Hadley Celebrates Years - The Hadley School for the Blind

1920 – 201090
Hadley Celebrates
Years
spring 2010
generations
t h e h a d l e y s c h o o l f o r t h e b l i n d – e s t. 1 9 2 0
Through the generosity of others, building on the past, bringing life-changing services to future generations

A Letter from the President
On the bar at Charlie Beinlich’s Food and Tap, in Northbrook, Ill., sits
a small handmade red and green wooden schoolhouse with “Hadley
School for the Blind” painted on it. What is most remarkable is that
this “bank” has been prominently displayed at Beinlich’s for more than
50 years, steadily generating thousands in donations for our school.
Also remarkable is that Hadley is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
In 1920, William Hadley and his friend and neighbor, Dr. E.V.L Brown, had
a vision—to teach “braille by mail” so that blind individuals could experience
the joy of literacy. Today, that vision has become a reality. From their first
student, a Kansas homemaker, to the 10,000 students we serve each year in
more than 100 countries, Hadley is now the leading educator of braille and
the largest provider of distance education for people who are blind or visually
impaired, their family members and blindness service providers around
the globe.
With the generosity of donors like the Beinlich family and their customers,
as well as our Trustees, Woman’s Board, foundations and corporations,
Hadley has stayed true to the vision of its founders while expanding
programs to the meet the needs of our students. For example, we are now
offering 30 online courses and 100+ courses in braille or audio formats, and
these numbers are on the rise. Hadley continues to offer “Introduction to
Braille” and “Contracted Braille” courses at no cost to sighted professionals,
thanks to a recent federal braille grant. In addition, we are embarking on
new curriculum, such as our Executive Leadership Institute, for emerging
blind leaders, and we are exploring innovative partnerships with other
organizations serving individuals who are blind to soon offer braille music.
In this issue of Generations, you will learn about the latest “Hadley
Happenings” and enjoy some reflections from colleagues
and friends who have supported our school along the
way. From the little wooden schoolhouse, to having
the world as our campus, we are proud of our
extraordinary accomplishments over the last
90 years and hope you are, too. We thank you and
our friends at Beinlich’s for your ongoing support.
Regards,
Charles E. Young, President
As a Winnetka resident of 14 years, I had long been aware of
Hadley and its importance. I began purchasing the school’s
holiday cards many years ago. When an opportunity to join
the board was presented to me, it prompted me to do further
research into the school. I was very impressed with what I
learned. Since joining the board my respect has only grown for
the school’s mission, its faculty, staff and especially the students.
—Board Chairman Terry Faulk
Hadley is a unique institution with a dedicated
faculty and staff. I’ve witnessed firsthand the
impact the school has had on the lives of
visually impaired individuals and their families.
The need for Hadley’s services is increasing, so
it’s important that we continue to support the
school through annual giving.
—Woman’s Board President Lynne Montgomery

Donor Spotlight
Charlie Beinlich’s:
Serving up a generous portion of support
W
hen Charlie Beinlich’s Food and Tap opened for
business in Northbrook, Ill., in October 1950, it was
all about the bar. Construction crews building the
Edens Expressway would stop by as early as 8 a.m., and
the locals found a new neighborhood spot to gather for drinks
with friends. A short-order cook in the Army during World War
II, Charlie soon realized he should be offering some food with
that beer. Six years later, he was serving up 60 cent hamburgers
and 50 cent chili made by his wife, Eleanor, each morning (they
use that same recipe today).
Charlie’s granddaughter, Linda
Rainey, who now owns the business
with her husband, Tom, says Charlie
feared two things in life: snakes, and
losing his sight. And so, in September
1954, the first “Hadley House”
appeared on the bar.
Bright red and green, with a side
slit for change, the hard-to-miss
houses have been a fixture in the
tavern for 56 years. According to
Linda and Tom, when the bar first
opened, the “language” in the place
was so bad that Charlie insisted
anyone who swore had to put some
change in the “blind box.” He would
then match the amount from the register. Over the years, any
change dropped onto the floor was promptly added to the Hadley
House as well. Sometimes small bets lost over football games
would end up in the Hadley House, too. Linda remembers her
grandfather letting her keep any coins she found while helping
her grandparents clean the bar on weekends. As she got older, she
would add some of her findings to the Hadley House, realizing
the importance of giving back to her community.
Over the years, the houses have seen some wear and tear, so the
family has patched them with glue, colored in paint chips and
even taped on lettering that was falling off in an attempt to keep
the original boxes intact. Linda says they’re a staple in the tavern’s
history and “as much a part of the place as the knotty pine walls.”
Designed by former Hadley director Dorrance Nygaard,
the wooden Hadley House was actually
conceived by Robert Lechner, who served
as the president of Zengeler Cleaners for
many years. A longtime Winnetka resident
and past president of both the Winnetka
Chamber of Commerce and Winnetka
Lions Club, Lechner convinced area
businesses such as Beinlich’s to showcase
them. He also promoted the idea within
Hadley Woman’s Board member Helen Hall, frequent visitor
to Charlie Beinlich’s Food and Tap, makes a donation
to the school while Tom Rainey looks on.
the Lions organization, which subsequently
featured life-size versions of the Hadley
House in their “Candy Day” parades.
Today, only the Hadley Houses at
Beinlich’s remain. Tom says that around the
holidays, they get especially full. He sends
Hadley a check every few months. And lest
you think small donations don’t add up,
Beinlich’s customers and staff have donated
nearly $22,000 to Hadley since the tavern
opened. So, next time you’re at Beinlich’s,
tell ’em William Hadley sent you, have
yourself a burger and fries and give them a
big helping of thanks from us.
If you have any information about the Hadley Houses, please call Hadley’s Communications Dept.: 847-784-2774.
1

