Advocating for pedestrian safety with local officials can sometimes be as intimidating as navigating a dangerous intersection. Just ask Kathi Zoern. “It’s scary,” says the Wausau resident. “But it’s important to advocate. If you don’t do something, nothing’s going to change.” Some years back, Kathi, who has been visually impaired since birth, began to attend… Continue Reading The Power of Local Advocacy in Making Our Streets Safer
All financial gifts to the Council are used to support our mission to promote the dignity and empowerment of the people in Wisconsin who are blind and visually impaired. We do this by providing services, advocating public policy and educating the public. Those financial gifts come to us in a variety of forms. One of… Continue Reading Employer Matches Can Make Gifts to the Council Go Farther
Public policy advocacy has been a cornerstone of the Council’s mission since its founding in 1952. For the Council, advocacy is a year-round endeavor. But you don’t have to be a professional advocate to be an effective voice for change! There are ordinary folks all over the state–and in your community–doing it successfully. For example,… Continue Reading Coming May 16: Advocacy Day—A Perfect Blend of Information and Motivation
September 12-16 is both National Disability Voting Rights Week and National Voter Registration Week. Assuring the rights of voters with vision loss is an important advocacy priority for the Council. To celebrate this week, we encourage everyone to understand your rights and to make your voting plan for the November 8 midterm election. Absentee Voting:… Continue Reading Understand Your Voting Rights. Then Exercise Them
Learning to travel safely is an essential skill for people living with vision loss. This is especially true when traveling outdoors, even in a well-known environment such as one’s own neighborhood. And those skills are even more important when navigating unfamiliar territory. If you just received your first mobility cane, proper training is critical to… Continue Reading Getting Around: O&M Training Provides the Skills for Safe, Independent Navigation
The COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over, and testing remains a critical necessity. As people have doffed their masks, infections have increased, and while the disease has been mild for many people, there remains a substantial risk, especially to those who are elderly or have underlying health conditions. There are several steps involved in using… Continue Reading Accessible COVID Tests are Now Available
We are all pedestrians. Whether we walk to work, to friends’ homes, to a public transit stop or just stroll the neighborhood for exercise, everybody needs and deserves access to safe sidewalks and street crossings. On September 7 starting at noon, the Council is partnering with the Sierra Club and 1000 Friends of Wisconsin for… Continue Reading Join Us for ‘Make Way for Pedestrians,’ a Webinar on Making Our Streets and Sidewalks Safer
Rosemary Goodrich (Rosy to her friends) has always been stubborn and determined. Being blind since birth never stopped her from roller skating. It didn’t deter her from playing on the teeter totter, zipping down a slide or riding a tricycle. Occasionally, she’d take a tumble. “But so did all the other kids,” she says, laughing.… Continue Reading Ingredients for Making a Monthly Donor: A Stubborn Streak and a Big Heart
Wisconsin’s Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) were created in 1998 expressly to support older adults, adults with disabilities, and high school students with disabilities who are transitioning out of school. The Council maintains a strong relationship with Wisconsin’s ADRC network, with lines of communication in place to ensure that older individuals experiencing vision loss… Continue Reading ADRCs Can Be a Key Lifeline for Older Adults Experiencing Vision Loss
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One of the Council’s most popular events, Birding by Ear, returns for the sixth year on Saturday, May 4. Just as unique as their coloration and shape, bird sounds come in all tunes and pitches. Any experienced birder will tell you that identifying birds is at least as much about hearing them as seeing them.… Continue Reading Springtime Means the Return of Birding by Ear
No matter where you live in Wisconsin, a vision services provider is within reach. That said, available services vary from area to area and from agency to agency. “Each agency offers a certain type of assistance,” says Education and Vision Services Director Amy Wurf of the Council. “Depending on where you are, you may not… Continue Reading Wisconsin’s Vision Services Landscape
Things are always buzzing at the Council offices. But recently a different kind of buzz was heard when the Council hosted a visit by students from the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Janesville. The six students, members of a College and Career Readiness class, and four staff members came to the… Continue Reading Visiting Students Learn About the Council and More
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Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired
