VISability

Milestone Monday — Dallas

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:18:38 GMT

Dallas’s mom really wanted him to be able to play independently. During a recent visit, we explored several switch options that would activate a toy. After a few attempts, he got the hang of it and was able to activate the switch on his own! The smile says it all! Way to go Dallas! We are so proud of you!

Daniel Tiger to Visit Indy FRC

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:16:02 GMT

VIPS Indiana Families! You are invited to read, write, talk, and play with Daniel Tiger at the VIPS Family Resource Center in Indianapolis. Please join us on Saturday, July 18 , from 9:30 to 11:30 am.

You’ll meet Daniel Tiger, create crafts, and read during storytime. Activities will be adapted for all children and abilities, including those with blindness or low vision. Accommodations for those with sensory issues will be utilized. Snacks will be provided, and free parking available.

LIMITED SPACE. Only 20 spots for children are available.

Thank you to WFYI and PBS Kids for making this event possible.

Day of Giving Kickoff Cookout

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:14:00 GMT

Just Announced! Please Join Us for a Day of Giving Kickoff Cookout on June 11 from 11 am to 1 pm at 1906 Goldsmith Lane. We’ll have burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks. All for a $7 Suggested Donation.

We hope to see you there!

Need directions? Click here

Click here to learn more about our Day of Giving.

Milestone Monday — Luke

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:36:19 GMT

This is Luke, and he has been working hard lately! He is stacking blocks, pointing to objects, climbing, and running. We are so proud of Luke and all his accomplishments!

Milestone Monday — Skyler

Mon, 25 May 2026 14:44:00 GMT

Skyler is amazing! She is progressing to focusing on and tracking lights during play activities, and having fun doing it. She is also targeting motor development in supported sitting. Way to go, Skyler.

Congratulations, Class of 2026

Fri, 22 May 2026 19:32:00 GMT

Yesterday was the last day of school in Kids Town and we have a new group of students that have graduated and are moving on. The Red Room held their ceremony on Monday night and the Orange Room held theirs last night.

We are so proud of our kids and their families and we will miss them dearly.

Good luck, Class of 2026.

Walking for Dreams Wrap Up

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:20:00 GMT

We would like to thank our generous sponsors and everyone who came out on Sunday for Walking for Dreams. Everyone had a wonderful time, and we raised nearly $18,000 that will directly support Indiana kids who are blind or have low vision and their families.

And thank you to The Sycamore Foundation for organizing this event every year. They truly go above and beyond to make it special.

Check out the photos, and we’ll see you again next year.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Event Sponsor

High Stepper Sponsor

Finish Line Sponsor

Hydration Station Sponsors

Record-breaking Gala

Mon, 18 May 2026 19:45:00 GMT

The 2026 VIPS Gala broke all records, and we have the generosity of our community to thank for that. We’re still finalizing numbers, but it’s safe to say we raised over $290,000 .

Here are a few photos from the event and a video we premiered at the Gala, which highlights three of the families we serve.

On behalf of all the children and families we serve, thank you!

We’ll update this post when we have final numbers and more photos.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Guiding Light Sponsor

Changing Lives Sponsor

Hope for the Future Sponsors

Helping Hands Sponsors

Event photography by Kendall Powell . Thank you, Kendall!

Milestone Monday — Adaline

Mon, 18 May 2026 14:01:00 GMT

Adaline demonstrates increased visual attention and engagement during her structured play activity. She is learning to use an adaptive switch connected to a light-up toy. This activity supports the development of cause-and-effect understanding while encouraging purposeful visual attention. We are so proud of her progress!

Milestone Monday — Mirielle

Mon, 11 May 2026 13:09:00 GMT

Mirielle is demonstrating improved tolerance for wearing her glasses following adjustments made to her band by Mom and VIPS DI Tammy. Mom reports that she is now wearing her glasses for longer periods of time throughout the day. She is showing progress in her ability to focus and visually track toys, objects, and familiar family members. Her sisters remain her biggest motivators and provide strong social engagement, encouraging her participation and visual attention during daily activities. Mirielle, we couldn’t be prouder of you.

VIPS Receives Grant from MAC Construction and MSD

Fri, 08 May 2026 14:52:00 GMT

Since 1980, MAC Construction has grown from a start-up excavation company into one of the most trusted names in civil construction by continually evolving to meet the needs of its customers and community.

That commitment to building stronger communities extends far beyond construction projects. Through the support of MAC Construction & Excavating and the Louisville MSD Community Benefits Program , VIPS received a $29,100 investment to support our Early Childhood Intervention Program.

This funding helps provide qualified, vision-specific teachers to children and families throughout Jefferson County, bringing support directly into the home. By partnering alongside parents, VIPS helps children who are blind or have low vision build the foundational skills and confidence needed to reach their highest potential.

Thank you, MAC Construction & Excavating, for your incredible generosity, and thank you, MSD Community Benefits, for making this possible.

