Sight N' Vision From Vision Loss to Vision Forward: The I3S Story

Reverend Ray Razor and Renee welcome Joyce Brooks, co-founder of the Inspirational 3 Support Group (I3S), to share her powerful journey through vision loss, grief, and resilience. The conversation explores peer-based emotional support, independence, faith, and how I3S has built community for blind and visually impaired individuals over the past 10 years.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

This is a Razor Edge Production, Site and Vision Disability and Senior Talk Radio Show, heard here on the Wash Ear Radio Hour. And here's our host, Reverend Radio Ray Razor.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Greetings. Welcome to Site and Vision Disability and Senior Talk Radio Show, a show about disability rights, disability services, and your disability dollar. Your voice, an advocate, voice your concerns, voice your opinion, but please let your voice be heard. Our mission is to bring to you the people, the places, anything that can change your life for the better, which is inclusion into society, which is living more independently in your home and in your community. America, welcome to Psych and Vision Disability and Senior Talk Radio Show. I am your host, Reverend Radio Ray Razor, your friendly neighborhood networker. Our motto is increase your network and you'll increase your net worth. And behind microphone number two is our hostess with the Moses, Miss Renee. Again, our listening audience, I am your host, Reverend Radio Ray Razor. Even though I've been blind for more than 60 years, when I was a male lad at 13 in the DV, that's the district of Maryland and Virginia, I had a firecracker that exploded in my face, which we call a cherry bum, and blind to being both eyes. But in spite of that, every morning I rave, I rise, I feel blessed, highly favored, and I know God is good. Greetings, and how are you today, Miss Renee?

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Reverend Ray, I am great. I mean, the weather is flawless, the daffodils are out, the cherry blossoms are almost in full bloom. Uh uh March madness is starting. Pretty good, pretty good month, I'd say.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Um, and I'm mad because we ain't got Joe, we don't have Georgetown in there, we ain't got America, we ain't got nobody inside. So I am mad. But anyway, that's a whole different uh, I think that's our therapy uh uh uh uh uh show.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

But we'll we'll that might be appropriate for today then.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Okay, well we shall see. So, Mr. Day, what is our lineup for today?

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Well, I want to start with this setting boundaries, feel your feelings, mindfulness. These all have become buzzwords for people prioritizing self-care. Now, 10 years ago, to think like that was visionary. Joyce Brooks, one of the three co-founders of I3S, an online support group for blind and visually impaired persons, is our special guest today. Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Welcome, welcome.

unknown 3:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

Thank you for inviting me, Ray Raisin.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Well, the first the first time we treat you like a guest, so you know, Miss Renee, get you a glass of water if you want it, and uh, you know, we'll take your coat and hang it up, but after that, we treat you like family, and you know what that's like, okay?

SPEAKER_01 3:20

My family well.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Well, yes, yes. Alrighty.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Well, Joyce, what prompted the formation of the group?

SPEAKER_03 3:30

Renee, I think what happened was we have NFB, we have IB and on and on. At the end of the day, there was nothing for the psyche. Um, to be able to talk to people peer-to-peer that was going through the identical thing that we all are going through, and that's losing our vision.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Okay. Now, I mentioned that you were one of three. Who are the other founding members? Uh, Lois Staves, Reginald Pratt, and myself, Joyce Brooks. Okay. So you you you started talking about why a support group for persons who are blind and low vision. Aren't there enough services already uh to meet that need?

SPEAKER_03 4:16

Again, there's nothing for the psychic. There's nothing for that person just going through losing their sight. They don't want to hear from somebody their sight. They want to talk to their peers. And so that's what made us get this group together. We came together and said, you know what? We need to talk to our people and relate. And it began from that.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

So, why a peer groups group? Um, why a peer-based group instead of having a professional come in and tell you how you should feel and what you should know.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

You just more or less answered your own question because I'm blind. I can relate. I went through the depression. I know what it is to say, why me? Why me, God? You know, why not me? So, with that being said, um, I I never knew what I was gonna do once I retired. And look at God. 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Now, you mentioned you have a visual impairment. Can you tell us a little bit about your vision loss journey?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Mr. Nate, just let me jump in here right now because George mentioned 10 years ago. Uh, so I want to say that uh 10 years ago, uh, I started with WOL Radio Show, a program called which we're doing now is uh uh sighting disability and senior talk. So we were trying to launch different shows um that deal with blindness and disability. And one of the shows was George Brooks, um um uh uh uh yeah uh Laura Staves and Reggie Pratt. And at that time, they was uh what was it, Love, Faith, and Charity? Love, faith, charity and hope. And uh and so that was the show that came on and they did a segment, and from that they launched this, and now it's been 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

So you birth you helped birth that?

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Uh among other things, yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Wow. Yes, well, you know, just and I'm glad that you gave us that clarifying information, Reverend Ray. Um, Joyce, you mentioned visual impairment and your journey. Can you share a little bit about what your vision loss journey was like?

