Courtney Crauthers

EDMOND — About five years ago, Edmond resident Jeannie Massay began losing her eyesight.

Doctors told her it was related to her diabetes and two forms of glaucoma that were hereditary. Massay now is legally blind, and has an aesthetic eye after the glaucoma put too much pressure on her right eye, causing the iris to burst.

“When I started losing my vision I felt in some ways like I was the only one to go blind,” she said. “I didn’t feel in the beginning like there was a lot of hope or expectations to live a productive life.”

She went to the Carroll Center for the Blind in Boston to learn independent living skills and met other blind people from Oklahoma. When she returned they helped her get involved with the organized blind movement.

Now, Massay is a community leader of that movement as the president of the Central Oklahoma Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.

“The organization basically works to improve life for all blind people,” she said. “We really believe in independence and aggressively seeking independence.”

In early July, Massay will “March for Independence” with 1,000 other blind people at the NFB Convention in Detroit.

“It’s going to be an opportunity to network with other blind people across the country to exchange ideas and learn about new technology,” said Steve Shelton, treasurer of the Central Oklahoma Chapter.

The convention will address issues that need recognition including the Braille literacy crisis, quiet car legislation that focuses on ways to create noise in hybrid cars and ways to make electronics more accessible for the blind.

The actual march will raise money for the organization to help promote some of these issues. Massay said her goal is to raise $250 for the march and she already has raised about $100. Michigan Sen. Carl Levin and celebrity Martha Reeves, former singer of the Motown group Martha and the Vandellas, will participate in the Motor City March for Independence.

One issue to be addressed at the convention that is dear to Massay’s heart is increasing the awareness of Braille reading. She said less than 10 percent of the blind can read Braille. She said the NFB is seeking legislation that Braille be taught to children that are blind in public schools, and that their teachers have a National Braille Certification.

A whole generation of blind people were graduating from high school not being taught Braille and leaving school somewhat functionally illiterate, Massay said.

“If you start as a child it’s relatively easy to pick up,” Massay said.

The Central Oklahoma NFB Chapter is raising money to start a local Braille class. Massay said an instructor already has volunteered their time to teach the class, but they need to buy books. The chapter also is raising money to help with transportation, which is another dilemma for the blind community, she said.

Massay currently contracts with the Oklahoma State Department of Rehabilitation’s Visual Services to teach basic computer skills to blind people. She said she eventually wants to implement a state program designed to focus on both blind individuals and their families. To make this happen, she is studying for a master’s degree in counseling at the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Funny enough, losing my sight gave me the opportunity to go back to school and finish what I started,” Massay said. “It’s really neat to talk to people and give them a sense that life doesn’t have to be a tragedy for them. If I could help share that with anyone it’s worth it to me.”

She said it is her hope that the public recognize that having a disability does not mean a person is incapable physically or intellectually and that all people should be treated equally with respect.

TO DONATE to the March for Independence in Massay’s name, visit www.marchfor-independence.org, click on “sponsor a participant or team” and search for Jeannie Massey. (Note: Massay is registered on the Web site incorrectly as Massey.)