It is with heavy hearts we note the passing of a beloved member of the Spectrios family.  Grandma Martyl passed on June 28, 2021.  She was the creative genius behind the coloring books provided to students of our Seeing is Believing program.  

Grandma Martyl\’s legacy of love will live on through her coloring books and we are so grateful to her and her family for their decades of support.

Below please find an article from our June 2021 Brightside about the impact of her coloring books.  

The Seeing is Believing (SIB) program brings low vision services to school-aged children. The program provides children with low vision: an exam, prescriptive devices like glasses, sports goggles, sunwear, magnifiers, and telescopes at no cost. Additionally, the program provides education and support to families and schools as they work to create a positive learning experience for the students.

For many families, these services are life-changing.  Access to devices that enable their children to participate in the classroom can make all the difference.

SIB is also celebrating a birthday – 30 years, and we have been reminiscing with our patients. While they all universally agree that the program has had a positive impact on their lives, what they talk about is the coloring books. The SIB program provides every patient and usually their siblings with a special low vision accessible coloring book that is drawn and produced by Martyl Reinsdorf. The books come with markers and a small toy.

Low Vision Coloring Books designed by Grandma Martyl

We recently saw a patient who is graduating from high school this year and he remembers all the little critters he collected over the years. “It was a big deal to come home after every appointment with a new toy, I kept them in a row in my room.” He looked to add a new one to his collection, but shh don’t tell anyone we told you.

Another mother was a little emotional when she asked for an extra book because these were the only coloring books her daughter could use. “She never colored in a coloring book until we got these. She loves them so much; we save them for special occasions.” One patient enjoys them so much, her teacher saves them to give to her as rewards.

We love our coloring books and they have become an iconic symbol of the SIB program. Thank you Grandma Martyl!