2
Age is Nothing but a (Braille) Number
W
hen Albuquerque, N.M. resident Mary Foster was
diagnosed with glaucoma five years ago, she realized
her favorite pastime, reading, was in danger. Rather
than give up the enjoyment of time spent curled up with
a book or newspaper, the former nurse became determined to
learn braille. Today, Foster, 94, is a Hadley student whose braille
instructors rave about her progress and her passion for learning.
“Reading is how I take in information,” Foster says. “I couldn’t
give it up. I asked: ‘Why couldn’t I learn braille if I applied
myself?’”
Foster’s educational journey began when her daughter
helped her obtain a week-long scholarship to Lions World,
a rehabilitation agency in Little Rock, Ark. The purpose was
to learn about living independently with a
visual impairment. At week’s end, an instructor
recommended she continue her braille studies at
Hadley, because courses were comprehensive and
free, and Foster could study from home.
She enrolled at Hadley in 2008, beginning
“Braille Literacy 1,” one of 10 braille instruction
courses the school offers to students with a visual
impairment. She was delighted to be able to
study at her own pace with instructors whom she describes as
“approachable and wonderful.”
Foster found memorizing braille characters easy and
committed the alphabet and numbers to memory quickly. She
experienced a common roadblock to tactile reading for older
braille readers: reduced sensitivity in her fingers. Her instructors
provided ideas and support as she identified techniques such
as using lotion before reading and finger massage to improve
tactile sensitivity. Before long, she was back to reading books for
pleasure. She attributes her success in part to deliberately setting
aside time each day for braille studies and taking her distance
education courses seriously.
Some Memorable Moments in Hadley’s History
1915
William Hadley, a man with a
voracious appetite for reading and
learning, loses his vision as a result of
the flu epidemic of 1915
1920
With his neighbor, Dr. E.V.L. Brown,
Hadley establishes the first school to
teach braille by mail. His first student is
a Kansas homemaker desperate to learn
braille so that she can continue to read
to her children
These days, Foster reads whatever
she can get her hands on and says her
daughter sends “more reading material
than I can get through in a lifetime.”
She just completed biographies of Anne
Sullivan, Helen Keller and Louis Braille.
“I am in awe of all of those people and
their contributions to the blindness
community,” she says.
Though current statistics indicate braille
literacy is in decline, Foster serves as a role
model, letting nothing stand in the way of
her access to literature. According to the
National Federation
“I live alone,
but with
braille I am
never lonely.”
of the Blind, of the
1.3 million people
who are blind in
the United States,
fewer than 10%
are braille literate.
Hadley instructors
cite the perception
of braille as daunting and complicated as
a roadblock to braille education among
senior citizens. Foster’s fearlessness sets
her apart from many braille-shy peers and
demonstrates that braille can be learned at
any age.
Foster intends to continue her braille
studies. “It’s very important that senior
citizens do something to keep mentally
active,” she says. “Braille fills that part of
my life. I live alone, but with braille I am
never lonely.”
1922
The Hadley Correspondence School
for the Blind incorporated
1926
Donald Wing Hathaway
hired as part-time
instructor; serves as
president 1969 – 1975
1930s
Four-year High School
Program initiated
“

