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
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
June 10-16 is Vision Rehabilitation Week, an opportunity to spread the word about important vision rehabilitation services that can help improve the lives of people with vision loss. Since last fall, Certified Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist Brent Perzentka of the Council has traveled to the Sauk Prairie School District once a week to give… Continue Reading Shortage of Vision Services Professionals Puts Strain on Both Clients and Providers
Public policy advocacy has been a cornerstone of the Council’s mission since our founding over 70 years ago. One thing we’ve always emphasized is that anyone can be an effective advocate; you just have to know where to start. That’s why this this year’s Advocacy Day, which took place virtually on Thursday, May 16, focused… Continue Reading Advocacy Day Showcases the Power of Local Action
Last year, the Council gave over 500 white canes to people with vision loss across the state. In addition, we served hundreds of clients with vision rehabilitation visits, low vision evaluations, orientation and mobility training and access technology instruction. The various services the Council provided helped people become or remain employed, get an education, and… Continue Reading Support All of the Council’s Services During Our White Cane Appeal
During the solar eclipse in April, Katie Corbett traveled to Indiana on a mission: to listen to the wolves. While visiting a wolf sanctuary last year, Katie learned that during a solar eclipse, wolves will begin to howl at the shadow of the moon as it obscures the sun. It also just so happened that… Continue Reading Solar Eclipse Offered Unique Opportunity to Experience Nature in New Ways
Everybody experiences vision loss differently. But it is not easy for anyone. You may have questions or anxieties about how you can continue to do the things you love. While professional vision rehabilitation services can help you cope with daily living challenges, sometimes it’s easier to hear from someone else who has gone through the… Continue Reading Low Vision Support Groups Across the State Provide Safe Space to Learn, Share and Connect
It happens all the time. You’re going through your home for spring cleaning, and you find an adaptive product that you no longer need. Maybe it’s your first magnifier that you’ve since replaced with a stronger one. Or maybe it’s a CCTV that no longer fits your needs. Before you throw your used adaptive item… Continue Reading Have a Good Adaptive Product You No Longer Need? Donate It to the Council!
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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!
Sarah Evans says that one of her favorite things is going for a walk in the park near her house. Legally blind from cataracts, Sarah says she was able to walk through the park without a white cane, but crossing the roads to get to the park was a real challenge… Continue Reading Support Independence and Confidence During the Council’s White Cane Appeal