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
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 United States in 2021. But many falls can be prevented. Fall reduction classes across the state can provide skills… Continue Reading Fall Reduction Training Keeps You Safe at Home and in the Community
State lawmakers are leaving Madison for the year as the 2023-24 legislative session comes to an end. The Council worked diligently over the past year to advocate for bills that would positively impact the lives of people with vision loss and other disabilities across the state, and against bills that could have caused harm. Through… Continue Reading Legislative Session Ends with Some Wins and a Strong Foundation for Future Progress
Earlier this month, Council Executive Director Denise Jess traveled to Kansas City to attend the VisionServe Alliance’s (VSA) 2024 Executive Leadership Conference. The Council has been a member of the VSA for around a decade, and they are an invaluable partner in our mission. VSA is a membership group formed over 30 years ago to… Continue Reading VisionServe Alliance: Working to De-Silo the Vision Services Field
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training helps people who are blind or who have low vision move around safely in all environments. Navigating busy street intersections is one of many important skills included in O&M training. Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Brent Perzentka of the Council is a member of the City of Madison’s Vision Zero… Continue Reading O&M Strategies Can Keep You Safer at Tricky Intersections
We’re pleased to welcome Nate Wegehaupt as the newest member of the Council staff. Nate came on board April 1 as our new Communications Coordinator. In that role, he will write newsletter articles, website content and social media posts; prepare email communications for distribution; help maintain the website; and perform various other communications tasks. Prior… Continue Reading Welcome Nate Wegehaupt to the Council Team!
Advocacy can take place at many different levels, from local councils all the way up to the U.S. Senate. The first step in any advocacy effort is to identify who makes the decisions on the issue you’re trying to address. For example, calling your representative in Congress probably won’t help you get a new streetlamp… Continue Reading May 16 Advocacy Day Panel to Focus on Local Impact
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At some point, we’ve all had a growing pile of mail sitting on a table getting larger by the day. As the pile grows, the thought of sorting through it to figure out what is junk and what we need to read becomes more and more daunting. It’s important to stay on top of your… Continue Reading Reading and Organizing Your Mail with Vision Loss
The Spring 2025 Issue of the Council Courier newsletter is now available on our website! In this issue: The Case for Insurance Coverage of Vision Services Provided by the Council Message from Executive Director Denise Jess: Advocacy is About Making Change Inside and Outside of Government Promote Independence with a Gift to the White Cane… Continue Reading Spring Issue of the Council Courier Newsletter Now Available Online
This spring, Council Executive Director Denise Jess was honored for her outstanding work with awards from two organizations serving the blind and low vision community. VisionServe Alliance (VSA) recognized Denise with their Excellence in Leadership Award in April, and in early May, the Wisconsin chapter of the Association of Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind… Continue Reading Executive Director Denise Jess Honored with Awards from VisionServe Alliance and the Wisconsin Chapter of AER