Friends Honor Founder, Renew Goal to “Make a Difference”
T
he Friends of Hadley, a volunteer organization that has
supported the school since the 1970s, is always willing to
assist a student in need or address a special cause.
When a Hadley student lost all her possessions in
Hurricane Katrina, the Friends provided her with computer
equipment so she could get back on her feet and return to work.
Over the years they have funded course development and also
provided initial support for the Family Education Program.
After founder and well-loved Friends’ Chair Patti
Willian passed away last March, Friends member
Rosita Schloss stepped up and offered to chair the
group. In February, the Friends gathered at Hadley
for tea and decided to continue the special work they
have undertaken to support Hadley for more than
30 years.
In celebration of
Hadley’s 90th anniversary,
we recently held an essay
contest, asking students to
write a letter to William
Hadley explaining what
the school he co-founded
in 1920 has meant to them
and how they have applied
what they’ve learned to
their daily life. The Friends have agreed
to fund travel for the winner and a guest
to attend Hadley’s 90th anniversary
celebration, accept an award and read the
winning essay to the school’s supporters.
Patti liked to think of the Friends of
Hadley as the school’s “fairy godmothers”;
in her honor, they will continue to be.
Photo, left: Judy Blunck (left) and Rosita Schloss
enjoy catching up. Above: Friends members Sue
Chapman, Judy Petri, Jan Granath and Liz Beck
Taking Hadley’s courses provided the practical, hands-on
information I needed to do my job on a daily basis.
—Mary Kakareka, Hadley School for Professional Studies student
It doesn’t seem as though you would have a personal connection
through distance education. But Hadley is so contrary to that
idea. I’ve developed such good connections and have gotten such
good advice. —Jennifer O’Neill, Family Education student
1935
Lions of Illinois resolves to
support Hadley students
1937
Hadley School moves to
Winnetka Community House
1941
William Hadley, 81, passes
away
1950s
Audio recording of courses
begins (Radio/TV personalities
were readers)
1953
Woman’s Board founded; first
president is Mrs. Ernest Ballard
After starting my courses with Hadley,
I fell in love with learning.
—Megan Tate, Hadley high school graduate
Hadley instructors shared their confidence
”
in such a way as to remove a lot of the fear
of being blind for me. —Dannie Hawley
Adult Continuing Education student
Groundbreaking
for
new building
at 700 Elm
Street (cover
photo)
1954
Richard
Kinney,
one of the
first deafblind college graduates,
joins Hadley faculty; serves as
president 1975 – 1979
3

Hadley Opens Satellite Office in Texas
Billy Brookshire, Hadley’s newest staff member, is a
part-time instructor and Seminars@Hadley moderator
who will also tap his network of contacts to publicize
Hadley’s resources in Texas.
He works out of Hadley’s
new satellite office at the
Criss Cole Rehabilitation
Center in Austin.
Brookshire retired in
December 2008 after
30 years at the Texas
Department of Assistive
and Rehabilitative
Services (DARS), where
he provided a variety of
training programs to DARS
employees and clients
covering topics such as
orientation to blindness
rehabilitation, procedures
for casework professionals
and psycho-social aspects of
blindness. He even taught
Left: Billy Brookshire
and Senior Vice President
Dawn Turco
an orientation course similar to Hadley’s
“Blindness Basics.”
“I am excited to join Hadley’s team of
instructors,” Brookshire says. “Hadley pays
close attention to trends in the blindness
field and offers that insight to students and
professionals who need this expertise to
work with clients.”
In college, Brookshire became close
to his visually impaired roommate and
witnessed firsthand the many challenges
people who are blind face in navigating a
sighted world. He worked as a classroom
teacher and a surgical technician before
finding his true calling as a trainer in the
blindness field. At DARS, he developed a
passion for education and training to help
clients stand out, become employed and
achieve success in school, at work and
in life.
Brookshire serves on the boards of All
Blind Children of Texas and the Hall
of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the
Blindness Field. He lives in Austin with his
wife Debbie and German Shepherd Rex, a
retired guide dog.
4
My Hadley memories start with the remarkable Richard Kinney. He was Hadley’s president when
I joined the Woman’s Board in 1977. Visiting with him through the teletouch was an amazing
experience for me, as was getting to know Jerrie Lawhorn, who was frequently at the school at that
time. Peggy Butow played the piano at every event, as well as during the lunch hour now and then, and
dear Donna Johnson’s ready smile belied all of her health problems, including her lack of sight. Later,
Motivated by community support,
Clarence Boyd Jones, son-in-law
of Dr. E.V.L. Brown, and Nancy
Jones initiate the Hadley School
Building Fund
1956
First Hadley Woman’s Board
Braille Holiday Card
1957
New building at 700 Elm
Street dedicated
”
1958
School recognized by Accrediting
Commision of National Home
Study Council
Linda Perry came to Hadley and is still teaching braille from her California home. What a special
group, all dealing with challenges in an admirable way. —Hadley Trustee Betsey Puth
1971
New building addition dedicated
1973
Garden Guild of Winnetka creates
Hadley garden on premises
1982
Dr. Robert J. Winn begins term as
Hadley’s longest serving president:
1982 – 2001
1984
Parent-Child Program launched

