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LightHouse News

We Celebrate Enchanted Hills Camp at the LightHouse Gala, August 19

03/13/2023 LightHouse Staff

The snow from two weeks ago has melted, and while more rainstorms are brewing once again, our LightHouse Gala team made their way up to Enchanted Hills Camp on a beautiful sunny day this week. The gala will be held in August, and with just five and a half months left to go, our team of organizers traveled up Mt. Veeder to take in all the sights and sounds of camp, to draw inspiration and creativity for our Enchanted Evening Gala.

Together, the team walked the trails of EHC and toured the grounds. The wet winter months have brought new growth and greenery among the burnt trees and remaining remanence of past wildfires. The camp’s beauty and resilience is evident throughout its entire 311 acres. As construction continues on and ideas for future blueprints are being dreamt of, the foundation for a beautiful, accessible and nurturing oasis of empowerment and independence for blind, low vision, and deafblind campers is being built.

Our team can’t wait to recreate the camp experience for our gala guests at the historic Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square Plaza. We cannot wait to share with our community the history of camp, the vision Rose Resnick had when the camp was acquired, and the dreams we aspire to bring to reality. If you would like to be part of this incredible journey, join us for An Enchanted Evening on August 19, 2023. Early-bird discounted tickets are now available on the LightHouse Gala website. You may also contribute to the future of camp by sponsoring the event or by donating auction items. We look forward to sharing a truly enchanting evening together with dinner, dancing, auctions and entertainment, all for the benefit of our beloved Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind.

LightHouse News

Beeping Eggs, Bop-Its and Bubbles Make Up Springtime Celebration for Families, March 25

03/13/2023 LightHouse Staff

Celebrate Spring with LightHouse Little Learners! Families who have a young child experiencing blindness, low vision, or disabilities including visual impairment are invited to join us for a fun afternoon of activities at Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) in San Rafael.

The event takes place at the GDB campus at 350 Los Ranchitos Rd., San Rafael on Saturday, March 25 from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

Our Co-Masters of Ceremonies for the event will be Bop-It toy inventor Dan Klitsner and his wife Alicia Alexander.

For the beeping egg hunts, children will search for the beeping eggs and then trade them for plastic eggs filled with treats (chocolates, stickers, etc.). We will also have tactile eggs in the hunts as well. For children who use wheelchairs, we will have a pop-up tent with baskets hanging by ribbons/strings that are filled with beeping eggs and tactile eggs for children to hunt for as well.

The timeline for the day will look something like this:

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm: Arrival and check-in
2:00 pm: Welcome Remarks
2:30 pm: Egg Hunt #1 (babies 0-2)
2:45 pm: Egg Hunt #2 (toddlers 3-5)
3:00 pm: Egg Hunt #3 (young children 6-8)
3:15 pm: Egg Hunt #4 (children 9+)
3:30 pm: Closing Remarks

Additionally, children’s activity stations will be running throughout the event and will include:

Arts and crafts station: making origami dogs
Flower-planting station
Cookie-decorating station
Bag-decorating (for holding the eggs and treats)
Bubbles station
Musical instruments station
Fingerpainting station
Making a piggy bank/bunny bank station
Bop-It toy station
Braille activities table (bookmark-decorating and bookmarks will have kids’ names in Braille)

Attendees will also get to meet a dog guide puppy-in-training, too!

Please RSVP by March 17. Register online for Beeping Egg Hunts and More! You may also contact Karen Thompson at KThompson@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7695 to RSVP or with questions.

LightHouse News

LightHouse & Envision Host Inclusive Innovations, March 24

03/08/2023 LightHouse Staff

LightHouse is pleased to partner with Envision for Inclusive Innovations, a free disruptive tech event at LightHouse San Francisco headquarters on March 24.

Disruptive technology is an innovation that significantly alters the way that consumers, industries, or businesses operate, bringing about major changes in people’s lives. Inclusive Innovations was created to focus attention and understanding on the future of workplace accessibility for employees who are blind or who have low vision.

