Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Did you know that the Council hosts two online low vision support groups?

Trailblazers Low Vision Support Group
Monday, July 8
3:00 – 4:30 P.M.
Free
Online via Zoom

This month's session will be about emotional support. There is no charge to participate. Contact Brent Perzentka at [email protected] or 608-237-8112 to get the Zoom link or call-in number. Open to everyone in Wisconsin!

College and Working Age Low Vision Support Group
Tuesday, July 16
7:00 – 8:00 P.M.
Free
Online via Zoom

This group is devoted to topics of interest to college and working age adults under 45. This month’s meeting will have two topics: blind parenting and making new friends and relationships with vision loss. There is no charge to participate, and the group is open to people across Wisconsin. To sign up, contact Jim Denham at [email protected] or 608-237-8104.

Image: Graphic of video conference on laptop

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the diverse community of people with disabilities, reflect on the work that has already been done to empower folks to live with dignity and look ahead at that work that still needs to be done.

As we celebrate Disability Pride, it’s important to also remember that the disability community consists of people from all different backgrounds, including people of color, low-income people, unhoused people, and LGBTQ+ people. Those from already marginalized groups face further barriers to society when they have a disability, and we at the Council work hard to build a world where every person with a disability has the opportunity to live a self-directed, satisfying life.

We wrote more about Disability Pride, Disability Justice, and some of the Disability Pride events happening across Wisconsin in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/06/Disability-Pride-Celebrates-Diversity-In-Our-Communities.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: Council staff members standing behind the Council’s information table at the 2023 Madison Disability Pride Festival.

The Council offices and the Sharper Vision Store will be closed on Thursday, July 4 so that staff can celebrate the holiday with loved ones. If you plan to involve pyrotechnics in your celebration, please be careful, responsible and mindful of neighbors, pets and wildlife.

Image: The words We are closed on Independence Day, Have a Happy 4th of July with red and blue stars and streamers.

July is Eye Injury Prevention Month, designated by the American Academy of Ophthalmology as a time to remember to protect our eyes and vision from harm. It’s no coincidence that it also coincides with the 4th of July, when people all across the country will be setting off fireworks to celebrate our nation’s independence.

Over 10,000 Americans were injured from fireworks in 2022, and about 16% of those injuries were eye injuries. In severe cases, fireworks-related eye injuries can rupture the eye or cause chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions, and retinal detachment. All these injuries can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss.

We wrote about how to stay safe when setting off fireworks in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/06/Protect-Your-Vision-When-Setting-Off-Fireworks/.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: A group of people watching a fireworks display.

Our White Cane Fund Appeal is in full swing! Last year, we provided free white canes to over 500 people across Wisconsin.

But gifts to our White Cane Fund don’t just go towards those white canes. They support ALL the important services we provide to people with vision loss, such as low vision evaluations, vision rehabilitation visits, orientation and mobility training and access technology classes. Gifts to our White Cane Fund help enable us to continue serving people with vision loss regardless of their financial status.

We're well on our way to reaching this year's goal of $25,000, but we still have a ways to go. You can help us cross the finish line by giving today at WCBlind.org/Donate.

Image: A woman walking toward the camera with a white cane in hand and the words words White Cane Fund.

Behind every great nonprofit is a great board of directors! A board provides essential oversight and governance, helping guide the organization’s strategy and ensure sound financial practices.

We are currently accepting applications for open seats on the Council's Board of Directors for the term beginning in January of 2025. If you are passionate about the Council's mission and have the skills and commitment to make a difference, we hope you will consider applying! Our Board consists of dedicated members from all parts of Wisconsin and includes individuals both with and without vision loss.

In addition to helping advance the Council's mission through oversight and governance, serving on the Board can help build your own leadership skills, while lending your existing talents and community connections to an organization you are passionate about.

The application deadline is August 26. You can find the application at http://wcblind.org/board-application.

Image: Members of a past WCBVI board sitting at a large table.

June 27th is the birthday of prolific author and political activist Helen Keller, born in 1880. In addition to being the first DeafBlind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, Keller also wrote a dozen books, including the immensely popular “The Story of My Life.”

As we noted in our recent On Sight article about June being DeafBlind Awareness Month (https://wcblind.org/2024/06/deafblind-awareness-month-recognizes-an-often-invisible-population/), DeafBlindness is not as rare as many people assume.

