The hustle and bustle of a crowd used to appeal to Scharna Doll, especially at one of her father’s auctions. “A large crowd was a sure sign that things were going to go well,” she said.

Now, however, even the movement of people walking along the sidewalk is a frightening prospect.

“I used to think I was an outgoing person, I didn’t mind being in a crowd,” she said.

Doll has been legally blind since undergoing a surgery in 2017 that had nothing to do with her vision. “The doctors still can’t explain what happened,” she said.

She doesn’t need a white cane all of the time, but she’s noticed that in crowds people tend to bump into her or treat her like she’s stupid if she can’t read a sign. “I don’t think a lot of people realize what it’s like,” Doll said. “It’s hard to explain.”

Background

Doll was born and raised in Hoisington, and had a variety of jobs in the Great Bend area before joining her father Kenny Schremmer in his various business ventures, serving as his bookkeeper.

“Even when I was working somewhere, I would help keep Dad’s books,” she said. She studied secretarial science at Barton Community College after high school and worked at PetroLog in Great Bend, when her dad offered her a position. “I thought, what better way to learn from my dad, so I became his secretary and bookkeeper until I had to stop in 2017.”

A series of moves landed her eventually in Wichita, where she worked as a payroll and document control clerk at the Wolf Creek power plant as well as work part-time in the Pizza Hut main office. She met her future husband Kevin and returned to Great Bend to work in the Barton County Treasurer’s office, followed by a short term as an activity therapist at Larned State Hospital.

“I didn’t like that drive, though so I came back here,” she said. “I came back and started working for my dad again.”

An unexpected turn

In February 2017, Doll went to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for colon surgery. “When I came out, I was blind,” she said. She lost vision totally in her left eye, and the vision in her right eye was severely reduced. “I completely lost my peripheral vision,” she said. “I can only see straight ahead.”

She tried to keep working, “but I had to stop because it was too much stress on my eyes,” she said. In Great Bend, she got in touch with the Central Kansas Association of the Visually Impaired where she received moral support and assistance, and has since served as secretary, vice-president and is currently treasurer of the organization.

“I was able to expand myself out,” Doll noted. “I’m also a board member of the Kansas Association of the Visually Impaired.”

Working through those organizations, Doll has come in contact with technology to help visually impaired persons deal with everyday life in terms of medical information and home visual aids.

“There is a lot of technology out there,” she said. “We’re learning so much. The problem is that it’s so expensive. It’s very hard to find funding for technology and it’s very high.”

The late spring hailstorm damaged her Davinci Pro reader in her office, which was a blow. “The Davinci is my eyes,” she said. “It’s made things very tough for me.”

She has adapted to public situations, but is no longer able to drive. She now has problems with crowded rooms. “People that know me know that they have to say ‘Hi’ first,” she said. “You learn to know their voice.”

Adapting to her disability is still a work in progress. “It still bothers me inside, because it has stopped me from doing the things I used to do,” she said. “It’s taken away my independence, but I have a good outlook on it.”

“At first it was a big shock, but I don’t have to let it keep ruining my day.”

Community Connections is a regular feature of the Great Bend Tribune, showcasing people who live in the Golden Belt. We welcome readers to submit names of individuals who are active in the community that they would like to see featured in a future story. Send suggestions to news@gbtribune.com and explain their “community connections.”