Looking Ahead with Hope in 2026

The New Year is off to a lively start at Society for the Blind. We are welcoming back our continuing students and getting a new group of students started on their core skills training. 

New starts bring both excitement and some trepidation. There is the excitement of learning new things and meeting new people, and there is the trepidation about how to apply these lessons and not knowing how it will all turn out. The glue that holds it all together is hope. Our instructors share their own stories of learning to use a cane, assistive technology and braille. Clients become mentors and share how they use their skills in daily living. 

Society for the Blind is filled with hope for 2026. We are excited to be developing a curriculum for a new course in wearable technologies. Thanks to a grant from the Peninsula Endowment, we are able to provide Meta Glasses and in-depth training on their use for employment, education and everyday activities. Already one of our students is using these in her job to manage inventory for a large building supply company. Another user stated that the Meta Glasses are a “game changer,” allowing her to complete work assignments more quickly and conduct daily activities independently. We are very hopeful that this innovative technology will continue to enhance the lives of people living with vision loss.

We also are excited to be moving ahead with a major piece of our Vision Forward Initiative. Over the next few months, we intend to finalize the design and construction plan for renovating our second floor. Currently under-utilized space will be transformed into four distinct spaces for group training and one-on-one tutoring, providing our clients with additional opportunities to hone their blindness skills for their personal and professional goals.

There is a lot to look forward to in the coming months, and we will keep you updated on our progress and on our clients’ successes. Together we can ensure that the hope instilled in our clients and patients can blossom into new-found opportunities. Whether it’s a four-year-old child learning braille, a working-age person learning to use Meta Glasses or a senior acquiring new skills to live independently, we want to see them all discover, develop and achieve their full potential in the year ahead.