Judith Rasmussen Judith Rasmussen first learned how to knit as a teen in Home Economics class at school. But after losing her vision, she put down her needles, thinking knitting would be out of her reach. A few years ago, however, she learned of a knitting group that gathered weekly at the library near her… Continue Reading Judith Rasmussen Returns to Knitting and Pays It Forward
Jasmine Bertschy With her first year under her belt, 2025 Council Scholarship recipient Jasmine Bertschy says she’s ready for just about anything college has to throw at her. Jasmine is attending UW – Whitewater at Rock County, where she is pursuing a degree in Psychology with the hope of one day becoming a mental health… Continue Reading 2025 Student Spotlight: Jasmine Bertschy
The Council’s 2024 Annual Report is now available on our website in PDF, Word and audio formats. The Annual Report features our 2024 Year in Review, a “by the numbers” infographic, stories of how our vision services have impacted the lives of clients, and more. You can find the Annual Report on our website at… Continue Reading 2024 Annual Report is Now Available Online
Fall is just around the corner, which means college students across the state are heading to campus. Whether you’re an incoming freshman leaving home for the first time or transferring to a new school, moving to an unfamiliar campus and city can be scary for any student. But with a few tips, resources and skills,… Continue Reading Start the School Year on the Right Foot
September is Falls Prevention Month, a time to highlight ways to avoid tumbles and the harm they can bring. Falls are one of the leading causes of injury and even death in Wisconsin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Wisconsin had the highest fall death rate among older adults in the… Continue Reading Standing Tall During Falls Prevention Month
The Council is one of nearly 70 nonprofit organizations based in Dane County that benefit from the Community Shares of Wisconsin (CSW) workplace giving campaign that takes place each fall. Workplace giving is an easy and effective way to support our work. Over 100 area employers host workplace giving campaigns through CSW. Many employees opt… Continue Reading Workplace Giving Makes Supporting the Council Easy
For anyone living with low vision, using a screen magnifier on your computer is a must. There’s no need to struggle to read tiny text on a large monitor. Screen magnifiers are easy to use and can enlarge anything to help keep you connected to the digital world. But with several different screen magnifiers available,… Continue Reading Built-In Versus Third-Party Magnifiers: Finding the Program that Works Best for You
The Council is excited to come to rural Wisconsin this fall for On Sight: Vision Loss Resources in Southwest Wisconsin. This free informational event will feature presentations on a variety of topics, from how to access vision rehabilitation services to public policy issues like transportation. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 9 from… Continue Reading Council’s October “On Sight” Event Brings Vision Resources Info to Southwest Wisconsin
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
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Similar to the national landscape, there are multiple organizations across Wisconsin dedicated to empowering people who are blind or low vision. These organizations, including the Council, all fill a different niche in the vision loss community. Over the past several years, these groups have begun to work together to coordinate services and ensure our respective… Continue Reading Wisconsin’s Blind & Low Vision Organizations Work Together to Better Serve the Vision Loss Community
Nick Sinram As a teen, former Council Scholarship Recipient and current chair of our Board of Directors Nick Sinram didn’t know exactly what he wanted to study in college, but he did have a good idea of where he wanted to do it. Growing up on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, he loved… Continue Reading From Scholarship Recipient to Board Chair, Nick Sinram Gives Back to the Council
A bus ad the Council ran in Waukesha last fall promoting Wisconsin’s White Cane Law. The Council relies on funding from many different sources. People make individual gifts almost every day. Others contribute through workplace giving or by requesting a matching gift from their employer. The Council also receives a variety of grants to support… Continue Reading Grants Help Spread the Word About the Council Statewide