EVELYN TILESTON SEES NEW
HORIZONS THANKS TO THE UNITED WAY

By Shannon Sparkman

Excerpted from United Way, 11-1-95 

It’s important for people to be proud of where they liveI am a world pioneer! said Evelyn Tileston when discussing her upcoming trip to Seattle November 13-17 to take part in a National Conference on Active Learning. She will present a discourse on methods she has developed working with adults in her innovative teaching method that is changing the lives of some Moffat County residents.

As Tileston sat in the living room of her Craig home, she beamed with excitement as she explained about her work with visually and developmentally impaired adults. She uses an adaptation of the Active Learning Approach method originally developed in Denmark by Lilli Nielsen, Ph.D. The method was introduced in the United States in 1991 (by the Blind Children’s Fund) as a revolutionary approach to teaching children who are not only blind, but also developmentally impaired.

Tileston, who is herself visually impaired, does not believe that any person is unable to learn. She believes that everyone should have an opportunity to reach their highest potential. Mere custodial care (of handicapped individuals) is sinful, said Tileston.

Tileston has certainly taken an active role in reaching her own potential. A long time Yampa Valley ranch wife and mother, she has two college degrees to her credit as well as a lengthy list of community accomplishments.

She worked for the Colorado West Regional Mental Health Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for nine years, traveling throughout Northwest Colorado to help persons with vision loss learn to cope with everyday life. She also helped families and communities learn to live with and understand her visually impaired clients. Some of her clients were developmentally delayed as well as visually impaired. Some of her clients also worked with Horizons, a non-profit agency that encourages continuing independence for its physically and developmentally challenged clients.

Budget cuts ended her job with the State, but in 1993, United Way gave a one-year Venture Grant to Horizons to employ Evelyn as a vision specialist to provide services to two local developmentally disabled adults with vision impairments. The program that she developed became the only one of its kind in the nation using the Active Learning method with adults.

Active Learning challenges the teacher to be a servant of the learner. It requires quiet, patience and hands off said Tileston. " It requires that the teacher be able to assess where the line is between challenge and defeat," she said.

The United Way grant gave Evelyn an opportunity to try the program with adults for the first time.

" Neither United Way or Horizons had statistics to give them any reason to accept my proposal, but Horizons had such a desire to serve their clients that they were willing to try,” she said.

Other teaching methods teach with a goal oriented method, but the Nielsen technique doesn’t press goals, but rather allows each student to show what he needs to learn and to move into his own development.

Tileston evaluated children’s development scales and matched adult tasks to them.

" I looked at stacking blocks, and saw that that could be translated to stacking towels on a shelf," said Evelyn.

Her grant expired in June 1994, and since that time Evelyn has been studying ways of continuing the program that has such potential. Beginning at the end of November, she will be working with her clients through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as long as funds remain available.

In addition to her work with Horizons, Evelyn also works with a low-vision support group and has served on numerous community boards

Audrey Danner of United Way says of Evelyn, " She is very community minded and enthusiastic. If she decides to do something, she does it."

With that enthusiasm and the help of United Way, Evelyn Tileston will be making a difference in Moffat County for a long time to come.