SPEAKER_03 6:40

Well, it comes from being having diabetes. Um, when they tell you you're at the border, you don't want to cross the border, and that's what I did. Um I didn't adhere to what was going on with my health. So my retina detached. And I found that out at an event at the um uh Metal Health Fair, and I went there and to get my eyes examined, and it took them so long to come out. I'm like, what in the world is going on? Guy came out and said, You need to run to the retina specialist because your retina is about to detach. Mercy. Yes. So that was 13 procedures of hair. But I'm going in with what I have, no more.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Okay, so based on going to a health fair, you know, sometimes we think of health fairs as just sort of being, yeah, we're gonna go to it, pick up a couple brochures and get out of there. But at that health fair, you learned that you were closer to losing your vision than you even recognized.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

Well, and I have a question. Did you go immediately to the doctor? Most certainly. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Grant went to Richmond. I went out of here. Yes, yes, I did. I did.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

I was and what was the diagnosis when the doctor saw you?

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Well, he told me that I would have to have surgery. Um, I had to go to a retina specialist, and um, I did all this through Howard University Hospital. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

I mean, so so at that point, when you woke up that morning, probably had plans for the weekend, all this other stuff, your life's changed.

SPEAKER_03 8:21

God had another plan. I didn't adhere to my diabetes, and I can't blame that on no one. You know, and that's why I tell everybody take care of your health. Please do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

You know, when older people used to say that, I didn't understand it. Now that I'm older people who understand it more so. And you know, all we can do is tell young people because they're going to do what they're going to do, but um, there's a lot of truth, a lot of truth in that. So, okay, Joyce, you're told at a health fair that your retina is about to um detach. You are told to go straight to the doctor. What did the doctor say and what went through your head as you heard the what the doctor had to say?

SPEAKER_03 9:13

I'm thinking, why was I so hard-headed? But see, I have to admit um being a diabetic, when you borderline, you better take it serious. You know, you can't say, oh, I got another year, I got another two years, I need two more cakes or whatever. No. No, you have to be proactive, get on a diet, and take care of your sugar. Right now, my A1C is six. Oh, that's good. Because I want to live.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

Is that good? So for those of us who aren't familiar, is AC.

SPEAKER_03 9:44

Anything under seven. Anything under seven is good. Um, I had it 5.6, and that means that determines what your sugar was for the past three months.

unknown 9:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:56

Okay. One time it was 12. So. So now what what? Wait a minute.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

One time, whoa, one time it was what?

SPEAKER_03 10:02

My sugar was running 12 and 14. Whoa.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

Yes. So when you talk about changing your lifestyle, what did that mean exactly on a day-to-day basis? What did you take out of your diet? What did you put in your diet?

SPEAKER_03 10:16

Um, starches. Um, eating a baked potato is just like eating a cup of sugar. That's the way my doctor told me. One time I went to the doctor's office, I had a diet Pepsi. He he took the Pepsi from me and put two dollars in my hand. Right today you might have to give me eight. But um, I took it and I was very upset. It was upset because it was nice and cold, had a little sliver of ice. But he said, any soda is not good for you. And um, I'm trying to teach my grandchildren that. You know, you gotta take care of that tempo.

unknown 10:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

And you said you didn't listen. What do you say that makes them listen or do they listen?

SPEAKER_03 11:03

They listen because they do not want any part of this blindness. They don't want no part of that. You know, um, right now I have a son at home that's diabetic, and he said he tells me all the time, I don't think I'm gonna eat that. I don't wanna be like you. You know, so that's Jonathan. Y'all know my Jonathan. Yes. He's artistic, but he got better senses than the rest of my grandchildren, okay? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

And I want to come back to that. So um, everyone's vision loss story is unique, but there are some recurring things. What did you do? You say you you you had 13 operations. Procedures. 13 procedures. After the first procedure, did you get the outcome you were looking for? Of course not.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

They keep doing. I I went to Howard, I went to John Hopkins, and it's it's just a lot in that pill. It's experimental. You know, they just don't know. So I've had shots in my eyes, I've had laser, and you're talking about something that's painful. Um, the last, very last surgery I had, I can hear them hauling at me, breathe, Joyce, breathe. And I'm going, I'm not breathing. And so after that, I had a conversation with the man upstairs. No more. I have a tiny, tiny bit of sight, and I'm born in with that.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

You know, i3S is an emotional support group, and we want to come back to that theme. So we we we have your physical story, what was going on with you. What was going on, what was your emotional response?

SPEAKER_03 12:50

I thought I was Mr. Magoo. I don't know if you're familiar with it. Oh, yeah. I thought that I could get in my truck and try. And I have to tell this story. I had to go get a prescription at the Walmart. I couldn't find no one to get my prescription, so I put my son in the truck with me. I got I drove to Walmart, which is less than a mile and a half up the road. I went, I did fine. It was like three in the evening. Coming back, I'm stopping at the light. Who did I butt up against? The police. Okay. Wait, wait, you, you, you said butt up against him. You hit him? Yes. I tapped him, Renee. I tapped him. Okay. Um, because I couldn't see well, you know. So it's about five in the evening at that time. So I tapped him. This officer petreated, he he just fell out of the car. I got out the out of my truck and said, sir, you might as well get up. Because the only thing I can give you is my son. And I, you know, he got up, he kind of looked at me. I said, I'm gonna admit to you. I'm visually impaired. I told him the whole story. He got in his car and left.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Wow.

