Post Archive

A sighted person attempting to direct a person with a white cane toward an elevator by pointing at it.

Don’t Say “Over There”: How to be a Better Describer for Someone who is Blind or Low Vision

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

Three people examining a painting hanging on a wall in the Council office.

We’re Looking for Artists for Gallery Night!

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!

October “On Sight” Event Brings the Council to Southwest Wisconsin

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

A pencil erasing the first two letters of the word inaccessible

Changing Systems One Business at a Time

One of the Council’s ongoing advocacy priorities is the quest to persuade businesses and public agencies to make their documents and forms accessible to people with vision loss. Sometimes accessibility issues come into play in the Council’s own efforts to function well as an organization—one that happens to be led by a person who is… Continue Reading Changing Systems One Business at a Time

A woman walking toward the camera with a white cane and the words White Cane Fund

White Cane Fund is About More Than Free Canes

To most sighted people, a white cane has a simple meaning: the person holding the cane is blind. But for the user, the meaning is more complex and personal. The cane, for many users, represents—and enables—independence. Each year, the Council’s White Cane Fund campaign pays for hundreds of white canes to be given away free… Continue Reading White Cane Fund is About More Than Free Canes

Five people watching and listening to birds

Birding by Ear Provides Skills for Lifelong Happiness

The Council teamed up with Madison Audubon Society once again earlier this spring to present Birding by Ear, an education program we’ve been offering since 2018. This year’s events included an online educational session offered at two different times in April and two field trips to Warner Park on Madison’s north side in May. The… Continue Reading Birding by Ear Provides Skills for Lifelong Happiness

Stick drawings of individuals walking, cycling, running, using a wheelchair and using a scooter

Active Transportation: The Missing Link Between Pedestrian, Bicycle and Motor Transportation Planning

The road to an inclusive Wisconsin transportation plan is a long one. But thanks to work underway by a steering committee serving the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), positive change is in motion. The committee is steering toward what’s called an active transportation plan for the state. What is it? Think about the different modes… Continue Reading Active Transportation: The Missing Link Between Pedestrian, Bicycle and Motor Transportation Planning

A woman wearing safety glasses and rubber gloves while scrubbing a tile wall

Protect Your Eyes Indoors and Out This Spring

Warmer months bring on the need to fix things up around the home, both indoors and out. Whether it’s keeping your lawn under control, cleaning out the attic or working on a home repair project, your to-do list is screaming for attention. Since these are chores that often present a risk of eye injury, it’s… Continue Reading Protect Your Eyes Indoors and Out This Spring

A bus driving by the Wisconsin State Capitol

Council Setting its Advocacy Focus on Biennial State Budget

Governor Tony Evers’ proposed biennial budget for fiscal years 2023-25 weighs in at just under $104 billion of proposed state spending. The state budget impacts everyone in Wisconsin, but certain parts of it are of particular interest to the Council. Those include provisions related to mass transit, specialized transportation, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) services,… Continue Reading Council Setting its Advocacy Focus on Biennial State Budget

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Front cover of the Big Data report on working-age adults

Big Data Working Age Adults Report Paints Sobering Picture, Highlights Need for Advocacy

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

Former Council Scholarship Recipient Judy Kilian’s Resilience Inspires Next Generation

After Judy Kilian graduated from Madison Memorial High School at the age of 18, she says her first attempt at college did not go as planned. While she got straight A’s throughout high school, Judy says being a student with vision loss made it difficult to adjust to college. “I didn’t have the self-advocacy skills… Continue Reading Former Council Scholarship Recipient Judy Kilian’s Resilience Inspires Next Generation

The hands of several people placed on top of each other in the middle.

Start a New Tradition by Giving as a Family

Every year around Christmas time, Darwin Kaufman chooses a charity or organization to donate to in his children’s names. “Last year, we gave to the Council for our son who has vision loss,” Darwin says. “Some time ago, we decided that instead of trying to give them gifts that they may or may not care… Continue Reading Start a New Tradition by Giving as a Family

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Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired