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January, 2025

Every year, the blind and low vision community acknowledges January as Braille Literacy Month with January 4th being World Braille Day. This is to mark the birthday of Louis Braille, the man who created the Braille code we know and love today. At VISIONS, we are committed to providing quality Braille instruction to all of our participants, including providing family support for parents of young children who are learning Braille in school. The Braille code can be beneficial to anyone across the spectrum of blindness, and that is why at VISIONS, we choose to honor this month of Braille education annually with social media campaigns, events, and more!

The Braille code is just about 200 years old and continues to be a fundamental tool for people who are blind or have no vision. Whether you are an avid braille reader and use braille to read full books, or a functional braille user who only read the alphabet and numbers for labeling or community access — no matter where you fall on the blindness spectrum, Braille can be there for you!

This year, VISIONS continued our tradition of hosting two events to provide education and recreation involving Braille. The first was held for members of our Older Adult Center and the second was held for our youth and their families. VISIONS was grateful to have the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library present at both events to provide education on library programs and resources. Both events focused on education and recreation, allowing participants to learn about various Braille resources and devices they can use, in addition to a variety of braille card and board games. Braille themed door prizes were raffled off throughout the events and as always, participants had the chance to socialize and share a meal together. VISIONS would also like to thank the members of our Braille Event Committee who worked so hard to make both of these events possible!

Interested in finding out more about Braille and Braille Resources? VIsit VISIONS social media channels where we are posting content all month long to educate our community about braille! Hear from our participants about their braille literacy journeys, learn about ways you can start learning braille yourself, and even dip your toe into Braille literacy with our weekly instagram live series: Six Dots at Six! This series is hosted by one of VISIONS Vision Rehabilitation Therapists who will be providing basic Braille instruction over the course of four sessions! All attendees will be entered to win a grand prize raffle which will be drawn during the last event on January 29th!

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VISIONS is proud to offer programs, training, and other services to individuals and their families with vision loss in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and the Lower Hudson Valley, all at no cost to them. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us empower more and more people to live productive, fulfilling lives.

See the impact of our services in action below!

The Fall cohort of the Employment Readiness and Pre-ETS Program at the Nancy D. Miller Vocational Rehabilitation Center (VRC) completed their 15 week session on December 20, 2024. All eight participants successfully achieved their vocational training course completions and national certifications in customer service! In addition, with over 600 hours of instruction in all Pre-ETS components, Orientation & Mobility, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy, Assistive Technology, and Emotional Intelligence, they also engaged in paid internships related to their vocational and educational goals. VISIONS looks forward to continuing to work with them as they search for employment.

This year, we're excited to host several Employment Readiness Programs, including a 45-Day Program for individuals with visual impairments and developmental disabilities, and two 15-Week Programs (One in Summer, and one in Fall). If you're interested in learning more about these programs, reply to this email. 

In January, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, an employer partner, hosted their first job fair of 2025, “Bridge to Employment”, at St. Francis College. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Coordinator welcomed our jobseekers with words of encouragement. Alongside other New Yorkers seeking employment, VISIONS participants had the opportunity to meet with local employers, including Wells Fargo, Maimonides Hospital, and Grow NYC. Participants utilized this event to refine their elevator pitches and enhance their networking skills. Some even received new headshots to utilize on their LinkedIn profile. Our job seekers walked away with improved professional capabilities and great employment opportunities.

Pictured (Left to Right): Eileen Mullarkey Assistant Commissioner of Supportive Services; Elizabeth Lee, Senior Director of Caregiver and Older Adult Services; Avian Perez, Director of Caregiver Services; Rachelle Jean-Baptiste, Caregiver Services Program Associate; and Meka Nurse, Senior Director, Aging Connect.

During National Family Caregiver Month in November, the VISIONS Caregiver Program was honored by NYC Aging for its exceptional dedication to supporting caregivers in the visually impaired community. NYC Aging staff visited our program to acknowledge the vital role we play in enhancing the lives of caregivers through our self-care workshops, skill-building sessions, and resources tailored to the unique challenges of caregivers. The recognition highlighted our commitment to empowering caregivers with tools and support to navigate their journey with resilience and confidence. We are proud to stand alongside caregivers and celebrate the incredible work they do every day.

