Thank You: Your Gifts Empower People with Vision Loss
Big Day of Giving was a smashing success for Society for the Blind, raising over $120,000 for our Senior IMPACT Project. We are truly grateful for our wonderful donors whose generosity far exceeded our goal of $45,000. This couldn’t come at a better time, as funding for our Senior IMPACT Project will see a drastic reduction in government funding in the coming months.
Last year, we served 570 new clients through our Senior IMPACT Project. We expect that number will continue to go up as our older adult population grows. By 2030, one in four Californians will be 60 or older. We are encouraged by the tremendous support of our wonderful donors during Big Day of Giving. We know our Senior IMPACT Project will continue to thrive for a long time to come.
Speaking of thriving, this month is OIder Californians Month. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate aging as a time of strength, growth and continued contribution. While vision loss may also be part of growing older, it need not get in the way of staying active in your community. Today there are many tools and non-visual skills that can remove barriers related to vision loss. If you or someone you know is experiencing a change in their vision, please reach out to Society for the Blind. Together we can ensure that older adults living with vision loss can enjoy life to the fullest.
For all our clients, from children just starting school to mid-career adults and older adults, staying connected through digital accessibility is essential. Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will be celebrated on May 21. Digital accessibility refers to the ability of people who are blind or have low vision, as well as people with other disabilities, to independently consume and/or interact with digital applications and content on the web or mobile devices.
Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala, a previous GAAD keynote speaker, put it best: “Achieving digital and website accessibility is a straightforward task with profound consequences, offering a great opportunity to make information and services universally accessible and to significantly diminish the access challenges faced by persons with disabilities.”
Thank you again for your support for Society for the Blind as we work to improve digital accessibility for all ages. Thank you also for your support through Big Day of Giving and every day. You make it possible for individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential.