Karen Heesen's Webpage
I was born in Superior, Wisconsin, in the last few days of the first half of the Twentieth Century. My Mom and Dad are hard working people, neither of whom completed college. Daddy had the money all saved to go when his parents ran into some financial difficulties. He gave them the money and began to work in a hardware store which he eventually owned. Mom stayed at home and raised us four girls.
When I was just a few months old Mom noticed that I was not reaching for bright objects as my two sisters before me had. This realization began a frantic journey from doctor to doctor to see what might help my vision. Each of them had differing opinions; all realized that there was something wrong with the optic nerve. One dear soul recommended glasses which I was made to try to keep track of until I was in about the third grade. They must not have helped much because they were always left behind some tree or other. Thank goodness I had a good memory and could always find them.
Daddy determined early on that I was going to be as independent as was humanly possible for me. He would literally make my mother sit down rather than go and look for something which he could instruct me how to locate. This was great training for me; I owe both of them a lot! There is no doubt, however, that my best teacher was my sister who is a year and ten months older than I. She allowed me to try everything she was doing--we rode bikes together, built any number of go carts whose wheels seemed to leave the body of the structure as soon as we were careening down a hill, climbed trees (one time I remember having climbed up by seeing the shadow of the branches above me but could not come down except on her shoulders), walked fence tops, picked blueberries along the railroad tracks, went sledding and ice skating, mastered stilts, built tree houses--you name it! Any time I would do something which looked unusual to her she would say "Karen, don't do that! It looks blind! If you have to be blind just don't act like it!" Some might think this harsh; I believe it has made me feel comfortable in many, many situations.
When it came time to go to the first grade I was enrolled in the local elementary school. Here I already knew all of my letters because Mom had written them and helped me learn to write them in black crayon. She also outlined hundreds of pictures in coloring books so that I could participate in coloring activities. She could not adapt the reading books, however. Since I was in the third reading group, and having the quick memorization skills which are common to youngsters, I took my turn just like the rest of my class. I would turn the page when I heard my classmates turn theirs. The only problem was that Mrs. Smith, my teacher, walked around one day and found me with the book upside down. Right after that she had a conference with the County Nurse, then my Daddy, and finally Mom.
I remember coming home one night and Mom kneeling down by me. "Honey," she said, "do you think you could be a big girl and go to school far away from home?" "Oh, sure, Mom," was my ready response. I know she knew this was best for me; I also know she agonized over getting name tags on all of my clothing and packing up all of my things. We arrived in Janesville, and the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped in January of 1957. It was hard for Mom and Dad to leave me, but they saw that God had prepared some pretty special, dedicated housemothers to care for me. They were in contact with my parents regularly and went above and beyond the call of duty in meeting my needs and those of about fifteen other little girls. Right away I began the job of learning to really read. Large print was tried first with no success. Braille seemed the best option, so I began the work of catching up with my classmates. Believe it or not this did not take long. I remember how excited my peers were with each new word that I learned. It was a neat feeling after the demoralizing taunts of some of my previous classmates at play--"You're supposed to have your right hand up, Dummy!"
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Karen A. Heesen
Address: 1318 South Orchard St. Janesville, WI 53546
Phone: 608-752-0139
Marital status: Married, with 5 children (2 of which are visually impaired)
Personal statistics: totally blind since birth
Raised 2 blind children between 1977 and present
Education: Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin B.A. degree, double major
in music and education, received May 2000
Teachers certification State of Wisconsin
Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Missouri 1969–1973, non-accredited then
Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped
Graduated 1969
Employment: Industries for the Blind, Inc., Janesville, Wisconsin 1996–present
Production worker, part-time
Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, Janesville, Wisconsin June–July
1999, June–July 1998 Basketry instructor
Oakhill Christian School, Janesville, Wisconsin Sept. 1974–Nov. 1977 Music teacher,
grades K–6
Lighthouse for the Blind, Seattle, Washington February 1978–March 1979 Production
worker
Oakhill Christian School, Janesville, Wisconsin Fall 1980–present Volunteer
music teacher, grades K–6 (funding constraints)
Hope Center, Springfield, Massachusetts Feb.–Aug. 1974 Braille/communications
rehab teacher
Appointments/Volunteer: Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped
Jan.–May 2000 Classroom aide (volunteer) 1986–1997 Basketry instructor (volunteer)
Wisconsin State Legislature, Legislative Counsel Study Oct. 1998–May 1999 Appointed
member of special committee on visual impairments Wisconsin School for the Visually
Handicapped, Parent/Staff/Student Association Fall 1996–present President Fall
1994–1996 Secretary 1993–present Parent/student advocate at I.E.P.'s Wisconsin
Council of the Blind, Madison, Wisconsin Fall 1995–Fall 1999 Delegate at large
(chairman of the education committee, member of Legislative Committee) Wisconsin
National Agenda Group, Madison, Wisconsin Spring 1997–present Goal leader/board
member for parent advocacy Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Madison,
Wisconsin Fall 1997 Sat in on all but one meeting of Superintendent's Task Force
on education of the visually impaired Spring 1997 Appointee to Task Force on
Criteria for Determining Visual Impairment Appointee to Task Force on Determining
Need for Special Education Blind and Visual Impairment Education Council Spring
2000 Sat in on Recognition/Awards: WAER (Wisconsin Assoc. for the Education
and Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired) Special Recognition Award
for advocacy for visually impaired children Fall 1998 Mortar Board honor society
Spring 1997 Wisconsin Council of the Blind scholarship 1995 and 1999 G. Beauchamp
Vick Oratorical Contest, First Place, Baptist Bible College, Springfield, Mo.
1973 Wisconsin Honor Scholarship 1969 References: Merlin Nundahl (supervisor,
practice teaching) 3205 Newark Road Beloit, WI 53511 (608) 365-2773 Dr. Kathy
Greene (academic advisor) Beloit College 700 College St. Beloit, WI 53511 (608)
363-2340 Mrs. Charlene Meiklejohn Administrator Oakhill Christian School 1650
So. Oakhill Avenue Janesville, WI 53546 Mrs. Carolyn Wicker (supervisor) Industries
for the Blind 1713R W. State St. Janesville, WI 53546