They met at a renaissance faire where they discovered a mutual love of the arts. Arthur Kusuhara, an engineer, made jewelry. Marguerite Garner studied fine arts and visual anthropology, performed as a belly dancer, and played a Middle Eastern drum. Together, they pursued a life of creative expression. But in 1994, Arthur began to lose his vision.
Diagnosed with glaucoma, he turned to Braille Institute. Here he learned how to get around town safely, and he learned adaptive techniques in the kitchen that enabled him to become a skilled cook. Arthur especially enjoyed Braille Institute’s many arts classes, and a tie-dyeing class opened a door to a new future. “Dancers would love these,” Marguerite exclaimed when he showed her his first hand-dyed scarf.
Today, the couple sells Arthur’s colorful silk and velvet designs at craft fairs and gives a portion of the proceeds to Braille Institute, the organization he credits with changing his life. “Braille Institute helped me realize that there was life after blindness,” Arthur says.
But the couple wanted to do even more to show their appreciation. “We’re not rich,” Arthur says, “But we own property that we can leave to Braille Institute in our estate plan.”
To learn of the various ways you can include Braille Institute in your estate plan, call our Department of Philanthropy at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1256.
