Seeing the world is a very natural part of life. But for those with a visual impairment or blindness, even simple tasks like eating a meal can be a challenge. To demonstrate this, the students from the Wilson High School IM ABLE Club hosted a unique “Dine in the Dark” fundraising event, all to raise money for a custom made adaptive bike for Jazlaya, a 3rd grade student at Whitefield Elementary.
Born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, which is an underdevelopment of the optic nerves causing blindness, Jazlaya doesn’t let the medical label define her or stop her from being successful in life.
Saturday’s dinner, catered by Klinger’s at the Airport served a delicious side salad along with the main course of spaghetti and meat balls. Participants were faced with the challenge of eating the meal completely blind folded with the help of student servers.
Over 200 people attended the event, which was a surprise according to David Noyes, faculty adviser of the Wilson IM ABLE Club. Expecting the turn out to be in the teens, he was overwhelmed by the support from the community. By the end of the night the fundraiser collected more than $1,000.
The mission of the IM ABLE Foundation is to remove obstacles that prevent people affected by disabilities from being physically active by providing grants, resources, fitness opportunities and motivation. We change attitudes about the potential of disabled individuals by redefining what is possible.
