BostonSight PROSE Preserved Our Son’s Vision
Sometimes fate has a way of playing a part in our lives. Dave Seyfert was studying to be an English teacher when, during his last year of college, a bell choir came to his college to perform. The choir comprised of children with Down Syndrome and Dave was immediately taken with their performance. His interest in special education began that day. He completed a master’s degree in special education and was certified to teach children with visual impairments, and a few years later earned a second master’s degree at Boston College in orientation and mobility. While earning this degree, Dave lived, worked, and took classes at Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. Today, Dave’s an orientation and mobility specialist who works with blind and low-vision children in schools and communities throughout Long Island. He teaches daily living skills including advanced travel training. Pre-pandemic he’d take children into New York City for trips to Kennedy Airport, the Bronx Zoo, and the Met Cloisters Museum. Once training is complete, the children may have 200 hours of subway travel, for instance, under their belt. “I’ve taught children with visual impairments for almost 40 years,” says Dave. “I’ve worked closely with ophthalmologists and optometrists and taught many students throughout their public-school careers so they can live more independently.” For someone without vision issues himself, Dave knows more about the effects of vision loss on daily living than most people. In 2006, Dave’s son was diagnosed with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1), a [...]
