Formerly San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Vision Impaired

Vibrant Works celebrated 13 students who are blind or visually impaired and pursuing higher education during the 2026 Emma Freeman Scholarship Reception on July 29.

Recipients and their families joined Vibrant Works leaders and board members for an evening celebrating their academic achievements, career goals and plans for the future.

“At Vibrant Works, we believe education opens doors. It creates opportunity, fosters independence and helps people build fulfilling careers,” President and CEO Cindy Watson said.

Among this year’s recipients was Arianna Soto, a University of Texas at Austin architecture student focused on inclusive design.

A Tang dynasty horse became more than an artwork behind glass for members of the Vibrant Works Orientation & Mobility Peer Group during a visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art.

As museum docents shared the sculpture’s history, participants traced the form of a smaller replica, felt silk fabric and smelled a tea brick. These sensory details brought the artwork and its cultural context to life.

“Being able to feel it and, at times, smell things like the tea brick transported us back to that time,” participant Rosalinda shared.

Experience the award-winning musical “Hamilton” with live audio description at the Majestic Theatre.

Blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, “Hamilton” tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and the ambition, passion and legacy that helped shape a nation.

Live audio description provides spoken details of key visual elements, including movement, costumes, facial expressions and scene changes.

The service will be available during two performances:

• Sunday, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m.

• Sunday, Aug. 9, at 1 p.m.

Before the performance, visit Guest Services, located to the left after entering the theater lobby. Guests may check out a receiver and over-the-ear hook earphones with a valid ID.

At Vibrant Works, we believe independence begins with having the skills and confidence to navigate the world safely.

Thanks to the generous support of Union Pacific Community Ties, our Orientation & Mobility program continues to provide personalized training for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Through one-on-one instruction from certified Orientation & Mobility specialists, participants learn essential travel skills, receive white canes and other mobility aids when appropriate, and gain the confidence to travel safely throughout their communities.

The program also helps individuals learn to use public transportation, making it easier to access employment, education, healthcare, and everyday activities while maintaining their independence.



We are grateful to Union Pacific Community Ties for investing in programs that create safer, more accessible communities and empower individuals with vision loss to live independently.

What inspired you to join the Vibrant Works board?

My first contact with Vibrant Works (then SA Lighthouse for the Blind) was in 2001, when I was an optometry resident at BAMC. During my residency training, we did some low vision rehabilitation. At the beginning of my program, I had the opportunity to tour the facilities at Vibrant Works to see both the manufacturing aspects of the organization, as well as the vision training opportunities offered to people who are visually impaired in San Antonio and beyond. As my military assignment brought me back to San Antonio in 2021, Dr. Jim Elledge talked to me about some openings on the board, and I saw this as an opportunity to give back to this organization.

What do you love most about Vibrant Works?

I love that Vibrant Works has multiple missions, not only to provide training for people who are visually impaired, but also to provide employment opportunities. There are many organizations that provide training, but I don’t know of many that provide all types of training and long-term employment.