Ty

Ty Schaefer recently graduated from Norris High School in Firth, Nebraska, but his journey to independence began as an infant at the Blind Children’s Center. Far from the adventurous young man he is now, his father Gary recalled, “Ty was afraid to touch certain textures as a young child, but he quickly overcame his fears and became a wild explorer, not letting blindness slow him down.”

During his years at BCC, Ty developed critical social skills and learned to read braille, a skill he initially resisted. Now, he serves as secretary for the Nebraska Association of Blind Students (NABS), taking notes using a refreshable braille display, which is essential since Ty has almost no vision other than light perception. His mother, Dawn, remembered, “He wouldn’t talk for a long time, then suddenly, at age four, he said the entire alphabet all at once. At six, he could say it backward. By the time we left BCC he was fearless.”

This fall Ty begins a six-month independent living skills training program to prepare him for his next step – a degree in Diesel Mechanics at Southeast Nebraska Community College. He plans to work on pick-up trucks, semis, and diesel engines after graduation. He is eager to work hands-on making repairs and his perfect pitch allows him to identify almost any car or truck by its sound alone.