When you buy a blood pressure meter or blood glucose monitor from the Sharper Vision Store, you’re probably ready to use it right out of the box. But the reading on your new medical device may not be the same as the reading you would get at a doctor’s office. When buying medical equipment from… Continue Reading Remember to Calibrate Your Medical Devices
February is Low Vision and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month, designated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology to encourage people to seek help when they notice changes to their vision. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss for older adults, with around one out of three people age 75 and older diagnosed nationally.… Continue Reading Early Detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration is Key to Getting the Most Out of Your Vision
Last year, the Wisconsin Legislature passed into law a new tax credit for workers who are blind. If you (or your spouse if you’re filing a joint return) are blind, employed and paid for transportation services to get to work, you can claim a credit for 50% of your transportation costs on your 2024 Wisconsin… Continue Reading Wisconsin Workers Who Are Blind Can Claim the New Transportation Credit on their 2024 State Taxes
The Council’s policy work is a full spectrum effort. We work closely with a variety of partners and allies to protect and advance the rights of people with disabilities. Whether urging legislators to establish an equitable personal identification system or working alongside our Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition partners for accessible elections, the Council’s advocacy is… Continue Reading Keeping Track of Key State Legislative Action This Session
If you read our newsletters regularly, you may already be aware of a report published last year that provides the best data we’ve ever had on the prevalence and demographics of vision loss among older adults in Wisconsin, and its impact on well-being. The report has been incredibly valuable in supporting our advocacy work. But… Continue Reading You’re Not Alone: Help is Available for Older Adults with Vision Loss
October was Pedestrian Safety Month and October 15 was White Cane Safety Day. These two observances work together to promote the safety of all Wisconsinites who get around without a car either all or some of the time. For the Council, it was a banner month of outreach, education and advocacy. Governor Evers and over… Continue Reading October Was a Banner Month for Pedestrian Safety Advocacy
Kaylee Mueller began her junior year this fall at UW-Green Bay by launching a new student organization. She started “Ability Allies,” a group dedicated to providing resources and educational opportunities to students with and without disabilities. Kaylee, a 2023 Council Scholarship recipient, is particularly excited to get peers who are not disabled involved. She believes… Continue Reading 2023 Student Spotlight: Kaylee Mueller
The Fall 2023 issue of our Council Courier newsletter has hit mailboxes across Wisconsin. As always, this issue covers a lot of ground. One of the stories, in fact, is literally about the ground—specifically, the ground around the Council’s building in Madison. Readers will get a walk through the Council’s new Sensory Gardens. With artful… Continue Reading Check Out the Fall Issue of the Council Courier Newsletter
Artists find their inspiration in all sorts of places. “I began drawing at age 4,” says Eli Santin of Madison. “I consider it a way of extroverting myself by channeling the essence of my subconscious into something tangible.” Eli and seven other artists from across Wisconsin will exhibit their work at the Council’s Gallery Night… Continue Reading Gallery Night: A Celebration of Imagination, Inspiration and Adaptation
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An iPhone, with its array of accessibility features, can be a powerful tool for staying connected to friends and family and for many other tasks. iPhones have a robust VoiceOver feature that enables people who are blind or low vision to access every app and feature available to them. But learning how to use VoiceOver… Continue Reading New Video Covers Basic Gestures for VoiceOver on iPhone
Attention students who are blind or low vision: Applications for 2025 Council Scholarships are now open! Every year, we award up to ten $2,000 scholarships to Wisconsin students who are blind or low vision and who are enrolled in post-secondary education in the fall. Past recipients have used scholarship funds in a variety of ways… Continue Reading Apply Now for 2025 Council Scholarships
People support the Council for a wide variety of reasons. Often they donate because the Council made a positive impact on their life or the life of a loved one. Sometimes their gift takes the form of a planned estate gift, such as a bequest or making us the beneficiary of a life insurance policy.… Continue Reading Planned Gifts Can Create a Legacy of Giving