A lot of folks are under the misconception that DeafBlindness mainly refers to those with complete loss of both sight and hearing. The reality is that DeafBlindness is a spectrum that also includes people who are totally blind with some hearing loss, people who are totally deaf with some vision loss, and everything in between. According to the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc., there are around 900 people in Wisconsin who fit the legal definition of DeafBlind. But the number of people with some level of dual-sensory loss is estimated to be much higher at around 20,000.

Happy birthday to this prolific writer, thinker and civil rights crusader!

Image: Portrait of Helen Keller.

Attention hobbyists and crafters! We’ve added several new items to the Sharper Vision Store shelves to help you continue doing what you love.

Are you a woodworker? Our new Braille Measuring Tape (https://store.wcblind.org/store/product/15-braille-measuring-tape) is great for many types of crafts and handy projects. At 15 feet long, it has a small bump every six inches, allowing you to measure distance easily.

Looking to relax? Our Bold Line Mandala Coloring Book (https://store.wcblind.org/store/product/bold-line-mandala-coloring-book) is perfect for unwinding after a long day. The large patterns with bold lines are perfect for letting your creativity flow.

You can find more hobby and craft items on the Sharper Vision Store website at Store.WCBlind.org/Store/Hobbyist.

Image: Braille measuring tape.

For much of our history, the Council has provided academic scholarships to support students living with vision loss who want to further their education and achieve their professional goals. But where are those scholarship recipients now?

We decided to check in with a few recent scholarship recipients who have graduated from college or are working on an advanced degree to find out what comes next. Whether working as a music teacher here in Wisconsin or teaching agriculture in North Dakota, our scholarship recipients are making progress toward their admirable goals.

We wrote about what a few of our recent scholarship recipients are up do in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/06/Graduating-Scholarship-Recipients-Have-Big-Post-College-Plans.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: George Tuttle, Grace Caine and Joseph Tuttle

Have you heard? The Sharper Vision Store's hours have changed… slightly.

The store is now open by appointment only on Mondays. Our hours remain unchanged during the rest of the week, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Making an appointment to visit the store ensures that a knowledgeable staff member will be ready to help you the moment you walk into the building. It guarantees that you get the best possible advice in choosing the items that are right for you. In fact, shopping by appointment is a great option even if you plan to come on a day when we are open for walk-in business.

To make an appointment, please call us at 608-255-1166 or 800-783-5213 or email us at [email protected].

And of course our online store is always open. Visit the Sharper Vision Store website at WCBlind.org/store.

Welcome to the Sharper Vision Store Our online store features many useful products.

The August 13 Primary Election will be here before you know it, so now is the time to begin crafting your plan for how you will vote in these important elections. Making a voting plan is critical, especially for voters with vision loss and other disabilities, to ensure that your vote is cast on time and counted.

The first step is to make sure you are registered to vote. While you can register at your polling place on Election Day in Wisconsin, we recommend skipping the line and registering ahead of time. It also means you can vote early via absentee ballot. You can register to vote in person at your local clerk’s office, by mail, or online at MyVote.WI.gov.

Both state and federal law mandates that certain accessibility options, like accessible voting machines or a voting assistant, be available for use on Election Day. If you will need these accommodations on Election Day, we recommend reaching out to your local clerk before the election and letting them know your plans. While all accessibility options should be ready for you to use on Election Day, poll workers may not understand the state and federal laws or how to use the equipment to allow you to vote. Contacting your clerk ahead of time will help them to be prepared to enable you to vote with as few barriers as possible.

And of course if you plan to vote in person, it's never too early to start thinking about transportation, whether that means mapping out a walking route, checking transit schedules, or arranging for a ride from a friend.

You can find more information about making a voting plan on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/02/Its-Time-To-Make-Your-Voting-Plan-For-Spring-Elections.

Image: A light-skinned woman using an accessible voting machine

Last year, the Council provided over 500 white canes at no cost to people with vision loss across Wisconsin. Gifts to our White Cane Fund not only allow us to supply those white canes, but also help support the array of vision services we provide to hundreds of clients every year, including vision rehabilitation visits, low vision evaluations, orientation and mobility training, and access technology instruction.

Help us reach our $25,000 goal by making a gift to our White Cane Fund at WCBlind.org/Donate. Thank You!