Our Community Advisory Boards continue to spread awareness of our mission and raise funds to support our services in NYC, Long Island, Westchester, and the Lower Hudson Valley. Our exciting Advisory Board events allow us to connect with our communities and introduce them to the services we can provide. 

Visit www.visionsvcb.org/events to see our upcoming events, and consider joining us.

We would like to welcome our newest Advisory Board members:

Manhattan
Anita Malhotra-Nastro, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, Northwell Health

Staten Island
Jason Lerner, District Manager – NY Metro, Starbucks

Many thanks to Manhattan Advisory Chair Marc Goldstein and Wine Connisseur Dan Castner and the firm of Mancini Duffy for hosting the Manhattan Advisory Board's Wine Tasting Event in December. A short program highlighted VISIONS board members Anusha Sharma and Rebecca Zarett, followed by Dan's insights into the wines of France. We introduced VISIONS to many many new faces and raised over $2,500 to support VISIONS services in Manhattan. 

An amazing time was had by all at VISIONS Staten Island Advisory Board’s Friendsgiving Bingo & Baskets event at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattress Store on Richmond Avenue. This was a true partnership thanks to Store Manager Christopher Vendemio and his team, with Starbucks Partners of SI serving their signature drinks and pastries, a powerhouse volunteer crew of students from the CUNY College of Staten Island Macaulay Honors College, and Elaine Messi, board member and emcee.

Thank you to our sponsors: Williams Eye Works, Richmond University Medical Center, New York Center for Interpersonal Development NYCID, Al Lambert Entertainment, Jacqueline Armani, and Staten Island Giving Circle. Our gracious hosts Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses even presented our Staten Island Coordinator Gina Schlagel and the board with a generous check donation which will enable VISIONS to help more blind and visually impaired Staten Islanders. 

Pictured (Left to Right): Gina Schlagel, Staten Island Borough Coordinator and Enrico Bawar, President, Staten Island Rotary.

Earlier this month, VISIONS was one of the proud recipients of a grant from the Staten Island Rotary Foundation. The funds will help us continue our efforts to educate the Staten Island community on the wide range of vision rehab services we provide. Thank you to our friends at Staten Island Rotary for Seeing the Possibilities with us for 2025!

As part of VISIONS Inclusive Care project, Senior Director for Healthcare Access Susan Scheer and Director of Job Placement Services Khadija Bari were thrilled to lead a training session for the dedicated nurses at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) through its Collaborative Care Council. This enthusiastic group explored key insights about people with disabilities (PWD) as a health disparities population, the barriers they face in accessing care, and actionable strategies to reduce obstacles and advance health equity.

A heartfelt thank you to Tom Blancero and Evelyn Choy for their invaluable support in bringing this program to SIUH. We’re excited about the opportunity to build on this collaboration and continue empowering healthcare professionals to champion inclusive care!

Some of our Older Adult Center (OAC) participants were honored to be part of Intertwine Arts' 2024 fundraiser at the Caelum Gallery, highlighting amazing pieces done in partnership with organizations they've worked with throughout the year, including VISIONS. Pieces on display and for sale at the event included pillows, crossbody bags, hats, and even pieces that were framed to be used as wall art. One of our OAC participants, Wayne McKenzie, even spoke at the event. Overall, it was a great night, and we are so proud of the amazing pieces on display, and look forward to even more beautiful artwork to come from our participants through this amazing partnership with Intertwine Arts.

VISIONS is proud to offer programs, training, and other services to individuals and their families with vision loss in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and the Lower Hudson Valley, all at no cost to them. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us empower more and more people to live productive, fulfilling lives.

VISIONS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rehabilitation and social service organization, whose mission is to develop and implement individualized programs to assist people who are blind and visually impaired of all ages to lead independent and active lives, and to educate the public to understand their needs and capabilities.

Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

A copy of our most recent financial statement is available by e-mailing info@visionsvcb.org or by visiting the NYS Attorney General's Charities Bureau's website. To learn more about charities, call (212) 416-8686.