Spring From Darkness Into Light
Ihad the joy of listening to an incredible musician and
dear friend sing: “I sit down in my favorite chair and float
downstream. Let my hand drop in the water and catch a
dream.” My dream became reality as Anne Hills’ rich voice
filled the concert hall at the Music Institute of Chicago during
two past benefit performances for our school.
I designed a 2-CD musical component for Hadley’s Social Skills
Series, addressing social issues through music. Award-winning
acoustic folk musicians Anne Hills and David Roth—both with
Chicago roots—were strong supporters. These benefit concerts
were prompted by their involvement in my music project.
The Nichols Concert Hall, one of the best acoustic venues
in the Chicago area, is typically out of financial reach for a
benefit concert. Rick Kogan of WGN Radio connected me
with Fiona Queen, the Institute’s director of performance
activities, who helped make this benefit concert possible. Local
merchants, blindness agencies and individuals throughout the
country donated raffle prizes and artwork for silent auctions.
The first year’s expenses were covered by anonymous
donations. Many costs for the second performance
were covered by Hadley students who were happy
for a chance to give back
to the school. This
year’s performance
will be entirely
covered by
student
donations.
We’ve raised
David Roth, Linn Sorge and Anne Hills
Join Us!
By Hadley Instructor Linn Sorge
close to $12,000 thus far while increasing
awareness of our school.
“I was thrilled when Linn asked me
to be part of these benefit concerts,” says
Hills. “Blindness is a personal issue for
me. My mother lost her sight to macular
degeneration more than 10 years ago
at a time when she was assisting my
grandmother, who had lost her sight. Both
women taught me about resilience and
patience and widened my awareness of agerelated
blindness.”
“To be able to offer my songs in support
of people who take inspiration or hope
from them is a great honor, so my ‘yes’ was
easy and emphatic,” says Roth. “The natural
extension of the collaboration with Linn’s
project was a live event. These concerts with
longtime friend Anne Hills, in my hometown
and for a good cause, is a dream come true.”
The concert’s musical messages focus on
one’s inner spirit—turning from a feeling of
darkness into light while experiencing the
growth and learning that comes with vision
loss. Several songs address teaching, caring
for others and disabilities. We hope to have
300+ in our audience sharing music as they
support Hadley’s 90th anniversary. Help
make this dream a reality!
April 24, 7:30 p.m. at the Music Institute
of Chicago Evanston campus. Sound clips, photos, event
details and tickets are available at www.hadley.edu/concert.
1988
Hadley-China opens
1996
Parent-Child Program
expands to include family
members of adults who
are blind (later changed to
Family Education Program)
1997
Professional Education
Program launched (later
changed to Hadley School
for Professional Studies)
2002
First High School Graduation
Ceremony held at Winnetka
Woman’s Club
2002
First online course, “Internet
Basics,” offered
2006
First live, online Seminars@
Hadley, “Braille Every Day,
Every Way,” offered
2010
Hadley establishes Executive
Leadership Institute
5

The Hadley School for the Blind
700 Elm Street
Winnetka, IL 60093-2554 USA
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upcoming Hadley events
Hadley Woman’s Board Annual Benefit April 17
Spring From Darkness Into Light Folk Concert April 24
Hadley Semi-annual Meeting/High School Graduation June 9
Annual Meeting, The Edwin J. Brach and Hazel and
Bertram Brodie Annual Award Ceremony October 7
5th Annual Hounds for Hadley Dog Walk October 23
Save the Date!
The Hadley School for the Blind
90th Anniversary Garden Party
Thursday, June 24, 4:30 p.m.
The Marylou Hayford Sensory Garden
www.hadley.edu
Don’t Miss...
The Annual Winnetka Woman’s Club House Walk
featuring The Hadley School for the Blind’s “Sensory
House & Garden”
Wednesday, May 26, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Our mission: To promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs
for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers