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
A mother and her son talk to former Store Manager and current Vision Rehabilitation Specialist Brent Perzentka. The Madison residents Joyce Russell and her son Jay came to the Council seeking answers to the question: What could I find to help me live a fuller life? Joyce is a person living with changing vision and Jay… Continue Reading A Mother’s Journey: Finding Products that Help Us Lead Full Lives
Karen at the Council in April 2019. The Council wishes to congratulate our volunteer, Karen Lee Weidig, who has been selected as one of the Community Shares of Wisconsin’s Backyard Heroes for April 2019. Karen Lee is originally from Milwaukee, and moved to Madison in the 1970s. She has volunteered her time at the Wisconsin… Continue Reading Backyard Hero: Karen Lee Weidig
Gardening can be a fun way to grow your own food, enjoy the outdoors and create something beautiful to share with friends and family. Spring is an excellent time to make a plan, buy some seeds, and dig into the dirt. Adapting gardening for people who are blind or visually impaired can involve containers, raised… Continue Reading Gardening Ideas for People with Vision Loss
The Council’s website, WCBlind.org, is now more accessible for screenreaders and people with low vision. Amanda, a web developer in the Madison area, created the new site. She enjoys giving back to her community, especially by designing for nonprofits. She is now thinking more about the need for accessibility on other websites because of her… Continue Reading Same Link, New Look: Check out the Council’s New Website
The Council appreciates the wonderful volunteers who work beside staff to enhance our services. Volunteers share a variety of talents including gardening, voice recording, and archiving the Council’s history. No matter the project, our volunteers put their heart into it! Thank you for generously giving of your time and talent in support of the Council.… Continue Reading Thank You to Our Many Volunteers
Seasonally, the Council is publishing a series of articles to help you stay active. This spring, we are featuring beep baseball. Check Council publications for future articles. Beep baseball started in the 1960’s in Colorado. The National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) was founded in 1976, and set forth the rules used in the sport today.… Continue Reading Beep Baseball: An American Pastime Adapted for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
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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
754 Williamson St.
Madison, WI 53703
Toll Free: 800-783-5213
608-255-1166
Fax: 608-255-3301
Monday by Appointment
Tuesday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed Holidays
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Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired
