Bhavani Jorgens holds her white cane with a red tip in front of her — ready to meet any obstacle on the Larimer campus.
As she approaches the entrance of Blanca Peak, she touches her cane to each unmarked step, carefully but swiftly ascending. As she reaches the top, she holds her cane close to her chest to not trip others.
The colors on her cane indicate that she is partially blind. She can see light, colors and shapes, but her depth perception is highly limited. Bright yellow markings capping each step would better show her where they lie, she said.
Since she first started at Front Range in 2008, accommodations for the blind at the school have improved “immensely,” she said. Disability support services have improved, overall, she said, with few issues remaining.
She is taking prerequisite classes at Front Range to get a master’s in nutrition and dietetics. She said she wants to be a registered dietitian, which she said would make her employable by government agencies, hospitals, nursing homes and in private consulting.
She said she wants to work face-to-face with people to create healthy diet plans for them.
Most people are respectful, she said, but they also have a misconception of disability:
“I’m just like anyone else. Everyone has limitations; some are just more obvious than others.”
Around town, the sounds of bikes whizzing past her are “unnerving,” she said, “but I’ve gotten used to it.”
She said her cane is not perfect in its role. However, it helps signal the passerby to respect her space.
“Everyone is courteous and mindful when they see my cane or guide dog,” she said.
Bhavani was adopted from India and raised in Alaska. At the recommendation of a friend, she moved to Colorado in 2007 to study.
She comes from a large family, to say the least. Her parents adopted her and then 13 other children from across the globe, in addition to five kids of their own.
One thing FRCC students don’t get to see often is her guide dog Anya. The dog came from Guiding Eyes dog school in New York. They trained together for three weeks when first matched together.
She said that she needs total trust in Anya when navigating unfamiliar spaces, and continuous training strengthens their bond.
Dogs are smart animals with their own personalities, she said. However, it takes effort from both of them for Anya to not get distracted. But once the working harness comes off, she said, her dog knows to simply be a sweet and loving pet.
