My name is Clarice Cocco and I live in Austin, Texas. I started with Macular Degeneration and then Glaucoma developed. Oh this is a person from Blind Services, they said to me, "Have you thought about braille?" Maybe that would be a good idea. And I said to her, "Oh I'm, I'm much too old". As I was 85 when she told me that. And then wasn't very long before I was a student at Hadley. I was fascinated by braille. I just, I just couldn't wait to get to the next lesson. And there were, there were times when it was really difficult and there were times when I would call the instructor and I'd say, before we start, please know I am not going to quit, but today I want to. I label my croquet hooks with braille. And even my health insurance card, I have marks so when I go to the doctor I don't have to say, "Which card do I give you?" But each time, it just makes me feel better about myself.
Because there are things that I had to let go, but there's so many things I can still do because I know braille. Life changing moment for me, to learn about braille because its been so helpful. To help me be just a little bit more independent and each time that I do something during the day where braille comes in to play, that each moment just gives me a lift, I just, it's just, like I say, it's really been a life changer for me.