Who says going back to college to get an education after raisingchildren is a hard task?

Who says going back to college at age 40 — and with a severeimpairment — is nearly impossible?

Not April Du Bose, a Brookhaven resident whose blindness sincebirth is not considered a very big obstacle when she wantssomething.

After Du Bose went to a special training school for the blindlast fall, she saw that her dream of obtaining a college degree wasmore attainable than she thought.

“I went up there to get mobility training so I could get aroundbetter on my own, and I discovered computers I could use,” shesaid.

She discovered that with the use of a special computer it wouldbe possible for her to go after the dream she put on hold 20 yearsago when she married her husband, Carl, and later became a mother,too.

Her vocational rehabilitation counselor, Sue Boyd, saw that acomputer especially designed for the blind would be necessary forDu Bose to gain the elementary education degree she wanted sobadly.

The problem was that Du Bose could not afford such an expensiveitem, and Boyd’s vocational rehabilitation agency could only buypart of the computer, which costs more than most computers.

Boyd, who has grown close to Du Bose during the past year, didnot take no for an answer and sought help elsewhere.

She did not have to look very far, though, as the first twoorganizations she called were ones she had depended on in the pastfor assistance.

“The Lions Club works real well with us. We’ve always called onthem when we’ve had a need,” said Boyd.

When members of the Alpha Lions Club and the Brookhaven NoonLions Club were contacted by Boyd, they immediately agreed to helpand started searching the market for a good computer.

“We’ve been working on this since the first of March trying toget her a good computer with the programs she needs,” said JoeRector, Sight and Hearing Chairman for the Brookhaven Noon LionsClub.

They found all the necessary components and enjoyed watching thesmile spread across Du Bose’s face when she sat in front of her newcomputer at her home Tuesday afternoon.

“This is great. I wouldn’t have been able to get this withouthelp,” said Du Bose as she listened to the computer “read” what shehad just typed.

The computer, built by Technology Sales of Brookhaven, usesspeakers and a special program to tell Du Bose what she types, whatprogram she is using or any other information she would need toknow in order to properly use a computer.

“Whatever is on the screen, it will read out loud to me, whetherby letter, word, line or page,” said Du Bose. “Also, if I were toget a phone call in the middle of doing something, I can hit a keyand it will tell me where I was.”

One of her favorite features was the special scanner, purchasedby Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which allows her to scan anywritten material and have it read aloud.

The luxury that is often taken for granted by others will allowDu Bose and her husband, who is also visually impaired, to havesome privacy in their lives.

“I’ll be able to read my own mail without having someone help,”she said with a smile.

The scanner will allow her to have her class assignments andbooks read aloud as well. She will also soon be able to transferher recorded notes to the computer with the help of a specialrecording device that has been ordered and will arrive before thenext school session.

The computer will also be able to help her reach her goal ofbecoming a published author. With the help of friends, Du Bose haswritten several children’s book, but has been unable to secure apublisher.

She hopes the special computer will help her accomplish othertasks she has been unable to do in the past.

As the Lions Club members, computer technicians and hervocational rehabilitation counselor left Du Bose to discover thecomputer on her own, she joked about how much time she would spendcatching up on years of missed opportunities.

“No one will ever see me again now,” she laughed.