Representatives from across industry, technology, and employees who are blind and who have low vision, will come together to discuss ideas and share insights on the latest technology trends, new workplace practices, and the role of Inclusive Innovation in shaping the future of workplace accessibility, inclusivity and happiness.

Guests will also be able to meet innovators and try out the next generation of assistive technologies firsthand.

The event includes introductory remarks, a panel discussion, audience Q&A, a tech fair and networking drinks and bites.

Speakers include:

Vanessa Vigar – Chief Marketing Officer, Envision
Sharon Giovinazzo – CEO, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Mike May – Chief Evangelist GoodMaps, Sendero Group Founder and author
Karthik Kannan – Chief Technology Officer & Founder, Envision
Iolanda Antunes – Enterprise Product Manager, LinkedIn
Hoby Wedler, – Ph. D. Blind Entrepreneur, chemist, sensory expert and educator
John Gassman – Guest Reservations, Walt Disney
Hunter Benedict – Product Manager at Google

There will be 5-minute demos from the following innovators:

Be My Eyes
Goodmaps
Aira
Rebokeh
Envision

What: Inclusive Innovations: Creating Workplace Accessibility and Happiness
When: Friday, March 24, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Pacific
Where: LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 1155 Market St. San Francisco (Directions to LightHouse San Francisco)
RSVP: Register for Inclusive Innovations for free

Can’t make it in person? You may register for the Inclusive Innovations webinar to hear the panel.

Don’t miss your chance to connect and network with some of the greatest minds in assistive technology!

LightHouse News

A Holman Prize Update

03/08/2023 LightHouse Staff

We have some exciting news to share with our Holman Prize community. The Holman Prize is getting a major upgrade, which will allow us to inspire and empower even more blind individuals around the world! Rather than accepting applications once a year, we will now be accepting them once every three years. This exciting change will give us more time to execute the program with even greater impact than ever before!

We’re also thrilled to announce the launch of the Holman alumni program! This program will bring together past Holman Prizewinners from around the world, allowing them to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other. We believe that this program will not only provide a valuable network for our alumni, but it will also inspire future generations of blind individuals to pursue their passions and break down barriers.

As part of the alumni program, we’re planning an annual virtual meetup this July, just before the LightHouse gala. This will be an exciting opportunity for past winners to reconnect with each other, share updates on their projects and celebrate their accomplishments. We can’t wait to see what kind of amazing things our alumni will achieve together!

Although we won’t be accepting applications for the Holman Prize this year, we want to assure you that this decision was made with careful consideration and with the long-term goals of the program in mind. We remain committed to creating a world where blind and low vision individuals have equal access and opportunities, and we’re confident that the Holman Prize and alumni program will continue to be important vehicles for achieving this mission.

So, get ready for some exciting changes, Holman Prize community! We can’t wait to see what kind of amazing things we’ll achieve together in the future!

LightHouse News

Virtual Memorial for Longtime LightHouse Volunteer, Liz Klein, March 11

03/08/2023 LightHouse Staff

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of a dedicated supporter, LightHouse volunteer, and dear friend of the blind community, Liz Klein. Liz passed in January 2023 at the age of 79. Liz was a member of the San Francisco California Council of the Blind (CCB) chapter for over 25 years. After retiring, she generously volunteered her time to the CCB San Francisco chapter, the East Bay Center for the Blind, LightHouse, as well as numerous events around the Bay Area. At many CCB conventions, you could find Liz at the San Francisco chapter table selling products to raise funds for the CCB youth scholarship fund. During the pandemic, Liz knitted hats to be distributed to cancer patients. She was a kind and generous person, and a friend to many.

Here is what some LightHouse community members have to say about our friend, Liz Klein.

