How we began
Blind United President Ed Davis and Vice President Cheryl Thurston met in 2013, then met 2nd Vice President Brittney Mejico in 2016. Ed became totally blind in 2008 after living for 30 years visually impaired. Cheryl became totally blind in 2000. Brittney was born with a visual impairment. They all met at the Service Center for Independent Life in Claremont, California.
As they spoke, they realized that learning to live as a blind person was a bureaucratic nightmare.
- Getting assisted technology was difficult and expensive.
Some training programs require trainees to travel out of state for weeks or months, and then return to California to find a job.
- The Business Enterprise Program, which provides food service programs to blind people, required six months of training in Sacramento, meaning that people had to leave their homes and families for an extended period of time.
- Internships were unpaid.
Ed, Cheryl, and Brittney knew there was a better way. With Blind United, they are removing out-of-state training for certain programs and returning to on-the-job training. They are also creating hassle-free internships.
What the future holds
Blind United encourages people to do what they want to do without all the hassles. We have created an organization that implements positive learning experiences to turn the negative aspects of blindness into positive ones. We are creating a center to assist the blind community in any way we can.
We have Blind United Interest Groups where anyone can participate from home online at no cost, covering topics such as assistive technology, gardening, jewelry, cooking, Braille, and more!
We are also currently working on a quality training center in California that implements no barriers or out-of-state training.
Our Mission Statement says it all:
To promote individuals with any disability, not limited to those with visual impairments.
Including but not limited to providing the opportunity to learn and maximize skills, which will allow them to become independent in today’s ever-changing society.
Also, to determine skill sets of individuals based on what their disability is and provide training for the following: Interviewing Techniques, Braille Reading and Writing, Independent Living Skills, Assistive Technology and Orientation and Mobility as well as any other training necessary for independent success.
We invite you to join us on our journey to create a more accessible and inclusive world for people with disabilities.