Angela Rader, 53, is among the more than 20 percent of those born and raised in rural America. Angela describes her hometown of Ash Flat, Arkansas as a close-knit, proud, community of neighbors and friends who always support each other, but is more than a two-hour drive to the nearest "big city" resources.
After graduating college, Angela joined her family's hometown accounting business where she began noticing the need to use multiple magnifiers to see numbers and view accounting ledgers. With a history of genetic eye disorders in her family, Angela was eventually diagnosed with macular degeneration. "It was devastating, I felt so much despair and went into a long period of depression and isolation," said Rader. "I wondered what I was going to do with my life. Losing my independence, my ability to work and drive a car was devastating." Rader's feelings are not uncommon for those new to vision loss, studies indicate that mental health symptoms among those with visual impairments are diagnosed five times higher than the national average.
After months of not leaving the house, Rader turned to the internet for help where she found Hadley. "When my doctor told me 'nothing can be done,' it was devastating. I thought my life was over. Then one day, I just sat up and went to the computer and typed in 'Who helps blind people' and Hadley was the very first thing that came up. I needed to re-learn how to use a kitchen knife, make a meal and find my way around a room. Very practical things I previously took for granted."
"Being able to access resources that empower the visually impaired improves the quality of life for older adults with vision loss or are blind," according to Ed Haines. "For those in rural areas of the country, online and distance learning has been a real gamechanger, particularly when in-person assistance is difficult to get to or not available during the pandemic. It has opened up a world of opportunity for those with visual impairments."
Rader has since worked her way through more than 140 Hadley workshops and tutorials on everything from navigating a room, hobby crafting, putting on make-up, and even classes and discussion groups on entrepreneurship for the visually impaired. During the pandemic, Rader relocated to her new hometown of Pensacola, Florida, where she applies all she learned through Hadley to get around her new home and become engaged in the community, her church and with others.
For her prolific commitment to learning, providing feedback on online content, and exemplifying Hadley's mission to empower adults with vision loss or blindness to thrive - at home, at work, and in their communities, Rader has been named a recipient of Hadley's HEROES Award.
"I can’t thank Hadley enough, it's amazing what that they have done, they have given me gifts that I will use and share with others for the rest of my life."