Born in 2004
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Floridian
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Solution created 2015
Paloma Rambana
Problem Background
Paloma Rambana was born with a rare eye condition called “Peter’s Anomaly”, which makes her legally blind. When she started researching what resources were available for kids with visual impairments, she found a gap: while kids under 5 years old or between 14-18 years old could get equipment or mobility training outside of school, those ages 6-13 were left out. “I wish I knew why!”, she said. She decided to take action.
Solution Background
Paloma started a campaign called "Fund the Gap," asking the Florida legislature to fund the Division of Blind Services (DBS) Children's Program and help kids from 6-13. In 2015, Paloma met with legislators to gain support and funding, wrote a letter to the editor and op-ed, and on April 16, 2015 and December 1, 2015, she led two rallies to spread the word about how badly this assistance is needed. Florida Governor Rick Scott funded $1.25 million, with $500,000 recurring annually.
Connections
Paloma was passionate about her goal, and she used online technology to achieve her goal.
Citations
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