Post Archive

The east enterance to the wisconsin state capitol

Action Alert: Tell Legislators that the State Budget Must Include Adequate Funding for Transportation Programs

The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) will soon write the portion of their State Budget bill related to transportation. Please contact your legislators as soon as possible and ask them to encourage JFC to include in the budget a set of much-needed funding increases the Council is championing along with other organizations working on behalf of… Continue Reading Action Alert: Tell Legislators that the State Budget Must Include Adequate Funding for Transportation Programs

The sunglasses display in the Sharper Vision Store

Protect Your Eyes Outdoors This Summer with Sunglasses!

Wisconsin summer is in full swing, and we at the Council hope you are able to spend some time outdoors and enjoy the warm weather. While you’re outside, it’s important to protect your eyes from the sun. Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool; they are vital in protecting your eyes from UV rays and… Continue Reading Protect Your Eyes Outdoors This Summer with Sunglasses!

A group of people sitting around a large meeting room table.

Advocacy Days Brought Council Priorities to Lawmakers

Advocates and Council staff met in a State Capitol hearing room to strategize about their legislator meetings. Public policy advocacy has been a cornerstone of the Council’s mission since our founding over 70 years ago. In May we continued that mission with our annual Advocacy Days event, both virtually and in-person at the State Capitol… Continue Reading Advocacy Days Brought Council Priorities to Lawmakers

Photo of Kate Bleyl-Ericson standing in the Council offices

Welcome Kate Bleyl-Ericson to the Council Team

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

A light-skinned woman playing a saxophone in front of a tree

Are You a Musician with Vision Loss? We Want to Hear from You!

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!

A light-skinned women holding a white cane standing in front of porch steps

Support Independence and Confidence During the Council’s White Cane Appeal

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

A light-skinned person sitting at a desk using a phone app to identify a piece of mail.

Reading and Organizing Your Mail with Vision Loss

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

Front page of the Spring 2025 Council Courier

Spring Issue of the Council Courier Newsletter Now Available Online

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

Denise Jess standing between VSA President Lee Nasehi and VSA Board Chair Lauran Branch holding an award certificate.

Executive Director Denise Jess Honored with Awards from VisionServe Alliance and the Wisconsin Chapter of AER

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

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In a two-by-two grid, photos of Kaylee Mueller, Jasmine Bertschy, Mia Zutter, and Alyson Dahl

Introducing our 2025 Council Scholarship Recipients

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 holding her Crystal Apple award.

Former Board Member Karen Heesen Wins Crystal Apple Teaching Award

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

Eight birders standing on a path listening to bird sounds.

Birding by Ear Shows the Importance of Inclusion in Outdoor Activities

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

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Madison, WI 53703
Toll Free: 800-783-5213
608-255-1166
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info@WCBlind.org

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Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired