For the past six months, clients who call the Council to ask about vision services have been welcomed by our navigator, Kate Bleyl-Ericson. We’ve known for years that people coming to the Council in search of vision services frequently have needs beyond what we can address. It’s not uncommon to discover that a client is facing food insecurity, imminent eviction from their home, or other issues we are not properly equipped to help with.
To address these unmet needs, the Council hired Kate to fill the newly created position of vision services navigator. The navigator provides a more person-centered experience for those reaching out to the Council, enabling our team to gain a fuller understanding of how we can best support the individual. The Council is now able to begin addressing these unmet needs with the help of our generous supporters and donors.
Kate says that outside of vision services, the needs of our clients vary from isolation to transportation to food insecurity. Kate has developed a comprehensive directory of resources and organizations available for a variety of needs. Recently, Kate worked with a client who was new to the Madison area and was concerned that she would not be able to afford to buy groceries. Kate was able to help her find food pantries that were nearby, even within walking distance. They even helped the client get connected with the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program, which assists low-income households with their heating and electric bills.
Your gift to the Council allows us to provide this and all our other vision services to people who are blind or low vision. Tomorrow, on Giving Tuesday, please consider making a gift to the Council to support our work!