2027 marks the Council’s 75th anniversary. As we gear up to celebrate, we reflect on our rich history, our present environment, the opportunities and challenges in front of us, and the future we want as an organization. These reflections have led us to an exciting project. We will be updating the Council’s “brand,” including a new organizational name and logo. This endeavor was approved by our Board of Directors in 2024 as part of our 2025-27 Strategic Plan. Throughout 2026, we’ll engage in a robust process to rebrand the Council in a way that honors our 75-year history of promoting the dignity of people who are blind and low vision while embracing a future of greater diversity and life experiences among people experiencing vision loss. The new name and other brand elements will be unveiled in early 2027.
These are some of the key considerations that led to this decision:
- Our current name causes a lot of confusion. It is very similar to the Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a state agency that offers some of the same services we do. We get calls intended for them all the time. It is also very similar to the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the school in Janesville. We even have the same initials, WCBVI. For those new to vision loss and their families and caregivers, this leads to uncertainty about where to turn to have their needs addressed.
- Our current name is too long and cumbersome. People get it wrong quite often. It doesn’t even fit into the space allowed on many online forms we must fill out. Having people recognize our name and note it correctly strengthens our organizational identity.
- Our current name does not reflect how we have evolved over time. We are not really a “council.” This term often leads people to believe we are a governmental agency. Also, we have moved beyond the language of “impairment,” which suggests there is something “wrong” with people who are blind or low vision.
We’re giving ourselves a full year to complete the project properly, and we’re working with a top-notch Madison-based marketing firm to make sure key voices are engaged in the renaming process. We recognize that this kind of big change can spark a range of strong feelings, excitement to grief, for those in the Council’s orbit. Stay tuned as this exciting process moves forward and a new chapter in the Council’s story approaches!