Advocates and Council staff met in a State Capitol hearing room to strategize about their legislator meetings. Public policy advocacy has been a cornerstone of the Council’s mission since our founding over 70 years ago. In May we continued that mission with our annual Advocacy Days event, both virtually and in-person at the State Capitol… Continue Reading Advocacy Days Brought Council Priorities to Lawmakers
We’re pleased to announce this year’s Council Scholarship recipients! Each year, we award $2,000 scholarships to students from around Wisconsin who are blind or low vision and will be enrolled in post-secondary education in the fall. Past recipients have used the scholarship funds in a variety of ways to help fuel their college experience. In… Continue Reading Introducing our 2025 Council Scholarship Recipients
Karen Heesen Karen Heesen has been teaching students who are blind or low vision at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WSBVI) in Janesville how to read braille for 25 years. In that role, Karen has helped generations of students with vision loss connect with written language. Her efforts have not gone… Continue Reading Former Board Member Karen Heesen Wins Crystal Apple Teaching Award
Last year, the VisionServe Alliance (VSA) released their Big Data Project report on older adults in Wisconsin with vision loss. That report confirmed what the Council has long known: Vision loss in Wisconsin is more prevalent than most people realize, and vision services are not meeting the level of need. VSA has now released a… Continue Reading Big Data Working Age Adults Report Paints Sobering Picture, Highlights Need for Advocacy
After Judy Kilian graduated from Madison Memorial High School at the age of 18, she says her first attempt at college did not go as planned. While she got straight A’s throughout high school, Judy says being a student with vision loss made it difficult to adjust to college. “I didn’t have the self-advocacy skills… Continue Reading Former Council Scholarship Recipient Judy Kilian’s Resilience Inspires Next Generation
Every year around Christmas time, Darwin Kaufman chooses a charity or organization to donate to in his children’s names. “Last year, we gave to the Council for our son who has vision loss,” Darwin says. “Some time ago, we decided that instead of trying to give them gifts that they may or may not care… Continue Reading Start a New Tradition by Giving as a Family
The 4th of July is just around the corner, which means people across the country are preparing their grills for burgers and brats and buying fireworks to celebrate our nation’s independence. While fireworks can be fun, they can also be extremely dangerous, and every year thousands of people are hospitalized due to firework-related injuries. July… Continue Reading Protect Your Vision When Setting Off Fireworks
July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the diverse community of people with disabilities, reflect on progress that has been made in empowering folks to live with dignity, and re-energize ourselves for the work that lies ahead in building genuinely inclusive communities. Disability Pride has been celebrated for over 30 years, commemorating the… Continue Reading Disability Pride Celebrates Diversity in Our Communities
In just a few months, we will be heading back to the polls to cast our votes in a number of important elections. There are two elections left this year: the August Primary and the General Election in November. Wisconsin residents will have the opportunity to not only help decide who will be President for… Continue Reading What to Know About Your Voting Rights as Fall Elections Approach
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In May, the Council joined the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona for another fantastic Birding by Ear event. We had a full house at the Nature Center on a fantastic spring morning where we heard over 50 different species of birds passing through Dane County. Birding by Ear… Continue Reading Birding by Ear Shows the Importance of Inclusion in Outdoor Activities
We are pleased to welcome Kate Bleyl-Ericson as the newest member of the Council staff. Kate came on board on May 12 as our Vision Services Navigator. A new position at the Council, the navigator will serve as a “first stop”… Continue Reading Welcome Kate Bleyl-Ericson to the Council Team
Are you a lifelong musician who’s adapted how you play after experiencing vision loss? Did you start learning an instrument after your vision began to change? Have you been blind or had low vision most of your life and played music throughout? We want to hear from you! Continue Reading Are You a Musician with Vision Loss? We Want to Hear from You!