2024 is in the books, and it was another great year for the Council. “2024 was a full and dynamic year across all three of our pillars: advocacy, education and vision services,” says Executive Director Denise Jess. “The combined efforts of Council staff and board, the support of our donors and volunteers, and our collaborations with many partner organizations around the state have laid the foundation for these successes, now and into the future.”
We started the year with a strong advocacy win, as Governor Evers signed into law 2023 Wisconsin Act 114, otherwise known as “Steve’s Law.” Named in tribute to Steve Johnson, an avid outdoorsperson and former member of the Council’s Board of Directors, the law allows people to use a State ID to prove their state residency when purchasing things like fishing and hunting permits through the Department of Natural Resources’ online Go Wild system. The Council had been working with state lawmakers for years to pass Steve’s Law, and while there is still work to be done to allow the use of State IDs in place of a driver’s license in all areas of government, Steve’s Law marks a major stepping stone toward that goal.
It was a busy spring, with three great educational events taking place in May. We held our Advocacy Day event to help people across the state gain the tools to work with local leaders on the issues that matter to them. Birding by Ear saw us join forces with the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) and new partner Aldo Leopold Nature Center to show how sound can be just as important in birding as sight. And we returned to Brix Cider in Mount Horeb for Dining in the Dark, where diners donned blindfolds to experience a three-course meal focusing on senses other than vision.
In June, we continued our decades-long tradition of awarding scholarships to students who are blind or low vision from across the state. 2024 saw six students receive $2,000 scholarships to further their education in a variety of fields. Whether they were incoming freshmen, graduating seniors, or even PhD students, all our 2024 Council Scholarship recipients continued to break down barriers and pursue higher education in fields of their choosing.
Over the summer, we gained a powerful new advocacy tool in the VisionServe Alliance’s (VSA) Big Data Report on Working Age Adults. This second in a series of VSA Big Data reports confirmed what the Council has long known: Vision loss is more prevalent in Wisconsin than most people realize, and available vision services are not meeting the level of need. While the data is sobering, the information contained within the report is monumental in supporting our advocacy for systemic changes in our healthcare and transportation systems to promote employment success and overall well-being.
In October, several members of the Council staff travelled to Dodgeville for a new event, On Sight: Vision Loss Resources in Southwest Wisconsin. Alongside the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Southwest Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library, and Rehabilitation Specialist Chasie Willis of the Wisconsin Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired, our On Sight event helped introduce people to the vision services available to them, educate them about our advocacy work, and affirm that people who are blind or low vision living in rural areas can live independently on their own terms with the right knowledge and support. We’re grateful to the generous local foundation that funded this event.
October was also Pedestrian Safety Month, which includes White Cane Safety Day on October 15. Over three dozen municipalities across the entire state issued White Cane Safety Day proclamations this year, along with the State of Wisconsin and Milwaukee County. Local advocates in all corners of Wisconsin continued to work tirelessly to make their communities safer by working with local leaders to improve pedestrian safety infrastructure throughout their neighborhoods and communities.
In November, we once again opened our doors to the community for our annual Gallery Night event. In 2024 we featured the work of nine artists from across the state who are blind or low vision. Turnout was great, and the art on display delighted and inspired everyone who came through our doors.
We are grateful to the many individuals, service organizations, grantors and businesses who contribute financially to the Council throughout the year. Those gifts enable us to provide services for every client regardless of their ability to pay, and their sponsorship enables us to present excellent events, like Gallery Night. Thank you to everyone who supported us in 2024, and to everyone who will continue to support us for the years ahead.
As we look ahead to 2025, we want to thank everyone who helped us this past year. The Council will continue our hard work to make the world a better place for people who are blind or low vision across all of Wisconsin.