unknown 14:07

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

So you with that being said, um, you were the first person that ever told me black people could drive, and I didn't know what it meant. Thank you for telling me the story many years later. Now I know exactly, but most of us try not to hit the police officer because they just want to let you know.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

It had something like that had to happen to make me understand. Take that truck and park it. So I did that, and forever and ever I just would go out there, get in my truck, start it up, put a CD or some music in or a movie until I said one day, nothing's enough. It has to go. You know, reality set in, and um, I went through the depression.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Yeah, I want to come back on the other side of the break to talk about that depression because I think that that's really important for our listeners to hear. Um, this is the Washington Year Radio Hour, the local voice of the blind, low vision, and print to say we are heard here every Thursday at 5 o'clock p.m. Eastern Daylight Time now. Um, this week's show is Setting Boundaries with Joyce Brooks, one of the co-founders of I3S, an online support group for blind and visually impaired persons. Um Joyce, you talk about depression. Describe depression for people who don't understand depression.

SPEAKER_03 15:36

Losing your independence and driving was my main um source of just, you know, getting out. My ultimate plan was to drive across country once I retired. So now my thought is I'll get somebody to take me, you know, and you couldn't couldn't tell me I couldn't do it myself. But um the the normal depression of asking why, and God told me why not me again, and um just not wanting to be out. Just I got it look like the sun would come up and the sun would come go down, and I'm in the same spot, not eating, just out of source. So that's more the reason why I can relate to anyone that's going through the depression stage. I don't have a degree in any of that. It's called self-experience. Uh this is what I've gone through, and I can relate to these folks. And I I have a little bit of sight, and I can't promise nobody what I'll go to when I lose it all.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

And you know, I just want to give some background. Uh, you had this great big truck because you had a big-time job at where?

SPEAKER_03 16:59

That's the Goddess Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, girl. Yes. Um, I used to drive past there as a younger child, and I told my dad, but it was leaving up piled up in the station wagon. I said, Daddy, I'm gonna work over there. He said, sure, you're right.

unknown 17:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

And um, I stayed focused with that. I can remember putting in an application, you know me. I would call and say, uh, my name is Joyce Brooks. Um, I'm just checking to see by any chance did you stumble across my application? I did that about 20 times. So one day, a guy, uh, I never forget, I can't remember his name, and he worked in the EEO office, and he was military. And I said, sir, he said, wait a minute, hold up. What did you just say? I said, sir. He said, My children don't say sir. They call me by my name. They said, I will come and pick you up, and the rest is history. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Now had your had your sight had your sight begun to deteriorate at that point, or you were still fully sighted.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

Fully sighted. I didn't start losing my sight until 2009-ish. 2009.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Okay, can I just ask you about how old you were at that time? I can't remember that, Renee. But but you start. But I but I but let me just I wanted to to know because you know, people lose your sight at different stages and ages, and I don't know, and and I want to talk to you uh uh about uh that uh after Reverend Ray asks his question about does it hit people at different ages differently?

SPEAKER_00 18:36

But Raven, Revan, go ahead and um Yeah, because you forgot to come to back to me after the break. We'll work on that. Oh, yes. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So anyway, yeah, I have to ask. Yes. Uh so George, uh, what year did you start working for NASA?

SPEAKER_03 18:55

1971? So I graduated in 1970. But my first job was at the Navy Department across from PG Plaza. Okay. I worked there uh as a summer student a couple of summers, and that added to my 42 years.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

So you uh also for 42 years you've had uh worked. Oh, okay. And how many years for NASA?

SPEAKER_03 19:22

Um probably they, you know, they calculated that summertime, so I'm gonna say about a year of summer job. Oh. And the rest of it was um working at NASA.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

And Ms. Renee, before you um, just before you get up to talking to Joyce about some more about her site, I want to say I um uh uh, you know, um Joyce, my connection with Joyce is that I uh went to a church called Word of God Community Church. And her brother Tim, uh, which is cited, he uh also attended the church and we started a men's gospel group called Men of Praise. So Tim would come over to me and say, uh, Reverend Ray, um, I have a sister that's losing her sight. And I I want you to talk to her, or how can I share with her that she needs to get some services? And it would, and when he would come talk to me, it made me think back about when I lost my sight and and what I had to go through. And I would tell him that, you know, everybody come to this differently when they come to it. Because for me, even though I lost my sight when I was 14 years old, I uh did not accept I was blind until many years later, till I was like 21, I accepted that I realized I was blind, like George said, and okay, this is the way it's gonna be. So I would tell him that uh, you know, that that all you can do is just talk to her. But she'll have to come to that uh when it's time for her to come to that. But when he would ask me about her, it would remind me of my journey and and uh and where you know where I was and where I'm going uh with that joint journey. So that that was my introduction to Joyce, and I don't know what all uh your brother Tim said to you, if that you know was a kernel uh made you start thinking, okay, well, oh it's oh I heard about this other blind person that could do something. So what was that reaction was like when your brother came to you about he knew a blind person?

