We’re halfway through 2024, and the Council has accomplished so much already this year! But that’s no reason not to be excited about everything we achieved last year. Our 2023 Annual Report is full of the year’s highlights, including our advocacy successes, trends in vision services, our scholarship program, improvements we’ve made to our property,… Continue Reading Annual Report Now Available Online
We’re pleased to announce this year’s Council Scholarship recipients! Each year, we award $2,000 scholarships to several students from around the state 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… Continue Reading Introducing our 2024 Council Scholarship Recipients
When a friend, family member, coworker or other person in your life loses their vision, it can be hard to know how to describe things to them. For instance, telling someone who can’t see that a chair is “over there” isn’t going to do them much good. Much of our standard language for describing things… Continue Reading Don’t Say “Over There”: How to be a Better Describer for Someone who is Blind or Low Vision
Over the years, the Council has benefited greatly from the efforts of our many volunteers. Every April, we honor their contributions by recognizing National Volunteer Month. In 2021, volunteers clocked in over 760 hours for the Council. Here’s a sampling of what they did: Created audio recordings of publications, including the Council Courier, On Sight… Continue Reading Saying ‘Thank You’ During National Volunteer Month
Losing someone we’ve cherished is one of life’s most difficult experiences. Even long afterward, our emotions can be triggered by events or dates—a birthday, a holiday, a reminder of a particularly pleasant activity enjoyed together. One way to honor the memory of a departed loved one is by making a gift to an organization that… Continue Reading Honor a Loved One’s Memory by Helping Us Serve Others
Katherine Corbett just wants people to leave her guide dog alone. “I would prefer for people to pretend that my dog is invisible,” Katherine says. “Honestly, the best compliment you can give a guide dog user is, ‘Oh, wow, I didn’t even notice you have a dog!’” Katherine has been blind since shortly after birth.… Continue Reading Caution: Dog at Work
Meeting with policymakers matters! Public officials make hundreds of important decisions during their terms and there is no way they can be experts on all topics brought before them. For policy decisions to be grounded in the needs of the people, it is imperative that we both educate policymakers and advocate for change. How do… Continue Reading Making the Most of Your Advocacy Meetings
The difference between freshman and sophomore years of college can be dramatic for a lot of students. Saree Behm, a 2021 Council Scholarship recipient, spent her first year at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater mostly taking general education classes. Now a sophomore, the early childhood and special education major is taking classes more aligned with her interests.… Continue Reading Student Spotlight 2021: Saree Behm
Please note that from March 21 until early November, a major street reconstruction project in downtown Madison is expected to cause significant traffic delays. The construction will affect many of the routes leading to our location, particularly those involving the major intersection connecting Blair Steet, Wilson Street, Williamson Street and John Nolen Drive. If you… Continue Reading Road Construction Nearby
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Are you an artist living with blindness or low vision? Do you know someone who is? We are currently looking for artists to feature at Gallery Night 2024, scheduled for Friday, November 1. For over a decade the Council has been exhibiting the work of artists who are blind or visually impaired at Gallery Night… Continue Reading We’re Looking for Artists for Gallery Night!
The Council is excited to announce an upcoming event, On Sight: Vision Loss Resources in Southwest Wisconsin, taking place in Dodgeville on Wednesday, October 9. The free informational event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Iowa County Health and Human Services Building, 303 West Chapel Street in Dodgeville. The purpose of… Continue Reading October “On Sight” Event Brings the Council to Southwest Wisconsin
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