Driving with Stargardt’s
Almost 20 years ago, Susan Reed started to notice that her eyesight was deteriorating. Soon after that, she learned that her failing vision was due to Stargardt’s Disease, a hereditary macular (central retinal) degenerative disorder. Even though Susan is considered high functioning, she had to leave her job as a nurse because she couldn’t see well enough to perform her job properly. In the early 90s, she went back to college and pursued a degree in business.
Susan was left disheartened when she had to give up driving shortly after leaving her nursing job. She began seeing a low vision specialist in Baltimore who informed her that there was a law in the works which would permit certain low vision people to drive with the help of bioptic telescopic lenses.
With a renewed sense of hope, Susan applied to the program, earned a learner’s permit, was tested and passed the daytime driving test. In doing so, she became the first person in Maryland to get a license under this law! As long as she stayed violation free for a year, she could then take the nighttime driving test. This more intense test involved driving for 45 minutes on the Baltimore Beltway with 3 examiners in her car – to think I was nervous during my driver’s test! Susan passed with flying colors, but doesn’t like to drive at night and feels much more comfortable during the daytime. The law requires that she be retested every year and thus far, her eyesight has remained at a level that permits her to keep driving.
“I tend to view my eye condition as more of an inconvenience than an impairment,” says Susan. “It’s a stumbling block to work around, but I don’t let it stand in my way.”
She truly hasn’t let her condition get in her way – Susan worked for 7 years as an office manager for the fundraising company Joe Corbi’s Pizza Kits. In fact, this is where she was introduced to ZoomText and has been a user ever since. She motivated herself to relearn the computer skills that are vital in the business world, now that she could see the screen again.
“I choose to focus on things that I have control over,” states Susan. “Since vision loss is not something that you have power over, it’s important to take things in your own hands and turn your life around. ZoomText has let me do just that.”
While she was working as an office manager for Joe Corbi’s, Susan and her husband Steve set up their own construction business run out of their home. Her husband and son Greg did the construction work while Susan managed the office.
About three years ago, Susan changed jobs and started work at Lily Pons Water Garden in Adamstown, MD. Susan had always enjoyed water gardening as a hobby, so this job was perfect for her. She has 2 water gardens at her own home – a small 600 gallon pond and a much larger 1600 gallon pond – both with waterfalls.
She still kept up with all the bookkeeping at their construction company until last year when her duties as Sales Manager and Events Coordinator at Lily Pons began to take up most of her time. Lily Pons is an aquatic plant farm with a showroom stocked with everything you would need to put in a backyard water garden. Susan is in charge of a sales staff of 5 and is the go to person for technical questions about the mechanics involved in water gardening. She definitely keeps busy – what with planning weddings on the grounds and coordinating the annual British car show, among many other activities.
Currently, she is working on the new Lily Pons website which is set to go live very soon. Susan credits ZoomText and says that there is no way that she could do her job without it. While Susan uses ZoomText at 5x magnification every day at work, her normally sighted coworkers love to use it at 2x power. It relaxes their tired eyes, a result of working at the computer all day long. “At Lily Pons, I’m really in the public eye,” says Susan. “It’s a great opportunity for me to be an advocate for the visually impaired.”
Water gardening is a seasonal business and Lily Pons closes for the winter and reopens again in March. During the off time, Susan switches gears to basket weaving. In fact, after our phone interview, she was headed to her mom’s house in Pennsylvania where they both teach basket weaving classes together. Their work is often displayed at craft fairs as well. “I’ve always been an ‘artsy’ person,” says Susan. “When my vision went, basket weaving was perfect for me because it’s big enough for me to see.”
In her spare time, Susan enjoys four wheeling and loves riding around on ATVs. In addition to their son, Greg, Susan and Steve also have 2 daughters, Jennifer and Meredith and two grandchildren, Ethan, 5, and Lexi, 2. Pictured above with Susan is Garnet, their Doberman that they recently rescued and they also have 3 cats! Life is certainly busy at the Reed household, and we are glad ZoomText has allowed Susan to work at a job that she enjoys so much. If you are interested in learning more about Lily Pons, please visit their website at www.lilypons.com.
