABVI employees and volunteers. GDABVI is an equal opportunity employer.

If you would like to learn about how to become an Agency driver, call Christina Schlitt in Human Resources at 313-272-3900.

GDABVI reaches out to Lions Clubs across metro Detroit

The economy is taking its toll on southeast Michigan, that’s why we thank the individual Lions Clubs throughout metro Detroit that have chosen to support our mission to help those in our communities with severe vision loss.

Outreach Coordinator with commitment to children celebrates 24 years with GDABVI

Mary Beth Kullen loves working with children.

“I love their enthusiasm and curiosity,” she says.

This month marks her 24th anniversary at GDABVI, where she is currently the Outreach Coordinator and oversees the Agency’s children’s programming.

After coming here in 1985 from the Detroit Radio Information Service, she initially worked on the Agency’s 4-Sights Network, which was a pre-Internet system for visually impaired individuals across the country to share and gain access to information in an electronic form. She began working with children in the late 80s when the Agency offered computer camps, and has been working with young people ever since.

This coming summer will mark the sixth consecutive year she will coordinate GDABVI’s Summer Enrichment Program, which includes two summer day camps, a Goalball camp and a Sports and Technology Camp. The camps utilize a variety of collaborators and resources throughout southeast Michigan to offer unique learning opportunities for young people with severe vision loss to develop the skills of independence.

“I like working with community partners in ways that integrate kids with visual impairments into our broader community and allow them to become independent,” Mary Beth says.

GDABVI salutes Mary Beth Kullen for her commitment to the success and self-sufficiency of young people with severe vision loss.

To learn more about GDABVI’s programming for young people, call 313-272-3900 or visit our Children and Youth Services page.

My perspective – Judge Paul Teranes

Earlier this month, the popular late night comedy show, Saturday Night Live, once again featured Fred Armisen making fun of the blind condition of David Paterson, governor of New York. Armisen portrayed Paterson as a bumbling blind person with the disfigurement of a roving eye. This attempt of juvenile cruel humor has rightly raised the ire of the blind and visually impaired community.

David Paterson lost most of his vision at a young age through an infection that took all the sight in one eye, and left only limited vision in the other. Paterson was the son of a Harlem politician, and entered politics himself after graduating from law school. He served as an assistant district attorney, and then became a New York State representative rising to the position of minority leader in the legislature. Paterson was elected to the position of Lieutenant Governor when Elliott Spitzer was elected Governor of New York. When Spitzer resigned his position as governor, David Paterson became the first visually impaired Governor of New York.

Since taking office, Paterson fulfilled his duties as governor dealing with the difficult tasks such as trying to balance the state budget during difficult economic times. With his usual sense of humor, Paterson would at times joke about his visual impairment. It took Fred Armisen and Saturday Night Live, however, to go beyond the bounds of propriety, and make the mocking of David Paterson’s visual impairment an insult to him and all blind or visually impaired persons.

To portray Governor Paterson as a bumbling disoriented blind person gives the image that if one is blind or visually impaired he is unable to hold down a job and contribute to society. The image of a bumbling blind person who does not know where he is may be funny to some, but it is insulting to talented hard working blind or visually impaired people.

Some may say that Saturday Night Live has been making fun of public figures for years, such as their humorous impersonation of Bill Clinton and Sarah Palin, and making fun of David Paterson’s visual impairment is just more of the same mocking of public figures. There, however, is a difference. As Carl Jacobsen, head of the New York affiliate of the Federation of the Blind, said in the New York Times, “They were picking on Sarah Palin for what she did, not for what she was”. That short sentence sums up the impropriety of Armisen’s portrayal of David Paterson. He did not make fun of what Paterson did, but of his visual impairment.

As a person who is blind, I do not want the public perception to be that I am a bumbling idiot as portrayed on Saturday Night Live. In reality many people who are blind or visually impaired are contributing members of society working in many fields of endeavor with the ability to get around independently.

Let’s hope that like the jokes of old people falling and not being able to get up; mocking people for their blindness becomes a thing of the past.

Paul S. Teranes is a retired Wayne County Circuit Court Judge. He is also a current member and past president of the GDABVI Board of Trustees.