BLUE GRASS COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
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Mission Statement
To increase independence, security and quality of life for Kentuckians affected by vision loss through peer support, technology, training and additional resources.
About This Cause
The Bluegrass Council of the Blind (BCB) is the only nonprofit exclusively serving the needs of adults who are blind or visually impaired in Central Kentucky. BCB services are free of charge to clients and available to any clients affected by vision loss, including family, friends and professionals working with people with low to no vision. The Bluegrass Council of the Blind (BCB) is the only nonprofit exclusively serving the needs of adults who are blind or visually impaired in Central Kentucky. BCB services are free of charge to clients and available to anyone affected by vision loss, including family, friends and professionals working with people with low to no vision. Since 1975, BCB has assisted adults in Kentucky who are blind or visually impaired become or remain independent, self-sufficient, active members of the community through two main programs: Peer Support BCB’s Peer Support (PS) Program offers peer mentoring, support and regular gatherings to combat the fear, isolation and depression that can accompany vision loss. This program provides opportunities for interaction with others who share what it’s like to meet the challenges of vision impairment or blindness. Individuals and family members gain confidence, learn and share ideas and techniques and receive support from others going through similar experiences. Again and again, BCB clients refer to the PS program as life changing. BCB’s PS offerings include: - Lunch & Learn meetings that provide a meal and a structured program on a topic related to independent living with vision loss, health and wellness, community involvement, and self-sufficiency, along with discussion where participants can learn and share information, tools and techniques to lead safe, independent and productive lives with low to no vision. - Peer Mentoring where persons struggling with vision loss receive personal support, advice, insight, and firsthand knowledge of dealing with the loss of sight. Peer mentoring group meetings are held twice a month. - Monthly family support group to give spouses and family members of people with vision impairment their own space to share their experiences and challenges, learn from others with similar experiences, and receive and offer support, ideas and solutions. - Community Outings that increase travel and mobility skills, confidence and community involvement and reduce isolation and reliance on family/ caregivers. These outings take BCB consumers to parks, restaurants, local organizations for presentations, cooking classes, etc. Community Outings also promote inclusion by providing these organizations and businesses the experience of working with or providing services to people who are visually impaired. - In addition to monthly supplemental food distribution to those who attend our Lunch & Learn programs, BCB’s PS program provides a monthly supplemental food delivery for our Fayette County consumers who are homebound. To impart a further feeling of support and connection, our PS team conducts 25+ wellness check calls each month. One BCB client's description of the impact of BCB's PS services: “When you’ve been sighted all your life, driving, doing everything, then lose your sight, you feel hopeless. Getting involved with [BCB], being able to get out in the community and see people, meet with people, talk with people: it’s been a great help and helped me to want to motivate other people dealing with vision loss and let them know that you don’t have to feel hopeless, you don’t have to stay at home, be isolated, you can continue to live your life to the best of your ability.” Assistive Technology Working together with our Peer Support program, BCB’s Assistive Technology & Training (AT) program empowers people with low or no vision to live independent, safe, healthy, productive lives with vision loss. Through individual and group sessions, BCB’s professional AT staff provide training, demos, hands-on trials, distribution and lending of assistive devices so persons with vision impairment can manage daily tasks, monitor and improve their health and independence, and care and provide for themselves and their families, despite vision loss. The most unique and valuable aspect of our program is that 5 of 7 staff members and 6 of 8 board members are blind or visually impaired, meaning we have personal experience overcoming the challenges of vision loss and are eager to help others through education, training, encouragement and personal triumphs. Examples of AT items regularly distributed include: • talking health monitors to help manage personal health • digital assistants like the Amazon Echo, to allow people with vision impairment to use voice commands to check the weather, ask for books to be read to them, stay in contact with family and friends, listen to recipes so they can cook, etc. • iPad mini and iPod touch for accessible communications, accessing text or printed materials or signs, identifying currency, identifying products with a bar code scanner. • low-tech items such as 2020 pens, which make heavy, dark lines, but do not bleed through the paper; handheld magnifiers; bump dots, which can be added to appliance controls to create tactile navigation; and large-print calendars to help our consumers keep track of doctor’s appointments. Both PS and AT programs offer information and referral services as well. The Population and Need Our primary target population are the 11,500+ adults in Fayette and surrounding Kentucky counties who are blind or visually impaired, as well as their families, caregivers and professionals working with people with low to no vision of all ages, extending our reach to thousands more across the state. The majority of our clients were over age 55. In 2019, the National Institutes of Health estimated the number of Americans experiencing vision loss would double by 2050. We are already experiencing the higher needs. Kentucky ranks 8th in highest incidence of diabetes, the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. Diseases such as diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration rob adults of their vision, along with their independence, safety and health. The CDC reports: • Vision loss takes a substantial social and economic toll for millions of people including significant suffering, disability, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life. • People with vision impairments are more likely to report depression, falls, cognitive decline, and premature death. • Decreased ability to see often leads to the inability to drive, read, keep accounts, and travel in unfamiliar places – substantially compromising quality of life. Statistics from the National Federation of the Blind show more than 70% of this population are not employed, leaving most in poverty. BCB is the only nonprofit in Central Kentucky exclusively serving this vulnerable and underserved population at risk for isolation, depression, poor health and dependency on others by providing services to persons with vision impairment that teach healthy, independent living skills and combat isolation and emotional hardships through social opportunities and peer support. While most of the people we serve are over age 55, vision impairments know no boundaries. Blindness or low vision can strike a person of any age, ethnicity or socio-economic background -- and we are here to provide services to them.