For students with visual impairments, going to school can be a challenge. The Heart of Illinois United Way funds programs for people with disabilities.

Four-year-old Mary walks the halls at Thomas Jefferson Primary School in Peoria. Her mom, Julia, said, "Mary is in preschool. She is visually impaired, has cerebral palsy and has some cognitive problems. Those three things make things difficult for Mary, but she's a beautiful little girl."

Mary recently moved with her family from Boston, so to help get acquainted with the school, she works in the halls with Rose Halpin, a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist with the Tazewell County Resource Center.

Halpin said, "I'm part of a team. She is learning about the school. We've marked some spots throughout the halls."

Mary's mom says she was worried about the transition to the Peoria school, but she says it is going smoothly because of this program.

"Orientation and mobility is so important for a kid like Mary. Because she needs to learn how to use all her available senses to navigate her school environment. That's something we take for granted."

"Heart of Illinois United Way does funding for us, working with hundreds of children in the Heart of Illinois Area. It's necessary for us to keep that program going."

After two months of working with Mary, her mom says she sees improvements.

"She's doing great. She's kind of amazed me. When she comes in, she knows we're in the classroom and we're in the principal's office. We're still working on avoiding people. She's already learned a new skill. One of her biggest goals is communication. She was learning communication. She was learning how to shake her head yes and no, since she started school two months ago, she learned to shake her head no. And that's a big thing for us."