Post Archive

A bus driving by the Wisconsin State Capitol

Advocacy Days Preview: Knowledge + Lived Experience is a Powerful Advocacy Combination

Transportation equity is a major focus of this year’s Advocacy Days. For an advocate, it’s a topic that takes a lot of focus and endurance. There are many reasons for that. Transportation policy varies from community to community and from county to county. One must approach both state and local agencies to advocate for positive… Continue Reading Advocacy Days Preview: Knowledge + Lived Experience is a Powerful Advocacy Combination

A Google Nest Audio smart speaker sitting on a table next to a folder and a plant

Smart Speakers Can Keep Families Connected, Bring Easy Access to Common Tasks and Information

Smart speakers, also known as voice assistants, are changing the way people interact with the internet. “Voice assistants have really enabled those with vision impairments to remain independent by utilizing their voice and hearing to assist with daily living tasks,” says Council Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Brent Perzentka. A smart speaker can even be programed by… Continue Reading Smart Speakers Can Keep Families Connected, Bring Easy Access to Common Tasks and Information

3 Advocacy Day folders held up in front of the Wisconsin Capitol.

Reminder: Advocacy Days Provides the Tools to Make Your Voice Heard

Registration is now open for the Council’s 2023 Advocacy Days. This year’s Advocacy Days combines online and in-person components. An online Advocacy 101 Zoom session will be offered on April 18 at two different times: 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. On April 19 and April 20, there will be online “Lunch… Continue Reading Reminder: Advocacy Days Provides the Tools to Make Your Voice Heard

A Man Gives Back to the Council in a Unique Way

Rajnish and his family have been monthly Council donors for a number of years. This year, he decided to sell personal items on eBay and give some of the proceeds to the Council. “Giving from my eBay sales is another way I could support the Council,” he says. Rajnish remarked that the difficulties nonprofits were… Continue Reading A Man Gives Back to the Council in a Unique Way

Your Right to Vote During the Pandemic

2020 is a major election year, with the fall primary in August and the presidential and general election in November. Safety precautions due to COVID-19 posed unique challenges for many voters with vision loss, other voters with disabilities and older adults. Act now to be sure you are prepared for these upcoming elections. Your vote… Continue Reading Your Right to Vote During the Pandemic

Job Searches, Applications and Interviews: Firsthand Experiences of People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Gone are the days in which a person held the same job for forty years or more. People are likely to have many jobs throughout their working life. To keep up with your interests, acquired skills and lifestyle desires, you will likely search for a job many times throughout your career. Did You Know? The… Continue Reading Job Searches, Applications and Interviews: Firsthand Experiences of People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired

2 people walking down a street together, one is using a cane.

Effective Communication: Living Authentic Kindness

During interactions with friends, family members and strangers, it is important to remember to treat others the way you would like to be treated. This can be accomplished by keeping kindness top-of-mind. Being kind builds rapport, establishes relationship and makes situations that might be uncomfortable or awkward less so. What does it mean to act… Continue Reading Effective Communication: Living Authentic Kindness

A group of 20 people stands outside on a nature trail.

Try a New Hobby: Birding by Ear

Birding by Ear participants and instructors from 2019. To pass the time during quarantine, it might be fun to learn birding by ear or to freshen up your birdsong repertoire. This new hobby will start you on the path to identifying the birds that chirp, sing, whistle and make other sounds, right in your own… Continue Reading Try a New Hobby: Birding by Ear

Four people stand in a public transit building; two have white canes and one has a service dog.

Your Gift to the White Cane Fund is More Important Than Ever

Part of the Council’s mission is White Cane Law advocacy, which improves pedestrian safety in the state of Wisconsin. Now is the time to make a gift to the Council’s annual White Cane Fund. Last year, more than 500 people received free white canes thanks to generous donors. This year, we live in a time when… Continue Reading Your Gift to the White Cane Fund is More Important Than Ever

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A hand holding a clear piggy bank with a mortarboard on its head

Reminder: Scholarship Application Deadline is March 31

We’re accepting applications for 2023 Council Scholarships until March 31. More information and application materials are available on our website. Scholarships of $2,000 are available to up to ten Wisconsin residents living with vision loss and who are planning to attend a two-year college, four-year university or graduate program in the fall. Over the years… Continue Reading Reminder: Scholarship Application Deadline is March 31

2022 Student Spotlight: Saree Behm

Council scholarship recipient Saree Behm has been adapting all her life. Born in China, she was adopted from an orphanage at age 6. Saree never attended school while she was in China. She entered first grade in Janesville. While she spoke no English, “I was pretty quick to learn the language,” she says. She also… Continue Reading 2022 Student Spotlight: Saree Behm

A overhead of a highway interchange. with Community Shares of Wi and other partners for the Big Share

Focus on Transportation Helped Make The Big Share a Big Success

We’re grateful to all who supported the Council’s work during The Big Share on March 7. Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our goal of $7,500, raising a total of $10,350 over the course of the event through gifts from 92 donors. The Big Share is a unique, all-day fundraiser organized by Community Shares of… Continue Reading Focus on Transportation Helped Make The Big Share a Big Success

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Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired