“Typical Tim” lost his vision 5 years ago. While he only has 5-10% of vision left, he can still make out a bit of contrast, so he really likes getting out on the water to see the horizon and the reflection on the water. While enjoying being on the waves, he can hear the boats and the tide rolling in around him and can relax taking in the auditory experience in a safe way. Tim says that Power To Be provides him with the opportunity to be supervised in an safe and enjoyable outdoor setting that he normally wouldn’t partake in without great difficulty, “Power To Be knows the accessibility of the trails, and the people coming on program. It is important and makes it so I can get out and do things.”

One of the things that keeps bringing him back to Power To Be is being able to experience all the different seasons of the year. The ocean and mountains are a big deal on the west coast. In the winter, Tim loves to be on the mountains taking in the snow during snowshoeing programs, and in the summer getting out in a kayak. During different seasons, Tim says that the forest smells different – he depends on his olfactory sense for clues on what is around him. He specifically remembers walking down the path and could smell blackberries, he also says that snow melt smell is a different smell than the summer rain, and likes that nature can afford him these rich experiences.

Some program highlights for Tim are exploring Cleveland Dam and Rice Lake. He says that this was a really neat program day because the program partnered up with an Indigenous Group who talked about the trees and the forest and some other stories and histories of the band that was in that area. The hiking path during the program was very accessible, so he got to focus his attention on the forest surrounding the group.

There was another program which discussed water spruce troughs and provided space to think about what was happening in the forest 70+ years ago, and Tim found this very magical. Tim says “My disability is my vision and to have those things pointed out makes the experience way better and closer to what I had when I had vision”.

Tim says that Power To Be reduces the risk so he doesn’t have to second guess what’s going on which allows him to feel a sense of security. He also loves the company during Power To Be programs, fellow participants talk about what is going on around him and he always feels connected to his surroundings. Tim is happy to be a part of what everyone else is a part of.

Thank you for being a part of Power To Be Tim! We love having you out on program.