Dream To Be An Astronaut Comes True

Press Release
Source: Enhanced Vision
Dream to Be an Astronaut Comes True for Legally Blind Youth
Monday August 20, 8:00 am ET

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--( BUSINESS WIRE) Most young children dream of being an astronaut or a doctor when they grow up, but for children who are legally blind or visually impaired those dreams may seem difficult - and maybe even impossible - to fulfill. For the past 18 years, the organizers at Space Camp(r) for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) have been helping to make that dream a reality by giving thousands of visually impaired kids from around the world a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center(r) in Huntsville, Alabama.

On Sept. 22-27 this year, students will gather at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, which is also the official visitor center for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where they will undergo astronaut and fighter pilot "training" for a week.

"Our goal at Space Camp is to give these kids an even playing field and to provide them with an unforgettable experience," said Dan Oates, coordinator of SCIVIS. "It's amazing to see how much confidence the kids acquire after spending a week here with others who experience similar vision impairments. I've found that many kids who return home and to their schools no longer feel that much different from their peers."

During SCIVIS week at Space Camp, kids will experience what it's like to train as an astronaut and prepare for an actual mission. Activities during the week include:
list of 5 items
. learning to SCUBA dive while changing a battery in a weightless environment;
. learning how to raise a satellite during a shuttle mission;
. training in space shuttle, space station and mission control simulators;
. solving a real-life problem that may interfere with a mission, such as computer failures;
. operating specially equipped space station equipment to complete a shuttle launch and landing mission.
list end

This special SCIVIS week at Space Camp is coordinated by teachers of visually impaired students from all over the United States. During SCIVIS week, all equipment at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is modified with Braille transcription, enlarged print, CCTV's, and voice output on selected computers. The equipment is donated by sponsors, including Enhanced Vision, a leading manufacturer and developer of innovative solutions for people with low vision, the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, Delta Gamma International Sorority, and the Teubert Charitable Trust from Huntington, W.V.

In recent years, kids at SCIVIS have been treated to guest speakers, including NASA employees who can share with them what it's like to put a man on the moon. This year's featured guest speaker will be Dr. Craig Moore, a space chemist from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Moore has been blind since birth and works daily at Marshall determining the chemical makeup of stars.

Registration for SCIVIS is available online at
www.tsbvi.edu/space
. Those interested in attending can sign up until Aug. 31, 2007. Additional information is also available by calling Dan Oates at 304-851-5680.

About SCIVIS

SCIVIS began in 1990 as a program of the West Virginia School for the Blind and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center(r) designed to provide children with moderate vision impairments to total blindness with the same educational and personal enrichment opportunities that over 500,000 students have enjoyed since Space Camp(r) first opened in 1982. During the era of inclusion, where most blind and visually impaired students are educated in the public school separate from their sighted peers, the social experience of working and learning alongside their peers is life changing.

About Enhanced Vision

Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy a play and live again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide.