The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. is proud to announce STCU’s Here for Good Foundation at Innovia Foundation as a Lighthouse Community Partner for the Lighthouse Orientation and Mobility Program Campaign in the Inland Northwest this February.

STCU’s generous sponsorship will help provide approximately 160 hours of Orientation and Mobility training to Lighthouse employees in Spokane. STCU is a critical partner in helping offer essential skills training that has a lifelong impact among the Lighthouse’s 40 blind and DeafBlind employees in Spokane.

Orientation & Mobility (O&M)

Orientation & Mobility (O&M) is the process of navigating your physical environment – a vital part of the human experience and a natural barrier for those who are blind and DeafBlind to maintaining independence and accessing the resources they need. The Lighthouse’s O&M Program provides extensive 1-on-1 training in workplace and community navigation, helping foster safety and self-sufficiency in Spokane. Our comprehensive training offers instruction on 18 learning topics, including long cane techniques, risk assessments, route planning, street crossing, and transit systems access. Participants receive essential field practice to navigate their work environment and community independently. In some cases, they can also learn to establish routes to places like the local grocery store and post office and gain access to innovative travel aids and traffic control devices that further support navigation.

Our O&M Program empowers individuals who are blind like Shawn Dobbs, the Lighthouse’s VP of Administration, to live a life free from restrictions. As Shawn explains, “Freedom is what we’re all after — freedom to live a life not of restrictions but of opportunity.”

STCU’s Commitment to Community

We are grateful for STCU’s continued partnership and steadfast commitment to serving communities in the Inland Northwest. Founded in 1934, STCU is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative helping members serve the Spokane community. To learn more about STCU’s commitment and services, visit their website here.

To learn more about how to support the Lighthouse Orientation and Mobility Program in Inland Northwest, check out our campaign webpage here.