Image: A woman walking toward the camera with a white cane in hand and the words words White Cane Fund.

The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition is holding a Lunch and Learn webinar on Tuesday, June 25 at noon to discuss proposed state constitutional amendments and Wisconsin’s new legislative maps.

Two constitutional amendments will be on the ballot again this August. The webinar will break down what those amendments are all about, and why they are important. The webinar will also cover how the new maps may impact you, what else is on the ballot, and how you can be prepared.

ASL interpreters and other accommodations are available. Learn more and register at DisabilityVote.org/2024/Lunch-And-Learn-June-2024-Webinar.

Lunch and Learn: June 2024 Webinar - Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition Constitutional Amendments and Fair Maps Webinar Constitutional amendments will be on the ballot again in August. Changing our constitution is a big deal. Join us to learn what they’re about. We will also talk about how the new maps may…

June is DeafBlind Awareness Month, recognizing what is often seen as an “invisible population.” When most people think of a person who is DeafBlind, they probably imagine someone with complete loss of both sight and hearing. While this is true in some cases, the reality is that DeafBlindness is a spectrum. In the DeafBlind community, there are people who are totally blind with some hearing loss, people who are totally deaf with some vision loss, and everything in between.

While we at the Council are able to provide services for people with vision loss, we know that people who are DeafBlind have unique needs and challenges. The Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc. has been an important resources for people across Wisconsin living with DeafBlindness for nearly 40 years.

We wrote more about DeafBlind Awareness Month, and about some of the services offered at the Center, in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/06/DeafBlind-Awareness-Month-Recognizes-An-Often-Invisible-Population.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: A sketch of someone with a cane near hands communicating in sign language along with the words DeafBlind Awareness Month.

Access Technology Class: Using JAWS to Create Visually Appealing Documents
Thursday, June 27
4 p.m.
Online via Zoom

When using screen reading software, it can be hard to create and edit documents that are visually appealing. Detecting changes in fonts, understanding text placement, and inserting images in appropriate places can be challenging. Fortunately, JAWS for Windows has several powerful features that can help.

Join us for this free online Access Technology Class to learn more about these useful tools. The session will provide an overview of these features and demonstrate how to use them to create, edit and format documents that are both accessible and visually appealing. Please note that the course assumes you have basic knowledge of JAWS for Windows and Microsoft Word.

To register, RSVP to Access Technology Specialist Jim Denham by Tuesday June 25 at [email protected] or (608) 237-8104.

Image: JAWS software package next to a computer monitor showing the JAWS logo

June is Cataract Awareness Month, an observance declared by Prevent Blindness to raise awareness of the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s lens and can be brought on by many factors, such as UV exposure, smoking, eye injuries, and disease.

It is estimated that over 20 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataract in one or both eyes. Fortunately, cataracts can be treated through surgery. Cataract surgery is a common procedure, with over 3 million surgeries performed every year.

If you are over 65, it is important to get a complete eye exam every one or two years so that if cataracts are discovered, they can be treated quickly. Putting off cataract surgery can lead to hypermature cataracts, which can cause complete vision loss if left untreated.

You can find more information about cataracts on the Prevent Blindness website at PreventBlindness.org/2024-Cataract-Awareness-Month/.

Prevent Blindness Declares June as Cataract Awareness Month to Educate Public on Eye Disease that is the Leading Cause of Vision Loss in the United States For Cataract Awareness Month in June, Prevent Blindness provides free educational resources for patients and providers on cataract and cataract surgery.

Summer music festival season is here, and Summerfest in Milwaukee, which touts itself as the “world’s largest music festival,” begins next Thursday, June 20. Summerfest offers a variety of accessibility options to ensure that everybody can enjoy the festival. In addition to accessible seating and parking , Summerfest offers large-print schedules of all festival events at their information centers located throughout the festival grounds. You can find more accessibility options on their website at Summerfest.com/Accessibility/.

The Milwaukee-based nonprofit ABLE (Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement) has joined the effort to make Summerfest accessible for people with vision loss by providing a set of audio guides. There are separate recordings for each day's festival schedule, as well as for festival services, admissions and ticketing information, and admission promotions. You can find the ABLE audio guides online at ABLENow.org/News-Events/2024-Summerfest.

Image: The Summerfest logo with the words June 20-22, June 27-29, July 4-6 and the American Family Insurance logo.