“Liz will certainly be missed around the LightHouse. She was always willing to give a helping hand to the adult programs and she was a strong advocate for the rights of the blind community. What she was most proud of was her son. And I know he was just as proud of his mom for her loyalty, perseverance, and her display of feisty independence in the way she lived her life. Rest in peace my friend.” – Enchanted Hills Camp Director, Tony Fletcher

“My first day leading the [Coffee with Mike Cole] group was January 4, Louis Braille’s birthday 2016. A nice woman welcomed me and told me that she attended the Kentucky School for The Blind in 1951. I would discover that didn’t mean she graduated then, but I realized right away that Liz Klein was a woman with a good long history living and contributing to our community. Over the years before the scourge of Covid, Liz was a steadfast assistant for the group we have enjoyed ever since that first time at the Van Ness Lighthouse. She arrived early, helped with the setup, which involved several steps and she fully participated in our discussions, lending her knowledge and experience of the work she had done and the people she knew. I came to realize how active she was, helping with two chapters of the CCB and the East Bay Center for the Blind. Liz participated, but she also helped, loving the act of volunteering including the knitting project of hats for cancer patients. She had compassion for all the Lighthouse members. She is missed. She contributed to the Lighthouse’s program and performed hours and hours of volunteer work. Rest well Liz, you have definitely done your share.” – LightHouse volunteer, Mike Cole

I was impressed working with Liz. Despite having some physical disabilities, she always did her best to contribute and share her work with the LightHouse. When we would attend Coffee with Mike Cole every Monday, she was always there early to start making coffee for the group. She shared a lot with the group, she shared her life experiences, and it helped the group a lot.” – LightHouse volunteer, Marie Vuong

“Liz was one of the first volunteers I met when I started working at LightHouse in 2017. She created an environment that was welcoming and inclusive for all of our community, fostering a space to ask questions and build comradery. I don’t think that the Coffee with Mike Cole group would have had the same success without Liz’s steadfast commitment to prep and community building. We will miss her around LightHouse.” – LightHouse Volunteer Manager, Allyson Ferrari

There will be a virtual memorial for Liz on Saturday, March 11. If you would like to honor and celebrate her life, please see the event details below:

Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
Time: 11:00 am to noon, longer if we hadn’t heard from everyone. Virtual doors open at 10:45 am
Where: Zoom. (The Zoom room will be titled San Francisco Chapter Chat)

Please Note: When you join the Zoom meeting, you will be in a waiting room. Please be patient as we admit everyone.

Join Zoom Meeting for the Liz Klein memorial. (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84292516501)

One touch mobile: +16699006833,,84292516501#
Phone: 1-669-900-6833
Meeting ID: 842925165014

LightHouse News

Learn the Fundamentals of Using Tactile Maps, March 23

03/03/2023 Christina Daniels

LightHouse’s Rehabilitation Services and Media & Accessible Design departments are teaming up to present this free course on learning to read tactile maps.

This workshop takes place Thursday, March 23, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at LightHouse East Bay in the Osher Conference Room. The address is Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley.

What will you learn?

The value of tactile maps for route planning and awareness of environmental features
Systematic strategies in your approach to exploration of tactile maps
How symbols, line types, labels, and distance, direction, and environmental features are used in interpreting maps
Tactile discrimination techniques for map reading
Greater orientation to new environments
How to order more maps
In addition to the training, each student will take home free TMAPs of their residential area and of the LightHouse East Bay neighborhood at 3075 Adeline, as well as a tactile map of the Ashby BART Station and a tactile BART system map

Prerequisites:

Functional use of intermediate braille is required
Students must be aged 16 or up

LightHouse Braille Instructor, Divina Carlson, Senior Accessible Media and Braille Specialist, Frank Welte, Orientation & Mobility Specialist, Sarah McIntyre and tactile map aficionado, Jerry Kuns, will be facilitating this introductory training in the practical use of TMAP, tactile maps and tactile BART maps for Bay Area travelers. It must be noted that Jerry states he isn’t happier than when he has a good cappuccino in one hand and a tactile map in the other!

Come join us in learning the language of tactile maps. To attend, please contact Briana Kusuma, at BKusuma@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7335 no later than Friday, March 17. In your email, please provide Briana with your full name, phone number and your residential address, so that we can produce your home map prior to the training.