SPEAKER_03 21:30

Well, um I I I knew about you, right? And um I've seen you in motion, I've seen how you carry yourself. So that gave me the mindset that there's life after blindness. You know, I just had to come to grips with it. And my brother was hardcore. You better get that cane and you being here, you better, you know, he pussed at me. I had bruises on my legs from falling up my. Stairs, you know, just trying to be Miss Cutie on duty. I don't, I'm not carrying that cane. That's not who I am. But that's my best friend that's right behind me.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Now you have a son, you mentioned Jonathan. Yeah. How did those parental duties line up with the news of your vision loss?

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Well, prior to that, I had another son. His name was Edward. He died in 2007. And we were like two peas in a pot. He was my son, my best friend. And that took me back and losing my sight. To lose your firstborn, you know, I was totally devastated. And um, through all of that, um, I had to bury his father, I had to bury Jonathan's father. So through Christ, I can do it all. And getting back to Jonathan, huh? Oh my God. When they told me he would not walk or talk, I said the devil's a lie. And he's artistic, but anyone will tell you, Jonathan cooks like a chef. Um, he has taken classes through um uh uh one of the programs we had Reed Temple AME. That's a church I um I go. And um uh he's a brand been around the blind community, so he goes everywhere with me and they look for Johnson. So Johnson has started a snack bag business. So he's I got those snack bags, I got healthy ones, bad ones, and and that's how he makes his little money. Um he also cooks and makes casseroles. I'm telling you, I had to put my life on hold when I had Johnson because I tell all the young mothers, hey, they didn't ask to come here. And so to make um uh contact with him, I had to get on my knees and make eye contact because they'll, you know, most children or people that have autism, they will not look you in the eye. But my baby has so many talents because he loves unconditionally, he don't have that, you know. He he'll tell you, people that drink and smoke are bad people. I'm like, okay. You know, he has that insight for a good, genuine person. He said, you know what, mom? That so-and-so is not a good person. And nine times out of ten, he is so right.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Now, had you started losing your sight when you had Jonathan, or had you already had Jonathan by that time and how old was he?

SPEAKER_03 24:46

I had Jonathan in 1991. Okay, and he's 33 years old. So he'd gone through the um cycle of with me losing his sight.

unknown 24:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

And um, like I said, he was 13 when his dad died. Um his dad, his dad died two days later after my first son's father.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Oh my.

SPEAKER_03 25:11

And I had to bury them both.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Wow. Yeah. So you're going you you you have a child who've been diagnosed with autism, you've lost your sight. Where do you turn and do you tell anybody beside your brother Tim who was already who was already giving you the blues?

SPEAKER_03 25:27

I'm telling you, I turned to God, you know, um, in spite of it all. That's who has brought me through all of this. Not man, but God. And um, my relationship with God is it's up there, you know. Um, right now I'm a single parent and I ain't mad at nobody. Uh what's mine is mine. But at the end of the day, um, my son is my life. And my biggest thing, I want him to have independence as much as I can before I leave this earth. And that's what I think about. That's my biggest, biggest thought. In spite of me losing my sight, I think about my son.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

Okay. We understand we can understand that, believe me. Uh, and I can relate to that, George, because my mother, bless her heart, um, I'm the oldest of six kids. And so when I lost my sight in 64, it was just, you know, devastating for her. And just, and we was like friends like you and your first son, Edward. Uh, that uh I would go every place with her. She was just concerned about me. And uh, you know, and I mean and that was up until, you know, that was in 64. And she still felt that way up until 2000, up until 1997 when I married, I got married to uh Miss Renee. That's when she finally felt comfortable that I was going to, you know, I was independent, had a job and everything, but she still, and you'll feel the same way, I'm sure. She still felt protective, you know, of me and stuff until I met a woman that she felt that would feel the same way and care for me the way she did. And that's when she, you know, sort of cut at least one of the apron screens. I won't say all of them, but at least not both of them, but at least one of them. So believe me, I resonate with with your tears and and how you feel right now. Okay. So let's turn the laugh box on. Go ahead. Wait, wait, wait.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

No, I want to ask one final question. You were saying about being mad. Were you ever mad at God?

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Oh yes. Oh yes. And you know what? I went to church with my younger sister who is deceased now, and because she was a minister, and I'm sitting there, and uh the minister just stopped the whole sermon. He said, wait a minute. There's somebody in here mad with God. I'm looking, I'm gonna leave it off. Wow. He came over, extended his arm out to me, and I got up, and um, I was the center of the uh conversation. I don't even know if the minister got to do his sermon because I cried out, you know, I really did, and um, Lord have mercy, I'll never forget that day, but that's something that that really put the um uh uh put the icing on the cake to let me know that there is a God.

