The Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a staple in the Memphis community for the past 25 years, is set to close its doors at the end of the month, leaving many individuals without vital services. According to Action News 5, the center, known for providing specialized training and support, was unable to secure the renewal of its state contract from the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
Clients of the center have expressed their distress over the impending closure, Tara Tate, a former client stated "It’s so many other clients like me that need the same type of training in a loving environment that cares about their clients" illustrating the impact the center has had on its users and now, with the resource gone, clients like Jordan Bryant, who found a lifeline at Clovernook after glaucoma took his vision, are facing the uncertainty of how they will continue to receive the services he describes as "unsurpassed" and credits for enabling him to build skills such as typing which he couldn't do with 20/20 vision, Local Memphis reports.
Shanise Daniel, another center participant, stressed the importance of Clovernook's services, which taught her to use gestures for navigation and helped her gain independence by managing everyday tasks like paying bills and ordering food. Now, with the center's closure imminent due to what Clovernook says is a switch to a fee-for-service model by the state, Daniel and others are faced with the daunting prospect of seeking assistance an hour away in Jackson, TN, a situation she describes as "impossible."
Meanwhile, Bryant also told FOX13 Memphis that the center didn't just help him adapt to his vision loss, it enabled him to run a business and take care of his family in ways he never thought possible after losing his sight. The Clovernook Center, known for its range of training from braille to iPhone use and job placement, assisted Tate in graduating with a master’s degree and finding employment, a stark contrast to the quiet upheaval set to ripple through the lives of the visually impaired community as they grapple with the loss of a crucial sanctuary for self-improvement and community.
