The Council was pleased to add braille instruction to our Vision Services menu last year. Like all our vision services, braille instruction at the Council is tailored to the goals of each individual client. “We see clients who use braille in a variety of ways,” says Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Rachel Pavone, who teaches braille… Continue Reading A Gift is Making It Easier to Produce Braille Instruction Materials
The Council’s Advocacy Days, which kicked off in April with a series of online discussions, provides an annual crash course on how to make a difference by communicating with local and state officials. This year, one of the key messages of Advocacy Days was that a conversation that combines data with stories of lived experience… Continue Reading Building Data into Your Advocacy on Health Care Issues
A smart TV can offer great accessibility features for people with vision loss. But setting up and learning to use those features can be a challenge. Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Rachel Pavone says there are a number of strategies for painlessly mastering accessible smart TV features designed for users who are blind or visually impaired.… Continue Reading Getting a Smart Start With Your Smart TV
Making an Impact Across Disability: The Council and the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition Collaborative and inclusive efforts benefit us all. The Council strives for a collaborative approach to initiate change through working with people who bring multiple perspectives and life experiences. One way the Council collaborates with other groups and individuals is through coalition work.… Continue Reading Making an Impact Across Disability: The Council and the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition
Over time, ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can damage the eyes. Macular degeneration, cataracts, corneal sunburn and skin cancer around the eyes can be caused by UV damage, according to Prevent Blindness. Protecting your eyes from glare and brightness today can prevent future damage, so remember to use eye and skin protection. Did You… Continue Reading Protect Your Eyes This Summer (And All Year Round)
In 2018, over 400 people in Wisconsin who are blind or visually impaired received a free white cane from the Council. For those people who received their first white cane, or replaced a well-worn one, having that cane means they can safely cross the street, walk confidently through their surroundings, and be recognized as someone… Continue Reading White Cane Gifts
Jim Turk is a 2019 Council Excellence Award recipient and self-defense instructor living in Madison. On January 4, 2019, Jim took on the new role of Dad. On that day, he and his wife Vicky welcomed their son, Eli Turk, into the world. As a parent who is blind, Jim wondered how his vision loss… Continue Reading A Father’s Journey: Finding Connection with a New Little One
DATE: Wednesday, June 19, 2019 TIME: 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Location: Online via Zoom Are you looking for simple solutions to eliminate glare and get greater use out of your remaining vision? Look no further than the Council’s upcoming webinar. Learn the little things you can do to adapt to various lighting situations. Join Amy… Continue Reading New WEBINAR: GLARE CONTROL AND SUNGLASSES
2019 Council scholarship recipient Amy Hatten has learned that the more she accepts herself as a person, the greater her success in life. She is currently a second year graduate student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, pursuing a degree in Rehabilitation Psychology. She sat down with Katherine Corbett, Council Writer, for a discussion… Continue Reading Student Spotlight: Amy Hatten
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April is National Volunteer Appreciation month. It’s an opportunity to recognize and celebrate volunteerism and its positive community impacts. Americans have always stepped up when it comes to volunteering. According to Americorps, nearly a quarter of Americans age 16 and over donated time formally through an organization between September 2020 and 2021. “Volunteers share their… Continue Reading Volunteering Can Be Gateway to Ongoing Connection
Lions Club International has been a leading advocate for and supporter of people with vision loss since 1925. That’s when Helen Keller challenged Lions Clubs around the world to be “knights for the blind.” Each spring, the Council nurtures our relationships with Wisconsin Lions Clubs by updating them on our current work and goals and… Continue Reading The Council and the Lions: A Lasting Relationship Rooted in Shared Goals
Finally, spring has come. Some outdoor enthusiasts, including those with vision loss, are storing away their snow skis and switching over to warm weather activities like tandem biking and hiking. These adaptive recreational opportunities—and more—are offered across Wisconsin, several of them by Blind Outdoor Leisure Development, Inc., or BOLD. BOLD’s purpose is to offer people… Continue Reading Spend Time in the Great Outdoors to Boost Physical, Mental and Social Well-Being