At 71 years old, Debbie Gabe of Kailua, Hawaii, remains committed to her passion for helping others. After retiring from a career dedicated to helping those with sensory impairments, Debbie continues to inspire and educate all those around her.
Debbie is the first to admit that her personal life journey has been unique, crediting her past as "a powerful force" that continues to guide her today. After completing her education as an audiologist, Debbie moved to the mainland early in her career to accept a job with the Cleveland Clinic's prestigious audiology department, where her work involved maintaining hearing aids and other intricate audio devices. She began to notice that she was having difficulty seeing things like small screws and wires when someone suggested she use a lighted magnifier. It helped for a while, but soon Debbie found herself having to use multiple magnifiers in order just to perform her job.
After undergoing testing, Debbie was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an optic nerve disorder. A form of retinal degeneration, RP damages the retina over time, causing permanent vision loss. Although RP generally runs in families, 50 percent of people with RP don't have a family history of the disease, like Debbie.
"The hardest news about getting my diagnosis was that no one could tell me how fast it would progress," Gabe lamented. In hindsight, Debbie suspects that she had early signs of RP going back to her teenage years. "I first lost my ability to see stars at night, and when I was learning to drive a car, I knew something was off after several minor traffic accidents, I was losing my peripheral vision as well," said Gabe.
Debbie moved back to Hawaii, where she continued to work as an audiologist with a local medical center, as her vision worsened, she realized she could no longer ignore or hide it from others. "I lived in denial about my vision loss for many years and was able to keep my impairment from my family, friends, and at work by using optical reading devices in secret, asking people for rides, and taking many hours to prepare for routine work meetings," said Gabe.
During this phase of her life, Debbie recalls becoming angry and frustrated, until her husband encouraged her to seek help through the New Vision's program at Ho'opono, a branch of the Department of Human Services that provides comprehensive and specialized services across Hawaii for those who are blind or visually impaired.
After getting occupational therapy and orientation and mobility training with the New Vision Program, Debbie gained confidence as her ability to adjust to her vision loss improved. She kept on learning new skills, like how to use screen-reading technology, basic braille, and taking workshops and classes through Hadley. Her confidence has grown to the point that she is now able to pursue interests that she thought she would never enjoy again.
"Hadley has been a valuable personal and professional resource for me for many years," said Gabe. "It's the first place I turned to when I needed help. I love their discussion groups and all their technology assistance allowed me to stay connected to both family and work during the pandemic." Debbie has even recently rediscovered her love of cooking through Hadley. Inspired by all she learned, and discovered she could still do, Debbie decided to make a career transition, applying for a job opening at New Vision Rehabilitation where she first sought help. She worked her way up through several roles, eventually landing a position as an instructor for the visually impaired, where she often referred her students to Hadley’s array of discussion groups and workshops.
Retiring only recently, Debbie stays involved by volunteering to teach braille and running a cooking class via Zoom through the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, where she also serves as President of the regional chapter.
For her commitment to engaging others with visual impairments and keeping them connected to much-needed resources, Debbie has been named a recipient of Hadley's HEROES Award, given to those who help further Hadley's mission to create personalized learning opportunities that empower those with vision loss or blindness to thrive at home, at work, and in their communities.
"Debbie is proof that vision loss doesn't define a person, her ambassadorship on behalf of Hadley and her passion for learning and teaching will assure and inspire many others," said Julie Tye, President and CEO of Hadley.