SPEAKER_02 28:35

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 28:35

And um he didn't bring me this far to leave me. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

Well, we're gonna get back to that. Uh we're real close to the to the to our break time, so we're gonna take it now. Um this is the wash ear radio hour, the local voice of the blind, low vision, and print disabled. We are heard here every Thursday at 5 o'clock p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Are you looking for an active older adult group that care about all of the issues facing older adults? Check out AARP number 939 of Suitland, Maryland, the only chapter in Prince George's County. President Katherine Williamson invites you to join her every first Tuesday of the month at 12 o'clock noon at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 3611, Stewart Road, District Heights, Maryland. That's Knights of Columbus Hall, District Heights, Maryland. The next meeting is Tuesday, the 2nd of April. Need more info? Call them at AARP 939. I'm sorry, email them at AARP939 at yahoo.com. That's AARP 939 at yahoo.com. Back to our host, Reverend Radio Ray Razor, and our special guest, Joyce Brooks, who is one of the co-founders of I3S, a support group for blind and visually impaired persons. Reverend Ray.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

You know, um there's um saying a little mantra that's going around now in the disability community that says nothing about me without me. And now a person with disability is taking up that banner because for so many years, um, even though we had the 504 in the 70s and then the uh uh the signing of the American Disability Act in 1990, still um there was what we call typical able-bodied persons uh um that uh still was making decisions for persons with disability and persons that's blind. So uh and and so that's why uh a uh support group like uh I3 Inspirational Group has to come about. But also beyond that, still that we are struggling with um independence, with people giving us the quality, the job uh percentage of persons with disability in this country is still uh adults uh that can work uh uh between you know 80 to 90 percent uh do not have a job, and and 4% of that, um and in the percentage of that that do have a job, about four or five percent, they making uh just over a little bit over minimum wage. So we're still struggling with that. And and so in in saying that, Joyce, with your Tuesday night, and you can give the information how to call in uh to the group or the support group, and you don't have to say anything. I mean, you can just listen. A lot of people call in and just listen and you know, and to get to know what other people are dealing with. And you've been surprised. I mean, I have heard when they started this group and people have flowered uh within this group. I mean, with people, you know, now they have confidence, they talk to each other. Uh, even I3S have had events where they come out and go to the movies and go and different things and stuff. So, in saying all of that, Joyce, uh not just in employment, but in the social uh life in the community of the blind, how have you seen it grow as well as where it needs to go?

SPEAKER_03 32:32

Well, with our group, like you were saying, Ray, we take people to the movies. When we go to a movie theater, we have devices that give describe the movie. And it took a while because some of my people were saying, I don't go to no movies. You know, I can't see it. I see, you listen. So one time we went to the movies, I had 14 people that were blind, totally blind. They had a ball. Um, so I started going to the AMC in Greenbelt Plaza. So they give us our tickets for $6. We can get a popcorn and a drink for $5. And Miss Mother Joy's, I got the bag with all the snacks in it. But at the end of the day, um, it gets larger and we go there. We we we have people to take them shopping. Something that they don't get to do because nobody wants to take the time to read a tag or tell them where the cleanse rack is, because that's my baby. And so I'ma do that, and they come out with items that they shop for. You know, um, I have to admit, um, I never knew what I was gonna do when I retired. And look at God. Look at God. You know. It sounds like you're working harder and more than I am. Yes, I am. I have not retired. And you know, my mind, I get up at four o'clock in the morning, and most of the time I'm getting a one-a-card call, Miss Joyce. I just lost my sight. I can't do this. And it's hard for males, it's really hard for men. They are the breadrenners of their family, and they can't see to work. And um, so I say, wait a minute, I said on the side of my bed. Can I get your number and call you in the morning? You know? Doing business.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

Right.

SPEAKER_03 34:23

Yeah, but it doesn't happen that way. Right. I've had ladies screaming, hollering, and I tell you guys, I've lost some people along the way that just could not do it. That had strokes and heart attacks. And I'm saying, calm down. You're gonna have a heart attack, you're gonna have a stroke. It left us her. So that's why it's imperative that they have something like our three S. We need that. We want our independence and they want employment, just like Ray said. These people are talented, they just can't see, they just have to learn to do things differently. And with that being said, we need more opportunities and I'm calling you out, PG County. PG County, you got to come better.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

So you talk about people who are newly blind, people who have been blind for a while. The helpline is available for both. I mean, they can coexist on the same line. How does that work?

SPEAKER_03 35:30

Well, on Tuesdays, we have different topics. The first Tuesday of the month, we spotlight a person, whether they've been coming on the line or they're newly blind, and they want to share their stomach story. Sometimes we record it, but it gets so heavy and it gets so hot. We have to stop the recording because they get emotional. Um, and then we have friends and family. Um, we have Tech Tuesday, um, and then we have um Trivia. Oh we have game night. Oh my gosh, they have a ball with that. On Thursdays is health and wellness. We do chair exercise. So wait, there are two, two, two uh nights a week. Oh Tuesday and Thursdays from 7 to 8:30. That's what we say. Sometimes it goes over because they just want to talk. And sometimes we'll tell them, we'll shut the segment down. And if you want to talk, let's go at it. And I'm we stay there. We have not missed a Tuesday or Thursday. I don't care. A lot of people can't hang with us. They'll say, do you ever take a break? For what? This thing ain't about a break. You somebody gotta be there. And if we can get one person to uh adjust to blindness and be ready to take a class or whatever, let me tell you, we had the uh pre-conference call. And so we went from pre-conference call to Zoom. So, okay, most of my people are seniors, they're not tech savvy. We took them from the landline to get on Zoom, and we did not leave one person behind. And I applaud that to my team. I have a heck of a team. I have good board members. We have a seven board. And um, I went to Baltimore back in the beginning of uh 2014. Myself and Harriet Davis, we went to Maryland and got our 501c.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Okay. Yes. Now, George, would you mind giving your number? Because if you try to give the um the three numbers to call in, that might be difficult for blind people out there. So would you give them your number that they can call and get the information? During business hours, please.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

But yeah, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

No, I'm just kissing.