Space is limited to 15 participants. Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list. We will consider scheduling an additional session if there is sufficient interest. Students may attend with their TVI or O&M teacher. Because this is an in-person activity, we are requesting that you provide proof of vaccination upon entry and wear a mask during the event.

This course is made possible thanks to a grant from the Federal Transportation Administration.

LightHouse News

An Interview with Steve Gill, Producer and Performer in the Simply Sinatra EHC Benefit, March 4

02/28/2023 LightHouse Staff

On Saturday March 4, the Simply Sinatra concert will take place at Menlo School to benefit Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC). The concert is presented by Steve and Nancy Gill, whose daughter Anne “Annie” Gill has attended the Adults with Developmental Disabilities camp session at EHC. In 1999, the Gills decided to organize the first concert to benefit camp. Steve once directed theater at Menlo School. Prior to COVID-19, Steve, with the help of Anne and former Menlo School students and colleagues, put on 18 concerts which raised over $145,000 for camp. Now the Gills are pleased to bring back the concerts. This year’s concert is a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

We chatted with Steve about his thoughts on putting on these concerts over the years. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What are your favorite things about organizing these concerts?

I always loved gathering very talented former students together and was amazed at their ability to put on great shows with just one night of rehearsal. Some came from Los Angeles, and one, an attorney, even flew in from Sweden just to participate in these concerts. While a few continued performing professionally, others, who have busy careers, just loved being onstage again. After COVID it was no longer feasible to get commitments from so many performers because of the chance we would have to cancel, as we had to do for the show planned for January 2022.

How do you choose the theme for each concert?

The concerts are usually dedicated to the Great American Songbook. They are biographical concerts that trace the life and music of a famous composer and/or lyricist. Past composers/lyricists have included: George Gershwin; Cole Porter; Irving Berlin; Kander and Ebb; Rodgers and Hammerstein; and Rodgers and Hart.

What have been your favorite discoveries or lessons you’ve learned as you’ve produced these concerts over the years?

It always amazes me how my ex-students mature intellectually and musically. They also can’t wait to see each other. They have become good friends. Unfortunately, COVID has cancelled the last two concerts. This year my friend [Alex Perez] and I are performing a mini concert revolving around the life and music of Frank Sinatra. It is always a joy to see members of past audiences show up. Some have been coming for 20 years.

What motivates you to continue putting on these concerts?

Personal satisfaction. Creating and choosing the material for the concerts. I am now 80 and this keeps me young. It also serves a worthy cause. And my daughter Annie has loved attending the camp.

What do you love most about EHC?

The people who run the camp: their patience, creativity and friendliness and [EHC Director] Tony Fletcher in particular.

What: Simply Sinatra Concert to benefit Enchanted Hills Camp
When: Saturday, March 4, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Martin Family Hall at Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton, 94027
Cost: A donation of $20 is requested

COVID-19 Safety & More Info

All audience members are requested to wear masks and provide contact information in case the concert is cancelled.

For more information about the concert, please contact Nancy Gill at gillnancyg@gmail.com or 650-948-4648.

Get tickets to the Simply Sinatra concert to benefit EHC.

LightHouse News

BART Invites Blind Community to Attend Virtual Town Hall

02/21/2023 LightHouse Staff

On January 31, LightHouse staff, students from California School for the Blind, and community members attended the accessibility and safety workshop hosted by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). This workshop, held at the 19^th Street BART Station in Oakland, gave blind and low vision attendees the opportunity to navigate a stationary BART train independently, discover and explore the new accessibility features – such as Braille signage and the location of emergency call boxes – as well as learn emergency exit protocols and procedures.

BART’s Customer Access team reached out to LightHouse for insight and feedback on how to make BART travel as safe and accommodating for the blind and disabled community as possible. BART is hopeful that holding informational demonstrations like this will instill confidence in the community and increase the number of visually impaired BART patrons. LightHouse Community Outreach Coordinator, Sheri Albers, shared her thoughts:

“BART is my way to get out and be independent and self-reliant. Information is powerful, and we want to ally the fear in our community of taking BART. Once you eliminate the fear, the world is in your hands.”

