At 90 years old, Rosemary Russell of Altoona is a living example of what it means to age and thrive with blindness. A passionate reader, square dancer, and new puppy mom, Rosemary’s story is a testament to lifelong learning, community, and independence.
She loves reading audiobooks, watching Netflix, square dancing — a hobby she’s enjoyed for over 60 years — and walking regularly, now with her new three-month-old Australian Shepherd puppy, Toby. Her social calendar is active, with weekly visits to the Altoona Senior Citizens Center, monthly lunches with long-time friends, and active participation in blindness support and consumer groups like the Iowa Council of the United Blind and Des Moines Multiple Mothers, which she’s been part of for over six decades.
A lifelong learner, Rosemary embraces technology to support her independence. She’s learning to use her iPhone with VoiceOver, relies on her Apple Watch’s SOS button, and recently began exploring the capabilities of her new Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses. She’s also learning dog training since Toby joined her home.
Despite losing her vision, Rosemary never lost her sense of self. "It’s a learning process. Your life changes, but you learn to do things differently," she says. Inspired by her mother’s struggle to accept her own blindness, Rosemary chose a more optimistic path. “I decided not to be negative like her about my blindness.”
Rosemary’s journey to independence began long before her vision loss. Widowed at 42 with five children — including twin boys — she learned early how to be self-reliant. When blindness came later, she turned to the Iowa Department for the Blind for training that empowered her to live independently, including learning to navigate public transportation and traveling to California at age 87 to train with a guide dog.
“I want to do things for myself, so that means taking care of my health,” she says. Whether it’s walking outdoors or on her treadmill, keeping up with housework, or simply staying active with Toby, Rosemary sees exercise as a way to preserve the freedom she values deeply.
Even at 90, Rosemary isn’t slowing down. She marked her milestone birthday by traveling to Virginia to visit her daughter, and she continues to make plans for the future. “Age has no effect on this,” she insists. “I live for the future.”
