MBS News
Awareness Program Sheds Light on Blindness
Morristown-Beard School seventh graders were given an opportunity to see life through a blind person's eyes when they took part in the School's annual Awareness Program on Monday, December 7th. For the more than 30 years, this event at Morristown-Beard School has promoted understanding of blindness through guest speakers, discussions, activities and field trips.
As part of the program, the seventh graders met with Jane Lang, a blind woman from Morris Plains who told them how Seeing Eye dogs have enriched her life and given her independence. Lang, who grew up in Massachusetts, said she was averse to the idea of getting a Seeing Eye dog at first. Then, one night she was walking home from work when a group of teenagers grabbed her cane and twisted her around several times, causing her to become disoriented. When she didn’t come home on time, her mother called the police, and they found her 45 minutes later.
In 1965, she decided to take a chance and try out a Seeing Eye dog. “It changed my life,” she said. With her dog, Clipper, she can go where she wants, including the Bronx for games with her beloved New York Yankees. Clipper is Lang’s sixth Seeing Eye dog. Lang recently retired her long-time companion Laramie, and she says she has loved each canine companion equally.
She told the students that “you can’t let fear stop you” from achieving what you want in life, and added that feels incredibly blessed. “When I was little, I really only wished for three things: to live in a house with a roof that didn’t leak, to have someone who really loves me, and to have kids,” said Lang. “I’ve gotten everything I wanted and then some. I’ve had one of the best lives anyone ever had – and I’m still working on it!”
The MBS seventh graders also visited The Seeing Eye in Morristown, where they were able to see how Seeing Eye dogs are trained and paired with blind individuals.
She told the students that “you can’t let fear stop you” from achieving what you want in life, and added that feels incredibly blessed. “When I was little, I really only wished for three things: to live in a house with a roof that didn’t leak, to have someone who really loves me, and to have kids,” said Lang. “I’ve gotten everything I wanted and then some. I’ve had one of the best lives anyone ever had – and I’m still working on it!”
The MBS seventh graders also visited The Seeing Eye in Morristown, where they were able to see how Seeing Eye dogs are trained and paired with blind individuals.