In a corner of her cozy living room, at a huge sewing table, Lou Nerren, 82, of Raymond, spends much of her time sewing the totes, handbags and fleece blankets she sells at Cottage Industries, the Raymond business she shares with her daughter, Jani Cummings.
A former schoolteacher and an astute businesswoman, Nerren deftly feeds the fabric through the machine, coordinates materials and adds the Maine Made label to each completed item.
In preparation for her store’s end of May opening, Nerren’s already started the arduous task of cleaning out the barn that houses Cottage Industries for its summer season.
Pretty impressive for an 82-year-old. Especially for one who’s been declared legally blind.
Nerren suffers from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for those 55 and older. Although the reason it occurs is not fully understood, the disease, which affects 10 million Americans, causes the deterioration of the middle part of the retina, resulting in blind spots.
But with the help of the Iris Network, Nerren has learned techniques that enable her to continue doing the things she loves.
Based out of Portland, the Iris Network assists people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. The organization got its start 100 years ago as the Maine Institution for the Blind and operates as the largest independent resource for the blind in the state.
The Network offers a wide range of services, free of charge, that foster independence and encourage success for its clients.
That independence and success for Nerren means being able to continue to perform the necessary day-to-day chores in her own apartment and to pursue her career as a craftsperson. She has been assisted in this process by Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Pam Barnes.
Barnes worked as a special education teacher for many years before coming to the Iris Network. Although she enjoyed teaching, she says she absolutely loves this job. And if the special rapport between Barnes and Nerren is any indication of the relationship she maintains with the rest of her 30 clients, it’s obvious why.
Barnes treats Nerren with dignity and respect, never taking charge but always asking what Nerren needs. The two clearly have a good time together.
When Barnes first visited Nerren, she evaluated her needs and connected her with the right people to supply the solutions. Since Nerren was a candidate for vocational rehabilitation, she was able to get Zoom Text, a computer program that reads the text out loud, uses special, more visible symbols on the screen, and enlarges the letters, converting them to white on a black background to eliminate glare and ease eye strain.
Barnes also helped Nerren fill out piles of paperwork to become a member of Maine Made, qualifying her to have her work featured on their Web site, www.mainemade.com.
“It was a long, involved application in the first place and it was hard for me to read,” Nerren said. “Pam helped me interpret what they were asking for and then helped me complete it.”
But it may be in the little things – the things most people take for granted – that Barnes has helped Nerren most.
Discovering it was next to impossible for Nerren to thread her needles, Barnes gave her a special gadget to make the task easier. She also supplied her with better, brighter lighting to illuminate the sewing table’s work surface.
And for other everyday activities, like check writing, applying makeup, using directory assistance or using appliances, Barnes’ products and suggestions have made an amazing difference in Nerren’s routine.
Check templates and large-print checks, a special magnifying mirror, free local directory assistance and special adhesive dots and puff paint to mark preferred appliance settings have all provided simple yet effective solutions to aggravating problems.
“What Pam did for me is she watched me work and figured out what I needed and helped me get it,” Nerren said. “Pam has brought me things I didn’t even know I needed.”
Recently, the Iris Network opened the Iris Park Apartments in Portland, a facility that allows visually impaired individuals to live on their own, sometimes for the first time in their lives.
Although Nerren isn’t looking for an apartment, she can’t say enough about all the program has done for her. And she’s not alone in the area. Barnes has a number of clients right in the Lakes Region.
To contact the Iris Network, call 774-6273 or visit the Web site at www.TheIris.org.
Lou Nerren, age 82, from Raymond, sews tote bags and blankets to sell at Cottage Industries of Raymond, the business she shares with her daughter Jani Cummings. Here, Nerren is assisted by Pam Barnes, a vision rehabilitation therapist from the Iris Network in Portland.Send questions/comments to the editors.
