The holiday season is nearly here, and while it may bring up happy memories of years past, it can also stir up tough emotions for some people, like stress, grief, isolation and depression. Physical barriers to leaving one’s home during the winter, including bad weather, can amplify feelings of isolation and loneliness. It is important… Continue Reading Protecting Your Emotional Health During the Holiday Season
When piano teacher Amy Hansel got a new student who was legally blind, she says she had to make a few adjustments to how she taught. Her student had some usable vision and benefited from large-print music, further enlarged by a magnifier attached to his piano. Continue Reading Year-End Gift to the Council Can Come in Many Forms
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… Continue Reading Giving Tuesday Gift Supports New Service for Council Clients
Cooking at home is a great way to eat healthily and save money. It can even be a fun way to connect with family and friends. But many kitchens are not set up in a way that makes it easy for people who are blind or low vision to cook. Poorly lit counters and hard-to-reach… Continue Reading An Accessible Kitchen Makes Cooking Safe and Enjoyable
Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) have become a popular tool for philanthropic giving. The Council receives many gifts from donors who have a DAF and who see the value in making gifts every year. But despite how easy it is to make gifts from a donor advised fund, some people choose to leave a significant portion… Continue Reading It’s Time to Let Your Dollars Work for a Better World
It didn’t take long for former Council Scholarship Recipient Annika Konrad to discover her love of writing. While in middle school, Annika found that writing helped her express her thoughts. The once-shy kid then spent all four of her high school years working for the school newspaper. When she started college and began taking classes… Continue Reading Former Scholarship Recipient Annika Konrad Continues the Cycle of Learning
The Council is pleased to welcome Jenn Zutter as the newest member of our Board of Directors. A Sun Prairie resident for over 20 years, Jenn works with an interior design studio as a “professional treasure hunter,” finding vintage furniture and décor for client homes. Jenn first connected with the Council nearly 14 years ago… Continue Reading Welcome Jenn Zutter to the Council Board of Directors
Public policy advocacy has been a cornerstone of the Council’s mission since its founding in 1952. But you don’t have to be a professional advocate to be an effective voice for change! Our organization works tirelessly to lay the groundwork for progress, but to be effective, we need the help of on-the-ground advocates across the… Continue Reading Advocacy Days Returns in May, Both Virtually and at the State Capitol
These days, most computer users usually have more than one program running at a time. For example, we might be writing something in a word processor while our email program is open in another tab. But for users of JAWS, Fusion and other screen reader and magnification programs, switching between programs can be cumbersome. Fortunately,… Continue Reading Tech Tip: Access Technology Users Can Change Programs Quickly in Windows
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When someone who is blind or low vision feels comfortable using the specialized transportation options available to them, such as paratransit, taxis and volunteer drivers, they will be more likely to leave their homes and participate in their communities. A new video produced by the Council will help drivers who transport people who are blind… Continue Reading New Video Supports Specialized Transportation Drivers in Providing Safe, Comfortable Rides for Blind and Low Vision Riders
We are pleased to welcome Jodi Nachtwey as the newest member of the Council staff. Jodi joined the team on November 10 as Development Specialist. Continue Reading Welcome Jodi Nachtwey to the Council Team
The Council launched its first online low vision support group in 2020 to help connect people with vision loss across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. While that group, now known as the Trailblazers, was open to anyone who was blind or low vision across Wisconsin, some participants expressed a desire to have a group focused more on younger adults. So a couple years later, the Council started a second low vision support group for college and working-age adults, now known as the Supernovas. Continue Reading Supernovas College and Working Age Low Vision Support Group Creates Statewide Community of Young Adults