Spearheaded with mentorship from Anurag Shrivastava, MD, Attending Physician, Glaucoma, Montefiore Einstein, and Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Assistant Dean, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the program was a result of Dr. Shrivastava’s long-term involvement with the Guild—including the creation of a digital patient referral system that facilitates access to Lighthouse Guild services.
Mentees for the Tech Pals program were selected through a series of needs assessment phone calls conducted by Montefiore Einstein Ophthalmology Research Administrator Zara Mian, BS, Kemi Okemi, MD, PGY3, Ophthalmology Resident and third-year Einstein medical student Olivia Allen to ophthalmology patients who met certain criteria. Participants were qualified based on their interest in the program and the degree of their visual impairment— and some, but not all, owned their own mobile devices. Mian and Allen then matched mentors and mentees based on individual needs, goals and skillsets.
A Valuable Bonding Experience
Not surprisingly, Mian and Allen encountered some resistance from prospective mentees—who often said they were physically unable or “too old” to learn new technology skills. “When we invited them to join, Zara and I tried to convince them that vision should not and does not limit their ability to use their phones, and neither does age,” said Allen.
Mian noted that as the training progressed, the older mentees began to embrace the learning process. “Once they met the mentors, they were able to bond over the fact that both of them are visually impaired, which was not stopping the younger mentors from doing everything they wanted to do,” she said. According to Mian, that shared experience was the encouragement the patients needed to begin using text features and the internet, which many had never attempted to do before.
A Multigenerational Community
Dr. Shrivastava, Okemi, Allen and Mian believe that much of the success of the program is due to the life experiences of the low-vision Tech Pals mentors themselves. Just as important, they are trained “tech savvy” experts who are eager to share their knowledge of mobile features, functions and platforms. In exchange, says Allen, each Tech Pals mentor acquires valuable hands-on work experience—and a new understanding of what it takes to connect with others in a meaningful way. In short, it’s a two-way street that benefits everyone.
“Having a disability unfortunately limits your opportunity to get a job and be out in the public sphere,” explained Mian. “This mentorship program really gave the Tech Pals the chance to be outside of the Lighthouse “home” that they’ve always known. Then, they must teach patients who they’ve never met before— at a big institution— which can be intimidating.” Acquiring transferable and leadership skills, the team says, will be invaluable to the mentors as they enter the workforce and look for career opportunities of their own, especially in the fields of science and medicine.
Connecting to the World Again
For the Tech Pals program organizers at Montefiore Einstein, delivering a sense of freedom and independence to low-vison patients is what the program is all about—and seeing their patients put their newfound skills to work is especially rewarding. Zara Mian recalled an elderly diabetes patient who learned how to use her phone’s voice prompts to monitor her blood sugar levels, all without the help of a friend or family member for the very first time. “She said it changed her life,” said Mian. Another patient, 87, became so technology-proficient that she is getting her own iPhone as a birthday present—a success story that no one anticipated.
