Graduation, College & The Empty Nest.

Hi everyone! It has been a while since we posted an update. This is Kim/mom and I hope you are well. Kai graduated high school back in May and moved to a huge college campus in August – 4 hours away with 40k students! He’s 6 weeks into his new college career and is thriving. He rates his college experience as a 9 or 10 out of 10. We are so thrilled for him!

He graduated his mainstream high school as Valedictorian. You can watch his valedictory speech by clicking here. The support we received along the journey was simply amazing. We have met the most incredible people in the blind/low vision community. We have worked with amazing mentors and educators and we have grown so much. Most importantly, Kai has developed the confidence and skills to advocate for himself in a university setting. He’s working closely with his vocational rehabilitation counselor, his professors and the University’s Disability Resources Center to get access to the education he desires. He’s traveling all over the campus and town independently with his excellent orientation and mobility skills.

This blog allowed us to record major milestones, meet amazing people and it opened many doors to experiences and adventures. I’m so grateful for the time we’ve spent together and I will remain available to parents of blind and visually impaired kids. If you need support, please click here to access our contact form and I will respond. Kai and I will continue to participate in panels, podcasts, webcasts, etc., so if you have an opportunity for either of us, please reach out. You can find our most recent content by clicking here to access our features page.

If you’d like to reach or follow Kai directly, I’d recommend clicking here to visit his Instagram page at www.instagram.com/Kai.Owens.

We will continue to update and promote our friends in the blind/low vision community on our family’s advocacy page. Click here to go to www.instagram.com/NavigatingBlindness.

And, don’t forget about our t-shirt shop: www.EyeSwearApparel.com Blindness Advocacy with a twist. Great gift ideas for you and your blind/vi friends and all proceeds go toward Kai’s educational expenses.

We look forward to getting to know you and continuing to navigate blindness together. — The Owens Family