To learn more about the BART Safety Workshop held on January 31, here is an article from Mass Transit.

In response to the success of the BART Safety Workshop, Director of Customer Access and Accessibility, Bob Franklin, has extended an invitation to a virtual town hall to the blind and low vision community:

“BART will host a virtual town hall for the blind and low vision community later this month as a follow up to the very successful safety orientation at 19th Street Station in January. The Town Hall is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28 from 10 AM to noon. After an introduction from General Manager Bob Powers, the BART Customer Access and Accessibility Department will describe the system’s accessible features for blind and low vision riders, seek input on some upcoming projects and then have an open forum, where we invite the public to share how we can improve service for the blind and low vision community.”

What: BART Town Hall
When: Tuesday, February 28, 10 AM to 12 PM
Zoom Details: Please visit this link to join the meeting
Or One tap mobile : +16699006833,,87551894241#
Or Telephone: +1 877 853 5257 Webinar ID: 875 5189 4241
Or an H.323/SIP room system: H.323: 162.255.37.11 (US West)

LightHouse News

Save the Date: August 19, 2023 – LightHouse Gala

02/21/2023 Caitlin O'Malior

This August, LightHouse invites you to attend our gala, An Enchanted Evening, to benefit the rebuilding of Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC). Held at the historic and beautiful Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square, our gala will be an elegant evening celebrating the blind community and raising funds for camp by sponsorships and both a silent and live auction.

Enchanted Hills is the heart and soul of LightHouse’s mission to promote the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind or visually impaired. Camp is a safe place where blind, low vision, and deafblind campers of all ages can find community in a fun, educational and nurturing blind-positive environment. And, after the devastation from the 2017 Napa wildfires, we have made rebuilding and re-imagining EHC our top priority.

The proceeds raised at the gala will assist in the current and ongoing camp construction projects and future endeavors to enhance our enchanted redwood retreat to become an accessible, blind-positive oasis for generations of blind, low vision, and deafblind campers to come.

Stay tuned for more gala details and updates in the coming weeks! For now, you can learn more about sponsorship tiers, donating auction items, and purchasing tickets to the 2023 LightHouse Gala: An Enchanted Evening by visiting the LightHouse Gala website.

Read additional blog posts about the LightHouse Gala

We Celebrate Enchanted Hills Camp at the LightHouse Gala, August 19

LightHouse News

Go Rock Climbing with LightHouse!

02/21/2023 Caitlin O'Malior

In the past few months, LightHouse has started an exciting new monthly excursion for LightHouse students – rock climbing! While thought to a dangerous sport by some, indoor rock climbing is a surprisingly accessible activity. With the literal hands-on approach to navigating the rock walls, this naturally tactile hobby requires little adaptation for blind and low vision adventure-seekers. And, with the help of the incredibly knowledgeable and friendly Paracliffhangers volunteers, rock climbing is quickly becoming a new LightHouse favorite!

“I had always wanted to go rock climbing,” says Youth Programs Coordinator, Andrew Martinez, “and when I heard about Paracliffhangers, a group of disabled climbers who climb regularly, I knew I had to join!”

So, Andrew set out to find the right indoor rock climbing gym that would accommodate and educate our community and would help make the sport and overall environment as accessible as possible.

“While Paraclimbing is fairly new, it continues to grow and gain support as gyms in the Bay Area. Many gyms have begun building routes to help blind and low vision climbers practice. Climbing has now become a great space for blind and low vision people and is an awesome way to meet other people with disabilities while getting in a great and exciting workout!”

If you are interested in discovering the sport of rock climbing, join us on Sunday, February 26, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Meet at LightHouse HQ at 1155 Market Street, and as a group, we will travel on BART to the gym’s location at 2140 Mandela Parkway in Oakland. The climbing will begin at noon. All ages and skill levels are welcome, no prior experience is necessary. Equipment can be rented upon arrival for $10.

To RSVP to this month’s rock climbing event, contact Andrew at amartinez@old.lighthouse-sf.org or call 415.694.7642.