SPEAKER_03 37:51

When you go on our website, WWI3S Foundation, Inc., it's on our website. It's on my address and phone number. So um my phone number is area code 301-529-8218. Okay. And um yeah, we give that once again. 301 529 8218.

SPEAKER_01 38:18

We'll give that again at the end of the uh at the end of the show. But you said I3S website. Yes. Give us that address too.

SPEAKER_03 38:27

Um www.i3s foundation. Yeah. Um, we have a website. Um, take a look at it. It's um um we of course we need to update it. We want to get some pictures on there as well. But God is good, God. We we don't we don't have money. All of us, you know, we've been doing this just from, and like I said, we had our first fundraiser, but through God, we've had donations, you know, of sorts. But um is there a donation button on that website? Um, call Joyce Brooks. Okay. That's the donation button. Yeah, because a lot of people don't do Catch App, sale, right, and PayPal and all of that. So I'll come to you. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

Now, you know what? You talk about, we talked a little bit about newly blind, we talked about people who've been blind for a while. Um, so is the i3S, and again, that's the inspirational three support line, is it a place where for people who have been blind for a while and as a resource for them, also for newly blind?

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Yes, as a matter of fact, we reach out to people, we got people coming on from Mississippi and Ohio, from several states, and um they can participate in our live uh uh uh things that we do, but they these people come on every Tuesday, every Thursday. Um, our biggest crowd is on Tuesday, but um I have to say it's so near and dear to me because to be able to help one person. So one of our resources is one right here at Washington Ear. Um, they gave us a resource that they give out free echoes. So if you call me and you live in the state of Maryland, you can receive a free echo. We don't ask for your blood type or any of that. Um and then there's another source through Merlin Relay. That if you qualify, you can get a brand new iPhone 15. With that being said, I work with the churches, Word of God, Retemple, we give out food. We've helped people with resources on housing, um, clothing. Oh my gosh, and the beat goes on. And um, one of the things that I want is a brick and mortar. I know that's kind of absolute, absolutely noun, but I want a one-time come in the door, get housing over here, get this kind of education, get you some clothes, yeah, get you some food. Yes, that's my dream. Alrighty.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Any advice for persons who are not ready to share on the I3S line?

SPEAKER_03 41:23

Just listen, like you said before. Come on in line, and then after a couple times you hear somebody, uh, this so-and-so already knows the participants. I look at that participant list and I'm saying, hmm, that person has been coming on for a while, you know. Um we have an ongoing list of our uh folks with the emails, texts, or how a way they can get to us. And um, that's how we do it.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Now, do you ever employ professionals to come on the line?

SPEAKER_03 41:55

Oh yes. Oh yes. Um, we do meditation. We have a lady that comes on with that, Miss Dana Parker. Um, we have people come on to talk about finances, the AVO program, um, insurance, help insurance. When you don't understand the breakdown with that book that they sent us, that you can put as a doorstop, like a yellow page book, and nobody can see that. But I have somebody come on to answer questions. I give a prime example. Yesterday we had Tech Tuesday, we had um uh uh Tawan Palmer come on and talk about soon using the chat because I was like, I didn't do this, you know, but he broke that thing down, use all whatever. He did it on the computer. We talked about doing it on your phone, and you know how hard it is for some of my seniors. They call the computer the devil.

SPEAKER_02 42:58

Okay, wow.

unknown 43:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

I wanted I wanted I wanted to talk about something. i3S just celebrated their 10th anniversary in a very unique way. Now we're up against our break. So we're gonna take this break because I do not want to interrupt or miss anything about this celebration. So this is the Wash Ear Radio Hour, the local voice of the blind, low vision, and print disabled. We are heard here every Thursday at 5 o'clock PM Eastern Daylight Time. Our special guest is Joyce Brooks, one of the three co-founders of i3S, an online support group for blind and visually impaired persons. Uh back over to Reverend Ray.

unknown 43:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:52

Um, yeah, and I and and uh asking about you celebrating your 10th anniversary. And when you all got started. And people should pay attention to this. You know, sometimes we analyze till we paralyze to put something together. And I know Reggie had this idea and he was just going through, well, well, we need to do this, we need to do that. I told Reggie, I said, Reggie, just get a phone line and start talking. Okay, because sometimes, you know, we try to do too much groundwork. Sometimes if you just got 40% of what you want to do, just start it. I mean, and George and Reggie and Lloyd started it. And then they filled in the rest of the uh the parts, you know. I mean, some people want to wait until they get aboard. These people, they want to wait until they get this, but sometimes you just have to go ahead and do it. And I congratulate George and them for celebrating their 10th anniversary. And she's gonna tell us about the sneakerball.

