Andy Stender

Andy Stender has little trouble communicating how much he enjoys living at Rockford Chase. He’s been a resident there for six years, living in a two bedroom apartment. Now he’s asking the manager if a three bedroom would be available anytime soon.

He met a nice girl and she’ll be joining him there and a third bedroom would help to accommodate their furniture.

Andy has a genetic disorder called Usher Syndrome which caused him to be born profoundly deaf and to begin losing his eyesight when he was just a boy. He lost his sight completely in 2000 when he was living in downtown Lancaster.

“It became increasingly difficult to get around. I couldn’t navigate the traffic lights. I lived with my parents for a while and then at the New York Helen Keller Center for the Deaf and Blind, where I learned Braille. I moved around a bit after that but places were either too difficult to get around or too expensive. Then I found Rockford Chase which is just perfect.”

He is grateful that he found an affordable home that is new enough to accommodate his technological needs. Some of the older places he’s lived could not support the technology. His favorite part of living there is the freedom and independence it provides. “I want to emphasize how much I love it here.”

Andy does all his own cooking and cleaning, pursues his hobby of woodworking and communicates with his friends and family through his Braille computer. He attends local theater productions with friends and hosts an annual family picnic at the pavilion at Rockford Chase. When the weather is nice he’ll walk to the management office and back to his apartment. “I can get to the office and the mailbox safely and that’s a comfort to me.”