Society for the Blind's senior program members learned how to carve pumpkins without vision last October during Blindness Awareness Month.  Photo courtesy of Society for the Blind

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – The nonprofit Society for the Blind organization is encouraging residents to honor Blindness Awareness Month throughout October by participating in activities and supporting people with vision loss so they can gain the skills they need to stay independent and thrive.

“Our clients tell us all the time that they thought their life was over when they began losing vision but they discovered it was the beginning of a new chapter,” said Society for the Blind executive director Shari Roeseler. “During Blindness Awareness Month, we want to make sure everyone knows that people can live their best lives with vision loss or blindness when they have the right tools. If you are losing your vision or you know someone who is, we have a wide array of classes and support that will help you build the skills you need, whether you are a child, working-age adult or senior.”

For more than 70 years, the Society for the Blind organization has continued to create innovative ways to carry out its mission, which is to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential.

Since 1954, Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of volunteers to a nationally recognized agency and the only comprehensive rehabilitative teaching center that provides services for a 27-county region of Northern California. Those counties include Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba, El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Butte and San Joaquin. Society for the Blind is located at 1238 S St., Sacramento.

The nonprofit organization provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship and access to tools to maintain independence for more than 5,000 youth, working-age adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. 

In addition to its onsite Low Vision Clinic and assistive technology store, Society for the Blind offers four core classes to ensure people with vision loss can stay active, employed and live life to the fullest. The four core classes are on orientation and mobility, independent living skills, assistive technology and braille.

The nonprofit organization also provides a program for seniors that includes support groups and activities such as yoga and cooking classes.

For youth, Society for the Blind offers a support groups for caregivers and parents of children with vision loss.

The group also provides a braille production program and hosts events open to the public.

To learn more or make a donation, visit online www.SocietyfortheBlind.org. Or call the office at 916-452-8271.