My name is Terry Kebbel. I am a 58 year old Vietnam veteran. I served in the U. S. Army from 1970-73.  I was stationed in Pleiku, Vietnam from 1971-72. As an E-5, my duties were aircraft maintenance instrument repair with the 57^th Aviation group.

After receiving an honorable discharge, I worked as a power lineman for ten years.  I used the GI bill education benefits to improve my job skills by earning a technical degree from the local community college.  I began work at Eaton Corporation’s Dynamatic Division as a field service engineer, servicing electrical power transmission devices.

I continued my educational pursuits and moved into a position as a sales engineer.  I was employed with Mitsubishi Automation when I totally lost my vision in May, 2002 due to a heart attack and subsequent heart transplant.

With the assistance of Cleveland Sight Center and the Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs, I was able to obtain intensive blind rehabilitation training at the Hines VA Central Blind Rehabilitation Center.

During my initial 12 week training at Hines, I was immersed in orientation and mobility and living and communication training skills. I had a second trip to Hines where I received instruction in the use of GPS Trekker in March, 2006.

I am presently a lifetime member of the National Blinded Veterans Association as well as a member of the Rio Grande Regional BVA in El Paso, TX.  I facilitate a monthly low vision support group in Truth or Consequences as well as supporting groups in Alamogordo and Carlsbad, NM.  In addition, I moderate a weekly online support group, Blinded Veterans and Friends. As a JAWS computer user, I use SKYPE to  tutor both sighted and non-sighted students in computer use.

I am currently a member of the Mesilla Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and I continue to be active in pursuing technology related to the blind community.