Five years after attending Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey’s technology program as a high schooler, 23-year-old Aaron Grimes now spends his Tuesdays teaching others without sight all the ways their iPhones can serve them.
“I like sharing my knowledge, and making someone’s life a little bit easier,” he said. Aaron was pre-school age when he became blind. He was born with both congenital glaucoma and aniridia, a genetic disorder that prevented his irises from fully developing, he said. Aaron doesn’t recall much about his sighted years, but has memory of colors. An infection that hospitalized him for weeks claimed all his sight except for a little light perception in his left eye. Aaron attended public primary schools in Jersey City, where he’s always lived. “When I was a kid, I didn’t feel included,” he said. While attending a high school for the blind in 2017, his rehabilitation counselor encouraged him to take classes at VLANJ.
“I learned how to use advanced apps on the iPhone,” he said. One of his favorites is Seeing AI [Artificial Intelligence], which reads documents, handwriting, and barcodes on products, and identifies denominations of money. With Be My Eyes, a sighted volunteer appears on video and provides assistance. Volunteers have helped Aaron adjust his thermostat and pick out clothing. For news, he turns to NFB-NEWSLINE from the National Federation for the Blind, which reads aloud articles from popular sources.
A quote in purple letters reads: “I like sharing my knowledge, and making someone’s life a little bit easier.” – Aaron Grimes
“I still use all of them,” he said. When VLANJ reopened in-person classes in September, Aaron began volunteering with the mobile technology program. He takes two Access Link buses to get to Denville, often spending two or more hours traveling each way.
On a recent Tuesday, Aaron was showing Susan, a student with glaucoma, how to use the VoiceOver app that reads what is on her screen. “Aaron is great! He really helps me,” she said.
Aaron is typically paired with an instructor in the morning, and then works one-on-one with a student in the afternoon. He is eager to teach advanced apps, but understands students need to know the basics first. Aaron also makes sure students’ iPhones have the latest updates. “They call me `Zippy’ because I’m fast,” he said with a laugh.
Aaron hopes more younger adults discover VLANJ, but for now, he enjoys helping the older participants. Volunteering with VLANJ has given him purpose. “I’m happy with what I’m doing,” said Aaron, who lives with an older brother and sister-in law. (His mother died 10 years ago.) “I like spending time here. It’s nice making friends.”
Donations to Vision Loss Alliance can be made online at vlanj.org/donations or by mailing a check to Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey, 155 Morris Ave., Suite 2, Denville, NJ, 07834, ATTN: VP of Development and Communications Jennifer Singer