Building Relationships at Richcroft
Living with a visual impairment is not uncommon, nor is it a reason not to live a meaningful, fulfilled life. More than 2 billion people – roughly one-third of the world’s population – live with some sort of vision impairment. We at Richcroft support many incredible individuals with disabilities, including those living with visual challenges. We pride ourselves on being able to match those seeking our services with phenomenal support professionals, who can provide that extra bit of guidance and help overcome obstacles, work through daily challenges, and share similar perspectives. Many of these special relationships are founded on mutual trust and a kindred friendship. Jessica’s story is an example of one such relationship.
Jessica and Sheila grew up in the same neighborhood but didn’t know each other until they met at The Maryland School for the Blind. Sheila had attended the school as a young person with a visual impairment, and both she and her mother Pat were employed there when Jessica became a student at the school. Living in the same area and sharing many of the same struggles and experiences, the three developed a close bond. When Jessica graduated and began looking for adult services, she turned to Richcroft for Personal Support Services.
This period of transition can be one of the most challenging times for young people with disabilities – a time when childhood-specific services such as school and after-school programs come to an end and individuals are faced with new responsibilities and uncertainties, and ultimately determining their goals and aspirations for their adult life. Navigating adult resources for the first time can be daunting for individuals and families, which is why we strive to find the right people to help. Sheila and Pat offered to support Jessica during this transition in her life by becoming employed as members of the Personal Supports Team at Richcroft.
This unique mother-daughter support team was able to provide the kind of insightful perspectives and suggestions that could only come from knowing first-hand how to live, and live well, with visual impairments. They diligently worked with Jessica to help her with her daily challenges and offered her suggestions on ways to take advantage of activities that would enrich her life, especially within the community. Jessica, for example, loves music and thoroughly enjoys feeling the sensation of sound vibrations. As a result, her very thoughtful support team showed her where and how to attend community theaters, high school musicals, band performances, and free concerts in Harford county. They even took her to a disability-oriented movie theater that has impressive accommodations for people with blindness, including providing a special earpiece that explains the visual aspects of a movie.
The more they worked together, the more they grew to understand each other and Jessica’s interests, goals, and needs. Jessica has become a fan of figure skating after Pat and Sheila helped her discover an audio program that describes what is happening on the ice, move by move. This trio has been working together for over nine years — an unrivaled relationship that has truly enriched Jessica’s life in countless ways, especially during the challenging time of transition and throughout the pandemic.
At Richcroft, we believe that both our staff and the individuals they support can benefit from the deep, personal relationships they develop over the years. Being open-minded to discovering new experiences and open-hearted to learning from others are what make the connections forged here at Richcroft so special. Jessica’s story is just one of many at Richcroft that serves to reinforce our belief in the power of bringing the right people together.
If you or a loved one could benefit from any of our services at Richcroft, please reach out. We will be sure to connect you with the resources you need and deserve.