Meredith Van Zuiden | Assistant Arts + Life Editor

Name: Laura Stangl

Year: Junior transfer, Iowa Central

Major: History, secondary education

Hometown: Ida Grove, IA

Sitting down to chat outside of Common Grounds Friday afternoon, Deb the barista helped Stangl with her lunch.

“Your fruit cup is to your right and your sandwich is here,” Deb stated as she guided Stangl’s hand to her meal. Thanking her, Stangl began to settle in and eat.

As I listened to this exchange, I realized how much our sight is taken for granted. The simple task of eating lunch could be a very difficult onewithout this ability. For those who do not know Stangl yet, she is blind and has been since her diagnosis at age twenty-one. She was born with a disease called ‘Retinitis Pigmentosa’ and began showing symptoms at the age of seven.

“I have seen, I’ve never seen well enough to drive. I did take driver’s ed and that was a miserable failure. Basically the cones and the rods in my retina are deteriorating, so the first thing that I lost was night sight. When going into really dim or brightly lit places my eyes just don’t adjust quickly.”

With the help of her sweet companion Isabel or Isee, she can easily maneuver through crowds or find her way around campus.

Growing up in the classroom, Stangl sat near the front of the room because of how difficult it was to see chalk on the chalkboards.

“I could read print then, so I could always read the textbook or the homework,” Stangl said. “If it was something put on the board, I just had to listen really well or ask a neighbor.”

I asked her how the transition from taking online classes through Iowa Central was comparing to the classes on campus at BVU.

“It’s been good, overwhelming and more difficult than I thought, but I know it will get easier.”

Stangl was looking forward to getting involved on campus by joining both the Teacher’s Inc. and history club. Stangl’s optimism and determined attitude were very apparent while discussing the goals she has set for this semester.

Stangl has eight children and six grandchildren; she told me about their family dynamic and we talked about her son’s cross-country meet in Okoboji.

“My children all have a unique sense of humor and they all get along so its always a good time. I could compare them to the Wahlberg’s, they’re a lot like that clan. My son (Stephen) runs cross country for OA-BCIG and the boy’s team got first by one point, so they were all excited.”

On a last note, she felt this article would be the perfect way to establish some service dog etiquette for the students at BVU.

“Overall the students at BV have been amazing, I’ve found that most of them read the sign and leave her alone,” Stangl said. “They also may not really know what to do with a blind person, so they just leave me alone. It hasn’t been much of an issue yet and that surprises me, because generally people will begin petting her and then read the sign.”

According to Stangl, there are three mains points for proper service dog etiquette that sum up how to treat Isee while she is working. These points include not petting her while she’s working, not to feed her, and not to verbally distract her from work.

“If you come up and ask me if you can pet her, then I will probably allow it if she’s having a good day, because it’s a reward for her. Distractions make it unsafe for me and don’t allow her to do her job.”

“I don’t want people to be afraid to talk to me, if it looks like I’m lost; ask me if I’m lost. I probably am and could use some help,” Stangl laughed.

Graphic by Justice Gage
Photo courtesy of Meredith Van Zuiden.