General Info

Rana Arnold, Executive Director and Co-Founder: Rana co-founded the Sight-Loss Support Group of of Central PA, Inc. in 1982 with Dr. Fred Carlin. She developed the Art Through Touch Program in 1990. In 1991 the Festival Eyes Sighted Guide Program evolved under Rana's direction, and in 1999 she co-founded State College's first audio description service, View Via Headphones. Rana also developed the Parents of Children with Sight-Loss which later became known as Eye on Youth and formed the Centre County Seeing Eye 4-H Puppy Raisers chapter. Rana has served on the Board of the SLSG and the Pen-Del AER Board of Directors. Rana has a wealth of personal experience on coping with sight-loss and provides hope to those struggling with its challenges. Today she travels nationally with her Dog Guide, giving talks to a variety of audiences on numerous subjects including how her visual world has been enhanced through the arts. Josie Smith, Programs Coordinator: Josie received an M.Ed in Counselor Education in 2002 from Penn State University. She has been involved in the sight loss community in central Pennsylvania in a variety of ways: as a caseworker for the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind, a teaching assistant for a deaf/blind child, a client of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, and a Board member of both the South Central Blind Association and The Sight-Loss Support Group. These varied perspectives as well as her personal experience with retinitis pigmentosa ( which she was diagnosed with as a young child ) allow Josie to help individuals cope with any aspect of their sight-loss. At the SLSG, Josie coordinates all programs and events for our members throughout the year, edits the monthly newsletter and writes grants that support the mission of the organization.