Betty Tamm,
Executive Director

605 SE Kane Street
Roseburg, OR 97470

Phone: (541) 673-4909
Fax: (541) 673-5023
btamm@umpquacdc.org www.umpquacdc.org

Incorporated: 1991

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Kevin Stockton's "way finders" may be coming to a town near you soon. During a hold-up, Kevin lost his sight and most of his hearing from a shotgun blast. After being stranded in the middle of a busy intersection in Portland, with cars screeching around him, Kevin came up with the idea for Blinds Signs, Inc.

Kevin found Umpqua CDC's Micro-Enterprise Development and Lending (MEDAL) Program, enrolling in the program's 15-week course. He learned how to write a business plan, test marketing strategies, and identify customer wants and needs. Because the class included other entrepreneurs, Kevin was able to share his ideas and receive feedback. The MEDAL staff also provided Kevin with one-on-one consultations.

Kevin's ingenious plan calls for placing raised plastic strips on sidewalks to warn blind people of stairs, tell them where bus stops are, and "show" them the direction of crosswalks. The two-foot strips are made from the same material as pool ladders and freeway lane markers, and can be easily identified by a cane or a foot.

Business is booming for Kevin. He just signed a contract for his "way finders" to be installed in Eugene and at Oregon State University. He has also signed agreements with the cities of Corvallis, Medford, and Springfield. Now Houston and Austin, Texas are interested.

Never one to stand still, Kevin is expanding, and looking into ways to produce the "way finders" even more cheaply using an injection molding process.