Alyson Dahl When 2025 Council Scholarship recipient Alyson Dahl was 15, she received news that no teen wants to hear: Alyson would be unable to get a driver’s license due to her vision loss. Alyson was diagnosed with coloboma just a few weeks after she was born and has had low vision her entire life.… Continue Reading 2025 Student Spotlight: Alyson Dahl
An ad for a braille typewriter designed by AFB to expand employment opportunities. The Council’s highly trained vision rehabilitation professionals empower people who are blind or low vision to live life on their own terms in a variety of ways. They help clients gain the skills to navigate safely through their community, use access technology… Continue Reading The History of Vision Rehabilitation: Undervalued, Overlooked, Urgently Needed
Members of the VisionServe Alliance Board of Directors at their board meeting last fall. Across the country, there are a number of organizations dedicated to empowering people who are blind or low vision. While each of these organizations specializes in different areas of the vision loss field and all have their own unique identity, they… Continue Reading National Blindness and Low Vision Networks Work Together Toward Common Mission
At the beginning of the 2022 school year, administrators at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay reached out to the Council to ask about holding an event for us with their students. Every year, students at the school hold a fundraising drive for two organizations of their choice in exchange for swapping out their uniforms… Continue Reading Support the Council with the Help of Your Company or Organization
When Education and Vision Services Director Amy Wurf talks with a new client who recently began experiencing vision loss, one of the most common things she hears is that they no longer do the hobbies they once loved. Maybe they can’t see their knitting anymore, or struggle to read music. Losing your vision doesn’t have… Continue Reading Sharper Vision Store’s New Hobby Section Can Help You Continue Doing What You Love
After losing part of her vision in 2018 due to a traumatic brain injury, 2024 Council Scholarship Recipient Jasmine Bertschy was determined not to let her vision loss hold her back. While in high school in her hometown of Valders, Jasmine was named captain of the school’s cross country team. She also earned 16 college… Continue Reading 2024 Student Spotlight: Jasmine Bertschy
As the dog days of summer continue, the Council staff has been busy! All summer long, we’ve brought information about our services and resources to diverse communities across the Madison area. Here’s a little bit of what we’ve been up to in recent months. In June, we went to the UW South Madison Partnership for… Continue Reading Council Hits the Road to Reach Diverse Communities
This spring, the Council welcomed six volunteers from Exact Sciences into our offices to help with our efforts to make our space more inviting to all. The group spent their morning planting aromatic herbs in pots for our sensory garden; sprucing up the Sharper Vision Store by replacing old hooks to hold products; and organizing… Continue Reading Exact Sciences Volunteers Spruce Up Council Offices and Garden
Earlier this summer, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that local municipalities across the state can use drop boxes to collect absentee ballots. That decision overturned the 2022 ruling barring the drop boxes. This is a major win for voters with disabilities across Wisconsin. “Many voters, including those with disabilities, face barriers when casting their ballot,”… Continue Reading Ballot Drop Boxes are Once Again an Option for This Fall’s Elections
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Executive Director Denise Jess receiving a check from David Anderman of the Madison South Rotary Foundation. The Council relies on a variety of funding sources to help us meet the needs of Wisconsinites who are blind or low vision. We receive gifts from individuals almost every day. Store customers round up their purchases to the… Continue Reading Local Grants Support the Council’s Efforts to Change Lives
Are you an artist who is blind or low vision? We are currently accepting submissions for Gallery Night 2025, which will take place on Friday, November 7. We welcome artwork in a wide range of formats. Past exhibits have included paintings, photographs, digital drawings, fiber arts, wood carvings, ceramics and more. You can check out… Continue Reading Showcase Your Talent at Gallery Night This Fall
Wisconsin summer is in full swing, and we at the Council hope you are able to spend some time outdoors and enjoy the warm weather. While you’re outside, it’s important to protect your eyes from the sun. Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool; they are vital in protecting your eyes from UV rays and… Continue Reading Protect Your Eyes Outdoors This Summer with Sunglasses!