Man Finds More Ways to Help the Vision Impaired
Record-Journal (Meriden, CT)-January 13, 2008 Author: Mary Ellen Godin
CHESHIRE – Charlie Collins is well known for his optical scanners that can read magazines to the blind, and his talking clocks.
But the energetic sufferer of macular degeneration since the age of 9, is finding new ways to help the vision impaired and the blind reclaim life before their worlds went blurry.
Collin’s enthusiasm is hard to cap, and once again his wheels are spinning about how to do more to help make life easier for those with poor vision.
There are the Braille globes, the magnifying readers – some costing $2,000 to $3,000 – and hundreds of other devices he sells to help people return to playing the piano and searching the Internet. In his first few years, his profits have doubled, and are now at 20 percent annually. He’s also braced for the aging baby boomer generation that is next in line for his services and products.
But in one of his latest endeavor, Collins turned a former humidor into a test kitchen for people who can barely see, to learn about adaptive products and services that can help them safely navigate their way around the stove, refrigerator, toaster oven and cabinets. He has also expanded his West Main Street showroom into a training center and test kitchen. But another addition is a partnership with Dr. Randy Kinkade, a specialist in low vision rehabilitation optometry.
“I want to be a one-stop shop before our 10th year,” Collins said. “I told him ‘you offer so much, why don’t we put that together and let’s service everybody.’ How often is it you get to see a low vision patient and then let them go out and shop?’‘
Kinkade has practices in other locations, but has set up a full service examination room in Collin’s office called the Advance Low Vision Solution Center in Cheshire.
“We both have a common passion,” Kinkade said. “By combining our strengths, we’re able to offer the full gambit.”
Kinkade has two other offices and plans to schedule patients in the Cheshire office at least twice a week. “I really see that we can offer a better service there,” Kinkade said.
Kinkade graduated with honors from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1981. In 2001, he obtained a masters degree in public health from the Department of Community Medicine at the University of Connecticut.
Kinkade is also a fellow I the Academy of Optometry low-vision section and is also a member of the low vision section of the American Optometric Association. He is a low-vision specialist for the Connecticut Board of Education and Services for the Blind. He also evaluates patients in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.
Collins business doubled in its first two years and its profit margin has is at 20 percent. He has contracts with the state of Connecticut and Rhode Island in addition to the U.S. Veterans Administration.
“Sounds to me like he’s opened a one-stop shopping center,” said Brian Sigman executive director of the state Board of Education and Services of the Blind, or BESB, in Windsor.
Collins is one of the contractors the agency uses to provide adaptive products and services to the blind at no cost. There is a fairly comprehensive list of approved vendors,” Sigman said. “Charlie’s company is an approved state business that we utilize. The quality of his service and his product is outstanding. He is very inspirational and quite committed to those who experience vision loss. There are people who look at Charlie and be inspired.
Collins is one of several family members with macular degeneration and it took some time for him to figure out what the future held for him. He took a stab at motorcycle sales and soon realized he had a gift for listening and giving customers exactly what they wanted. The business exploded and he worked himself up to vice president. But Collins wanted to help others like himself who suffered low vision and found there was equipment that could help. He now has 10 employees and buys pre-used equipment to help lower costs. He is also running a training center for children in the summer to understand the adaptive software and access computer note-taking devices for school. He’s now looking at more speaking engagements to motivate others.
“There was a calling for me. I took a year off,” Collins said. “I have a message of hope I need to get to people. There is a solution.”