June 10 marks the beginning of Global Loneliness Awareness Week, a time to highlight the importance of social connection in our lives. The theme for this year’s Global Loneliness Awareness Week is “Random Acts of Connection,” encouraging everyone to engage in simple, everyday moments that help everyone feel happier and less lonely.

We know that loneliness and isolation are more common among people vision loss, especial older adults, than among the general population, and this can have major implications on one’s health. The Wisconsin Coalition for Social Connection has launched a website, ConnectWI.org, to help older adults make connections in their day-to-day lives.

We wrote more about Global Loneliness Awareness Week in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/06/Global-Loneliness-Awareness-Week-Highlights-Importance-Of-Social-Connection.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: Cartoon style drawing of different people engaging in different activities together and the words Random Acts of Connection.

Next Friday, June 14, Accessible Pharmacy will hold their free Blindness and Mental Health Summit. This fully online summit features over a dozen organizations that will share information, resources, and services focusing on mental health in the vision loss community.

In Wisconsin people with vision loss are more than twice as likely to report poor mental health than those with full vision. The first part of the summit will feature virtual discussions about mental health experiences and resources from leaders within the vision loss and mental health communities. The event will then offer a virtual exhibit hall where you can browse organizations and community services.

Registration for this free and fully virtual event is open now. You can register on the Accessible Pharmacy website at AccessiblePharmacy.com/Blindness-And-Mental-Health-Summit-2024.

Blindness and Mental Health Summit 2024 - Welcome to Accessible Pharmacy Services Blindness and Mental Health Summit Friday, June 14, 2024 12:00PM to 4:00PM Eastern Time Join us for the…

The 2024 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention is just around the corner from July 5 – 12 in Jacksonville, Florida. With dozens of in-person and virtual presentations and talks to choose from, AFB’s annual conference helps connect and inform people with vision loss across the country.

Registration for the conference is open until Monday, June 17. You learn more about the conference and register at

2024 Convention Home Page 2024 Convention Information: The 2024 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention will be held July 5th through July 12th at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel located at 225 E Coastline Dr in Jacksonville, FL. The opening general session will be on Sunday evening, July 7th. Our banquet....

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.

While nearly 20 million people across the country live with vision loss, less than 5% of those people are receiving vision rehabilitation services like those the Council’s offers. These services help people with vision loss live more independently and participate in their communities safely and with confidence.

You can learn more about Vision Rehabilitation Week on the VisionServe Alliance website at https://visionservealliance.org/vrw/.

To learn about vision services available at the Council, visit our website at https://wcblind.org/vision-services/.

You can also find information about vision rehabilitation services available around Wisconsin through the state's Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/obvi/index.htm.

Image: A woman and her caregiver. Text that reads ‘Vision Rehabilitation programs increase safety, confidence, & independence for people living with blindness and low vision!

Did you know the Council hosts two virtual Low Vision Support Groups?

Trailblazers Low Vision Support Group
Monday, June 10
3:00 – 4:30 P.M.
Free
Online via Zoom

The topic of this month’s meeting is devices and apps for people with vision loss. The Trailblazers Low Vision Support Group is open to everyone in Wisconsin, and there is no charge to participate. Contact Brent Perzentka at [email protected] or 608-237-8112 to get the Zoom link or call-in number.

College and Working Age Low Vision Support Group
Tuesday, June 18
7:00 – 8:00P.M.
Free
Online via Zoom

This group is devoted to topics of interest to college and working age adults under 45. This month’s meeting will cover the new access technology displayed at the 2024 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference and will feature accessibility advocate (and Council board member) Nat Tarnoff as a guest speaker. There is no charge to participate, and the group is open to people across Wisconsin. To register, contact Jim Denham at [email protected] or 608-237-8104.

Image: Headshot of Nat Tarnoff.

The National Federation of the Blind’s 2024 National Convention will take place in Orlando, Florida from July 3 through 8. If you missed the May 31 registration deadline to attend in person or are unable to travel to Orlando, fear not! NFB is also offering a virtual convention experience, for which you can still register.

The NFB National Convention is one of the largest gatherings of people with vision loss in the world, offering hundreds of presentations, learning sessions, and opportunities to connect with people from across the country.

You can learn more and register for the NFB National Convention Virtual Experience at https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2024-national-convention-virtual-experience.