SPEAKER_03 44:59

Oh wow, oh well. I had gone to several sneaker balls, and the concept of a sneaker ball is you wear your sneakers. And the first time I went to one, I'm like, oh my gosh. I can see a little bit, so I can see all these blinged out sneakers people had on. And they had on African attire, gowns, suits, uh, you name it. Dress through the nine. Um, of course, the guys wore the nice hats. Um, so I said, you know what? That's what we can do for our anniversary. So people are like, I don't have bling bling. I said, look, come as you are as long as you don't wear your birthday suit. Um, I'm gonna tell you, um, I had picked a venue. I wasn't too cool about it because it was down in Clinton, and we have to be mindful of metro access because if you're not grandfathered in, you can't go certain places on Saturday. I wanted to have this event on a Saturday where people chill, got, you know, but I had to have it on a Friday. So I had it at the Knights of Columbus on Turi Hill Road. That worked out well. I had a band. And I'm gonna tell you a band live. Okay. The band had about eight or nine people, and it was ran by a woman. Um, she's a manager, and it's called All In. Oh. And you know what? When I talked to Mr. Patrick Clark, I said, Mr. Clark, I said, I'm gonna tell you right now, I need a DJ because I know we can't afford a band. He said, Miss Joyce, tell me about your group. So I told him all about the group, what we do, what we've been through. And so he called me. He said, we'll work something out. So I'm like, oh Lord, does he take independent card or what? Even though I have one. But I'm just saying. But it worked out. He did it for nothing. Wow. Nothing. We had a cater, Miss Anita Minor. She came. We had um, I have to say, we had fried chicken, barbecue chicken, real salmon, macaroni, cheese, um, sweet potatoes, uh uh, salad, roll. Um, it turned out nice. Um, I did an auction. I did auctioneering in my career at NASA. I sold government equipment. Um, I I um did that um the last 10 years of my time there. Um I did a lot at NASA. I had many, many hats because I came through the ranks of being a clerical. So back to the ball. Um I did the auction. We had a pie that I auctioned off for $100. Oh, yeah. What a pie was that? A sweet potato pie. Oh. A sweet potato pie. Oh. Yes, and you all know Sean Callaway, his mom made two pies. I asked for one. She made two. I had the privilege of tasting her pie. I said, mmm, this would be good. We had a homemade seven up cake. We had um banana pudding cookies that were, yeah, they went for $40. But I'm saying, the, you know, and just to hear the band, the people in the band say it, I've never been around blind people. I've never seen blind people in action. The guy said, I would not know these people are blind if they didn't have their stick. I say it's called a white cane. So we got him straight. He said, anytime, Miss Brooks, if you have anything, he said, you are phenomenal. I don't remember you sitting down to eat. I didn't eat. And I have that energy because my brothers are just like I am. But it went well. Um, I even I met some guys, I met a guy at IB, that's another blind group, and um, for the first time. And I was telling when we were having the event, he said, Well, all I got is five dollars. I said, So do you come on down. You know, I'm like, hey, we don't pay, we have enough money to pay the catering and pay the venue. Come on down. That man won't stop ringing my phone. She had a good time. He said, All I do is sit in the house and do nothing. I said, guess what? You got a newfound family. So put your skating, put your roller skates on. Because we don't keep still.

SPEAKER_01 49:35

That's for sure. All right, and that's what it sounds like that's more important is building the community.

SPEAKER_02 49:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

And Joyce, you have the knack and the ability to do that. Not everyone does, but you certainly do have the ability. What? What what what are the next steps for I3S?

SPEAKER_03 49:59

Well, one of the things now that the COVID is somewhat in this ugly head, um, there's people still getting COVID. And that's why I have my mask on now and Richard Renee kind of pulled down. But um, I'm saying um we want to do more. We want to get out and show the community what we're all about. And like I said, like when we go to the movies, we're in the mall. And we can hear people say, because you know, we got the train going on. Everybody holding on each other's shoulder, and we're walking on down the mall. Oh my God, that's a bunch of blind people. And you got people following us, they're looking, you know. I have to admit, I knew nothing about blindness. I took care of a young lady when I was babysitting. Her grandmother was black. But they kept her in a room. They kept her in a locked room. One day they didn't lock that room. Joyce Brooks went in the broom. I'm saying, hey granny. She said, hi, sweetie. I said, Granny, you know how to make biscuits? She said, Yeah. I got granny out of that room, and granny came in the kitchen and made biscuits. I put her back in the room by the time the lady came back and she said, I smell biscuits. I said, Yeah, I do too. You know? But from now, I think that was my opening to know to watch that blind lady make those biscuits. She said, put everything in front of me. Every time I ask you for something, give it to me. No measuring spoons, no nothing. Those were the best biscuits I ever had in my life. And I was young, oh, had to be about 15, 16 years old, doing a little babysitting, because I babysat my life or what? Um, I had a military strict father that didn't play that. But um, but that being said, um I have to say, God is good.

