We already know how to adapt. So we decided to invent.

Support Society for the Blind on Big Day of Giving!

“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison, inventor

At Society for the Blind, we always say that people with vision loss can still do almost anything they want, they just have to adapt to do it another way. But when the pandemic hit, we had to do more than adapt – we had to invent a new way to serve our blind and low-vision community through distance learning.

In just 48 hours, we created a new model to offer services to people with vision loss in their homes. Now we need your support on Big Day of Giving to meet our $15,000 goal to keep our online doors open until we can re-open our doors in Midtown Sacramento – and continue distance learning after the pandemic.

“Many of my students have told me that in some ways they are learning better remotely because they do not have me to rely on when they push the wrong key,” said Nick Westerman, our assistive technology instructor. “They are learning to communicate at a stronger level in a shorter period of time.”

From offering mobility training, support groups and workshops online, to sending Braille kits and magnifiers to homes, we are still providing a community of support to people with vision loss, despite not gathering in the same room.

“My students are open and flexible to new and innovative ways of learning and engaging,” said Richard Rueda, our CareersPLUS program coordinator. “In the short time that our program has gone virtual, students have been at ease with the setup and eagerly participated.”

We are proud of how quickly we invented an outstanding distance-learning model for people with vision loss so they could continue their work to be independent.

“I am so grateful for distance learning,” said Terri Walsh, one of our orientation and mobility students. “At the start of this shutdown, I was just beginning to feel confident with the skills I was learning. Now I am looking forward to traveling on foot with my cane to all of the destinations that I have virtually visited!”

Help us reach our $15,000 Big Day of Giving goal!

Donate to Society for the Blind at BigDayofGiving.org/SocietyfortheBlind

• Schedule an online donation in advance.
• Give online on Big Day of Giving, May 7.
• Mail a check in advance to 1238 S Street, Sacramento, CA 95811.

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