Image: National Federation of the Blind logo

Last month, we teamed up with the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon) and our newest partner, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center to once again present Birding by Ear. Birding by Ear is a prime example of the idea that with the right adaptations, birding and so many other outdoor recreational activities can be enjoyed by almost anyone, regardless of their physical and sensory abilities.

With nearly 50 different species of birds identified throughout the outing, this year’s Birding by Ear was once again a great success. We wrote more about this year’s event in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at WCBlind.org/2024/05/Birding-By-Ear-Continues-To-Delight-Birders-Of-All-Abilities/.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: A group of birders standing on a path through the woods.

Fishing Has No Boundaries is a national organization whose goal is to open up the great outdoors for people with disabilities through the world of fishing. With summer almost here and seven chapters throughout the Wisconsin, there may be fishing events scheduled near you.

Madison Chapter
July 13
Governor Nelson State Park

Fond du Lac Chapter
August 24-25
Lakeside Park

Chippewa Valley Chapter
September 14
Lake Wissota Lodge and Event Center

St. Croix Valley Chapter
September 21
Lakefront Park in Hudson

You can register to learn more and register to attend any of these events at

Fishing Has No Boundaries – A Group for Anglers with Disabilities Fishing Has No Boundaries provides recreational fishing opportunities for all anglers with disabilities regardless of their age, race, gender, or disability.

Access Technology Class: Using JAWS Features to Create Visually Appealing Documents
Thursday, June 27
4 p.m.
Online via Zoom

When using screen reading software, it can be hard to create and edit documents that are visually appealing. Detecting changes in fonts, understanding text placement, and inserting images in appropriate places can be challenging. Fortunately, the JAWS for Windows screen reading software has several powerful features that can help.

Join us for this free online Access Technology Class to learn more about these useful tools. The session will provide an overview of some of these features and demonstrate how to use them to create, edit and format documents that are both accessible and visually appealing. Please note that the course assumes you have basic knowledge of JAWS for Windows and Microsoft Word.

To register, RSVP to Access Technology Specialist Jim Denham by Tuesday June 25 at [email protected] or (608) 237-8104.

Image: JAWS software package next to a computer monitor showing the JAWS logo

Our White Cane Appeal is in full swing! 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. You gift will support these services, along with our advocacy for systemic changes to eliminate barriers.

Consider making a gift to the Council today to help us continue to help people with vision loss across Wisconsin live the lives they want with greater independence and equitable access. You can make a donation on our website at WCBlind.org/Donate.

Donate - Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired Donate to the Council to empower people who are blind or visually impaired. Giving options include bequests, monthly donations and memorial designations.

Once a week, Certified Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist Brent Perzentka of the Council heads to the Sauk Prairie School District to provide O&M to students with vision loss. This is a little outside the Council's usual scope of services, but when CESA 5, the Cooperative Educational Service Agency that serves the district, lost their own O&M specialist, they had trouble finding a new one to hire. So the district reached out to the Council to see if we would be able to step in and fill the gap.

This situation underscores the shortage of not only trained O&M specialists but qualified vision services professionals in general. Not just in Wisconsin, but in the nation as a whole.

We wrote about the shortage of vision service professionals, and what needs to happen to address that shortage, in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at https://wcblind.org/2024/05/shortage-of-vision-services-professionals-puts-strain-on-both-clients-and-providers/.

Interested in receiving On Sight in your inbox every Monday? You can sign up at WCBlind.org/Newsletter-Signup/.

Image: Brent Perzentka showing a client white cane technique.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which means it’s time to break out the grill! If burgers and brats are on the menu this weekend, the Council’s Access Technology Specialist and in-house grilling expert, Jim Denham, has a few tips to help you stay safe at the grill. You can find the video on our Youtube channel at https://youtu.be/4qJoeDBpp2A?feature=shared.

The Sharper Vision Store also sells a variety of adaptive cooking equipment to make grilling even easier. You can find everything from talking meat thermometers to double spatula turners to extra long oven mitts. Find these products in our brick-and-mortar store in Madison or online at Store.WCBlind.org/Store/Kitchen.

Jim grilling demo

Council offices and the Sharper Vision Store will be closed Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. We will be back open on Tuesday during our regular hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

We hope you are able to spend some time with family and loved ones over the long weekend, and along the way take a moment to honor those who have died serving their country.

Image: An American flag in the ground near a row of gravestones.