SPEAKER_01 51:59

And I should be preparing you way back when you were 15 and you didn't even know it. Um, you talk about walking in the mall with other blind people. Is the point of I3S, Inspirational 3 Support Group online, it's for the blind community, but is the is the physical appearance at AMC and the uh shopping and all of that, is that to educate the general community also to what the capabilities are of blind and low vision persons?

SPEAKER_03 52:30

Yes, it is, and I'm glad you mentioned that, Renee. I had an instance where I had an event at NASA because I was president of Blacks and Government. So, you know, that's towards the end when I was losing my sight. And uh, we had an event there. They would allow me to have very various things there for my blind community. I can't remember what it was. I have had so many things, but it was for a resource day. So I asked the young lady, I said, can you take Miss So and so? Because you had to come to the front gate to get to building eight. So that meant you could walk it or get on a bus or whatever. This lady was a little elderly. So I said, can you take her? She said, it's put her in my car. I'm like, okay. I said, she's not gonna wet up your car or do whatever.

SPEAKER_00 53:25

So you're gonna catch blindness.

SPEAKER_03 53:28

I don't know if I can do that. I was like, shocked. I'm I I proceeded to go along with what I was doing, but that put another taste in my mouth. You know? I'm like, what is going on? You know, I almost felt like back in the day how white folks felt about black folks. You know, because I can remember that day. I can remember my mother knocking me over and say, don't drink out of that fountain. So, with that being said, I said, you know what? I really gotta get involved with this. Because this is a different kind of prejudice.

SPEAKER_01 54:06

Yes, it is. And and that's well said, it's a different kind of prejudice. Um can a person who I want to go back to something you said earlier. You talked about one of your days, family and friends. What is family and friends today?

SPEAKER_03 54:20

Family, family and prayer and friends was set up so uh at one point I can remember meeting Ray when he had uh place that time, right? We met and we would have our um, we would have people come in person. This is way before COVID, and um, we would come have a bite to eat, and um Ray was putting that on. I can't remember what the name of that was, right? We were doing. Yeah, we had that building, and yeah, so um we would come and uh Reggie Pratt, Laura Stays, myself, we would invite the family.

SPEAKER_00 55:00

Oh, yeah, we wouldn't remember that? Yeah, what it was, Renee. That's when we had, that's when we were involved with Syntech. And at that building, we would have uh we had them come in the evening. You might have forgot about that. And that's when uh Carl, what you call and her mother, Bernice, and and and all, and we would meet and have and and and talk about blindness and stuff. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 55:22

Yeah, and let me say this right. I can remember a mother and daughter, I'm not gonna call the name, came to the event and the daughter was feeling overwhelmed with the mom, you won't let me do this and that. They had their breakdown and they both hugged each other. Yeah, and and hey, she was like, I didn't hear mother say, I didn't know you felt that way.

SPEAKER_00 55:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:44

You know what? I'm like, look at this.

SPEAKER_00 55:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 55:48

And you tell me I couldn't do, I hope to live to do 10 more years. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 55:53

Well, I hope you do too. And unfortunately, time waits for no man, woman, and even Joyce Brooks, yes, who can do all things who strengthen her. So, can a person who wants more information or is just curious come on and learn more? And how can they do that?

SPEAKER_03 56:10

Yes, I invite anyone that, you know, coming through all of this, all of us are gonna suffer a disability of some sort. And if when it's your eyes or your deafness or your legs, you're gonna need everybody. So if you know of anybody losing their sight and they need help, need somebody to talk to, again, my name is Joyce Brooks, Inspirational Three Support Group. My number is 301-529-8218. And it's been a pleasure. I I I appreciate you having me come on.

SPEAKER_01 56:49

Well, we want to thank you for listening to the Metropolitan Washington Ear. Reverend Ray, any closing thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 56:55

My closing thought is that um at the age of 65, for every three persons turned to 65, one person out of that is gonna have a visual loss of some kind. And then especially with the baby boomers, uh, that was that crazy group that did anything they felt big and bad enough to do. Uh and um, and so therefore, uh, and about 72 to 78 baby boomers. So you all experiencing those visual problems. So please uh call George uh at 3015298218. And this is uh Sight and Vision Disability and Senior Talk Radio Show, and we thank Metropolitan Washington here. Uh, and you can call them also at 301-681-6631. That's 301-681-6631. They always looking for volunteers. Um, so please check them out on their website is washear.org and this Reverend Ray. And I like to say, I might not have sight, but I can have vision, vision, vision. God bless and be blessed.

SPEAKER_01 58:14

Thank you for listening to the Metropolitan Washington Ear, the Wash Ear Radio Hour, the local voice of the blind, low vision, and print disabled. Want to hear this show again or one of our past shows? Go to our website, washear.org. The Wash Ear Radio Hour. Episode number 11, show number seven, the Subject Inspirational Three Support Group, I3S. This has been a Razor Edge production.