Romona Gekler Builds Confidence Through Mobility Training

When Romona Gekler reached the other side of the street during an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training session at Vibrant Works, she celebrated with four words: “I conquered my fear!”

Fellow participants applauded as she stood beside her instructor, white cane in hand.

For Romona, 65, that crossing was a big step toward keeping the independence she has always valued.

The Houston-area resident experienced significant vision loss in 2018. She is now legally blind, with no vision in one eye and limited vision in the other.

“I’ve always been independent,” she said. “I just feel like I have to continue life.”

Romona raised her daughter as a single mother, and she wants to keep taking care of herself without always relying on family. She bought a white cane, hoping to learn how to get around on her own.

That goal brought her to Vibrant Works, where she began building her travel skills with O&M Specialist Ernest Burton.

At first, crossing the street with her cane was frightening. She worried about slipping or falling.

“I was petrified when I first started,” she said.

With practice, her confidence grew.

“I can do this, I can do it,” she remembers telling herself.

Stairs had also been a fear. By the end of her weeklong training, she was going up and down the stairs on her own.

Romona also learned practical skills for everyday life, like using a device to identify currency and folding bills to tell denominations apart. And she found encouragement in meeting others with vision loss and learning from their experiences.

“It’s very inspirational,” she said.

Looking back on her search for support after losing her vision, Romona said, “This program was the door to get me the help that I needed.”

Through Orientation and Mobility training and other independent living services, Vibrant Works helps people with vision loss build practical skills to navigate their communities and pursue their goals.

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