Do you know your purpose? Did you know that people who have a specific purpose in life live longer, are more successful, and are happier?
Like purpose driven people, organizations also thrive when they strive towards living out their purpose. Our purpose is to provide Blind and Low Vision students across Maryland with a high quality, no cost, education so that they can live their best life.
I see our purpose in action every day as I walk around campus. Wherever there are students increasing skills under the guidance of our staff, I immediately see a strong sense of our purpose in action.
At The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) we know that every student can learn. We See beyond students’ learning differences and work with them to find their purpose.
Our goal as an organization is to put our purpose into action. We have set forth our top priorities for the year as the following:
Our #1 action goal isto navigate MSB through the ongoing pandemic and keeping students and staff safe.
# 2 Employee Empowerment: To elevate and improve the employee experience and foster a culture of celebration for the many cultures represented in our staff and student community.
#3 Funding & Resources: To increase financial resources for MSB and advocate for competitive pay for staff. To advance the campus construction with a plan for completion by 2028.
#4 Continuous Improvement: To restructure programs for greater student integration on campus and in their home and community.
As an organization we will work together with the community to raise our voices and amplify disability awareness. I’m pleased to share that we are partnering with Maryland Public Television (MPT) on the documentary, “Becoming Helen Keller.” The program will air on October 19 at 9 pm on MPT to honor National Disability Employment Awareness month.
If you would like to learn more about disability awareness, check out the webinar “Disability Culture in the workplace and education,” which is presented by Conchita Hernandez, MSB Statewide Blind and Low Vision Specialist. You can also check out these informative videos and share them with your circle of friends and family. When I Call Myself Disabled and 504 Demonstration
This month, we also celebrate White Cane Day on October 15 with the rest of the United States. Did you know that MSB has been a national leader in the use of the white cane? Read more about it on our website page the White Cane Connection!
I look forward to sharing more with you next month.
Rob Hair
MSB Superintendent