From Isolation to Independence

Diane Goodman

For most of her life, Diane Goodman navigated the world without a roadmap. Having lived with blindness for most of her seventy years, she spent a long stretch of time unaware that an organization like NewView Oklahoma even existed – a place specifically equipped to help people like her not just cope but truly thrive.

When she finally found her way through NewView’s doors, something shifted. “I picked myself up, got my education that I didn’t get when I was a young girl – my GED and learned how to do Braille,” she says. “I really felt more excited and more good about myself.”

Those accomplishments meant more to Diane than the credentials themselves. Before NewView, she describes retreating inward and feeling like she wanted to “just sit around and feel sorry for myself.” What pulled her out of that wasn’t a single program or breakthrough moment, but the steady realization that she wasn’t navigating this alone. “It’s not only me in this world that are legally blind,” she says. “NewView has reached out and helped them…to know what it feels like to be more independent.”

That sense of community extends to the staff. “NewView has awesome teachers and administrators and guest assistants to help you in every part of the organization,” Diane says. She’s also quick to point out that the experience goes well beyond any one skill or service:

“It’s not just Braille. They’ve got a lot of important things that you can participate in – you’ll be able to not just do one thing, but a lot of things that’ll make yourself and your life fulfilling.”

Her story is proof that it’s never too late to find your footing – and that the right community can make all the difference. For anyone in the Oklahoma City area who might be hesitating, Diane’s message is simple and direct: “If you want to learn a lot that you don’t know, get in touch with NewView.”