A medical condition called pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) caused Cathy Maberry to lose her sight partially in 2017. Within three years, Maberry went completely blind. Despite her circumstances, Maberry never lost sight of her goal to complete her degree at Jackson State University (JSU) and pursue her life’s purpose.
In December 2021, Maberry walked across the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in health, physical education, and recreation at Jackson State. Maberry’s graduation cap stated, “Lost my sight but not my vision.” It symbolized her journey at JSU and the tenacity she’d bring to life after graduation. Like most graduates, it took Maberry some time to identify a professional career that felt like a life’s purpose.
“After graduation, I took a break. But then I hit the ground running. I did a post-graduation internship with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) through the Addie McBryde Center,” shared Maberry. “And ever since I’ve been working there, I’ve been putting all my professional skills to use there.”
Established in 1972, the Addie McBryde Rehabilitation Center is a comprehensive rehabilitation center for adults who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind. Through a program of training offered to both residential and day clients, individuals participate in classes that teach them skills enabling them to live and work independently successfully. Clients participate in activities in the Achieving Milestones Class, focusing on adjusting to vision loss, building confidence, resume writing, interviewing, and utilizing community resources.
Before working with the McBryde Center, Maberry was a client and credits the program for helping her adjust to life without her vision.
“When I started losing my vision, I was afforded the opportunity through my doctor,” shared Maberry. “I went one summer and stayed in the residential dorm rooms, and then throughout the year, I stayed and completed the program.”
“I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have the opportunity to learn from the McBryde Center,” explained Maberry. “I didn’t know anyone who was blind until I got there. I had never met anyone visually impaired or blind to any extent.”
Now, Maberry gets to be that person for others and teach them how to adjust to their new normal. Letting them know they, too, are not alone. Utilizing her bachelor’s degree in health, physical education, and recreation from Jackson State, Maberry serves as a recreation and leisure education instructor, focusing on physical conditioning, arts and crafts, and community activities.
“Although we are all vision impaired or blind at the McBryde Center, no two people are the same,” shared Maberry. “And we can’t treat them the same. So, it’s all about getting to know people and meeting them where they are.”
The overall goal is to help people with visual impairments enhance their daily confidence and independence, which is Maberry’s mission.
“Reintegrating individuals back into the community, whether it’s going bowling, or showing them how they can go out and get menus accommodated at different restaurants, stuff like this is so important,” explained Maberry. “I love getting to show them they can still contribute to society and show up and enjoy all kinds of things!”
When asked, “What’s your overall message to people?”
Maberry wants everyone to know that “The only way to get the things you don’t have is to do the things you’ve never done. So get outside of your comfort zone and keep going!”
