Braille Institute of America

Many thanks to Northern Trust for helping to decorate our Santa Barbara center with spooky decorations! We are always grateful for your time and service to our organization.

Thank you for providing this wonderful program to our youth program students. We had so much fun learning about astronomy!

We were delighted to host two estate planning seminars in Los Angeles for Braille Institute of America students, volunteers and supporters. Thanks to Jeff Nickerson and his team at Nickerson Law for tremendous (and easy to follow) presentations in English and Spanish at our LA Sight Center today. https://lnkd.in/gjNaReM7 To learn more about how to include Braille Institute in your estate planning, simply visit https://lnkd.in/gwi5H3-Q Thanks to generous bequests and donations over the years, all our programs and services are FREE of charge to people with vision loss who need our help. As we look to serve the rapidly growing number of people with vision loss in the coming decades, this support will be just as critical going forward. Joji Taketa Cindy T. Rorman Gary Jimenez Sandy Shin Michael Rogers Michael Corley Patricia Bramhall Lester Sussman Debra Martin

Did you know that you can read any web page in our Atkinson Hyperlegible font? Thanks to Google Chrome’s Reading Mode, you can now make any site low vision friendly. With this feature, users can open a sidebar in their browser that displays all the text from the original web page—no distracting images or videos included. Then, users can edit the font, size, spacing, and color for a customizable easy-to-read experience. We’re thrilled to share that Atkinson Hyperlegible is now available as one of the font options in Reading Mode. Just select it from the drop-down menu, and you’re all set. Make sure your Chrome browser is the most up-to-date version. Thank you, Google, for partnering with us to increase accessibility for Chrome users everywhere! #AtkinsonHyperlegible #Accessibility #ReadingMode #GoogleChrome

Thanks to proud Mom Kristin Smedley for sharing this wonderful story about her son Michael Smedley, #blind since birth. Michael is also a proud alumnus of our international Braille Challenge. “He was the first blind person I’d ever met,” says his mother. “I’m not proud of how my journey started. I wasted a lot of time trying to pray his blindness away while Michael spent every day so upbeat, at the most inconvenienced a little bit by being blind. He eventually convinced me to suck it up and come along with him on the ride. “The best thing blindness ever did for me was wipe out what I thought Michael should be and it gave him space to be all he could be. It’s amazing. He’s done what I thought he would times 10.” PS Michael is now working for Disney Live Entertainment and is pursuing an MBA. Rachel Antoine Sandy Shin Jane S. Madalyn Spangler William Nelson Debra Martin Gary Jimenez Brian Sheridan #pennstate #wearepennstate

Grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed by Laguna Woods Village Channel 6! ?? We dove deep into the importance of wellness and the transformative impact of Braille Institute of America We also explored the power of community partnerships, highlighting how collaborations with local organizations strengthen our ability to reach and support even more people. ???? Together, we can create a more inclusive and healthier community for everyone. ?? #Wellness #CommunitySupport #LagunaWoodsVillage #PartnershipsForGood

Calling all corporate volunteers! Join us online on Monday, October 7 from 1:00 to 1:45 pm PT for an exclusive workshop on how you can make a difference at our upcoming Cane Quest event. Learn from our Orientation and Mobility Specialists about this exciting annual challenge for students with vision loss and discover how you can get involved. Your support can help students navigate their world with confidence! Register here https://bit.ly/4g3qBYj #Volunteer #CaneQuest #BrailleInstitute

In this upcoming season, we’re celebrating 25 Years of Braille Challenge! As we mark this milestone, we’re eager to reconnect with those who have been part of our incredible journey. Whether you’re an alumnus, past volunteer, or former regional coordinator, we’d love to hear your story! Please take a moment to complete our brief questionnaire, and we'll be in touch. You can also reach out directly at [email protected]. We look forward to catching up and celebrating our shared history! ?? Questionnaire link: https://lnkd.in/gbdWsRY2 #BrailleChallenge2025 #BrailleLiteracy #25thAnniversary Rachel Antoine

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Allison M. Burdett as Braille Institute’s first Chief Program Officer (CPO). Allison will lead our initiatives in program expansion, customer research, and strategic partnerships, ensuring we meet the growing needs of those experiencing vision loss. With 15 years of non-profit leadership, including a decade at Wayfinder Family Services, her experience and passion for our mission will help shape the future of our services. Welcome, Allison—we’re excited to see the impact you’ll make! Read more about Allison's appointment here: https://bit.ly/3T9yMZ5 #Leadership #BrailleInstitute #Inclusion #Accessibility Jim (Dimitri) Kales

We LOVE volunteers at Braille Institute of America. I was delighted to greet these 5 volunteers from Tierra del Sol Foundation this morning at our Los Angeles Library. The volunteers were labeling cartridges to be sent, free of charge to blind and visually impaired readers across Southern California. To volunteer with us, simply visit https://lnkd.in/gWFdbW7m or call 1800-BRAILLE. Tierra Del Sol champions inclusion and value for all people with disabilities through creative pathways to employment, education, and the arts. Donna Wager Michael J. Lusardi Matt Chambers, Ed.D. William Nelson Sandy Shin Debra Martin Lester Sussman Michael Corley Patricia Bramhall Madalyn Spangler Lisa Lepore