Michael Byington
Shelia and I worked together during the years she was with Envision - Pittsburg. Shelia was based at Envision's, now closed, Pittsburg location. I was based in Topeka, but was required to travel frequently between: Wichita, Kansas City, and Pittsburg. I always looked forward to my time in Pittsburg because Shelia made it pleasant. She cared about the people with whom she worked, and she was a master at finding and marshaling resources to get the services they needed. I remember doing a guest lecture for one of the classes she taught at Labette Community College, and it was obvious how much her students appreciated and respected her. When Shelia then moved to work as a Rehabilitation Teacher for the Blind, serving several Counties in Southeast Kansas, and I also started working for another service provider in a position requiring State-wide outreach, I had the opportunity to again work with Shelia and some of her clients. Again, it was clear to me how much her clientele loved and respected Shelia. Shelia was also an active member for several years of the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (KABVI), and she and I worked together on behalf of that Organization. Unemployment is high for people who are blind or visually impaired in Southeast Kansas. To work steadily and productively in that area, a blind person has to demonstrate exceptional skills and fortitude. Shelia was such an exceptional person.