Join Us for the 2026 Cookout for the Crusade

Thu, 07 May 2026 14:27:00 GMT

DATE: Monday, June 1, 2026
TIME: 11 am to 1 pm
LOCATION: VIPS, 1906 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, Kentucky

Please join us for our annual Cookout for the Crusade. Stop by for lunch and get your choice of a burger, hot dog, or veggie burger. Includes a bag of chips and a soda, too. All for a $7 suggested donation!

Cash or Cards accepted.

All proceeds benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children.

Wilder Gets the Visual Support He Needs from VIPS and PDS Optical

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:50:00 GMT

Bethany, A VIPS mom, recently shared Wilder’s story with us as he is soon aging out of our program, where they have been working with Tammy Maynard, one of our Developmental Interventionists.

Wilder was one of the many VIPS kids who took advantage of a program offered by PDS Optical . In March , PDS visited VIPS and provided a free pair of prescription eyeglasses and free fittings to any children in our program. PDS also has a voucher program for those who can’t attend the fittings.

Thank you, Bethany, for sharing Wilder’s story. We love seeing our VIPS kids thrive!

Wilder was born at 36 weeks and spent 21 days in the NICU—this is where our journey began.

At just five months old, Wilder was diagnosed with concerns related to his head shape and facial alignment, requiring him to wear a cranial helmet until nine months of age. During this time, our schedule was intense. We traveled to Cincinnati three times a week for helmet adjustments, while also attending physical therapy twice a week at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana for torticollis , a condition that affects neck positioning.

Throughout these early appointments, additional concerns arose regarding Wilder’s eye alignment. Initially, providers believed this might be related to his head shape. However, after further evaluation and a second opinion at Shriners in Lexington, we learned that Wilder had significant farsightedness and required corrective lenses. Both of his eyes showed signs of misalignment, making early intervention critical. Since then, we have continued care with Shriners every six months and have been incredibly grateful for their expertise and compassion.

In addition to physical and vision-related care, Wilder has participated in multiple early intervention services, including speech therapy through Kentucky Early Intervention Services, as well as previous occupational, developmental, and feeding therapies. One of the most impactful additions to his care team has been vision therapy through VIPS.

Through VIPS, we were introduced to simple yet highly effective strategies to support Wilder’s visual development in everyday life. Activities like interactive games, visual organization tools, and adjustments to his AAC device have made a meaningful difference. These supports have helped us better understand how Wilder sees and interacts with the world.

As Wilder prepared to transition out of First Steps, VIPS connected us with PDS Optical to ensure he would continue receiving the visual support he needed. With their help, we were able to obtain customized glasses designed specifically for Wilder—including light-sensitive lenses to accommodate his sensitivity to bright environments. The process was seamless, and the level of care and coordination was exceptional.

Today, Wilder is thriving with the support of his therapies and adaptive tools. His glasses have made a noticeable difference in his comfort and engagement, especially outdoors and in brightly lit settings.

We are deeply grateful to the teams at VIPS and PDS Optical for their dedication, guidance, and genuine care. Their support has played a vital role in Wilder’s progress and continues to make a lasting impact on our family’s journey.

Podcast: Listener Q&A with Your Hosts

Mon, 04 May 2026 19:11:00 GMT

Resources mentioned in this episode

CVI Scottland: CVI Scotland is a charitable organization (SC046836) and comprehensive online resource dedicated to understanding, identifying, and supporting cortical visual impairment (CVI). It provides evidence-based information for parents, educators, and professionals to help them understand how CVI impacts daily life, offering, lessons, and practical tools.

https://cviscotland.org

CVI Now: Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of childhood blindness and low vision. CVI Now through Perkins School for the Blind follows current research, center the diverse CVI lived experiences, and support families and educators. Every person with CVI has the right to a timely diagnosis, and the support and access they need to find their place in the world.

Great IDEA Game Show Feeling This Life Episode LINK

ECTA: The ECTA Center supports state IDEA  programs in developing high-quality, effective, and sustainable state and local systems, to improve , , and supports for children with disabilities and their families that result in positive outcomes.

https://ectacenter.org

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Send Us Your Questions and Comments!

Resources

Children who are blind and low “Vision AND” have additional needs may receive early intervention services from multiple professionals.  A list of those services can be found here⁠ .

Feedback

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw

Follow Feeling This Life

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org

In this episode, we answer listener questions from families and professionals supporting children who are blind or have low vision. We share practical ideas, real-life experiences, and honest conversations.

We’re excited to offer a new twist to our podcast this season. Listener questions and comments! Do you have a question for our team? Want to leave us a comment about an episode? Have a personal experience or story you’d like to share with our audience? Just click the red button and record your message.

Please note that by leaving a voice message, you agree to sharing your message with our FTL audience on one of our future episodes.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Milestone Monday — Elliot

Mon, 04 May 2026 18:17:00 GMT

During a recent visit with Miss Julia, Elliott wore his glasses for most of the visit and started tracking items visually on the light box. And, he can visually locate the on/off button so he can turn the light box on himself, developing important cause-and-effect skills. Way to go, Elliot. We are all so proud of you.

Donuts with Grown-ups

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:09:34 GMT

Yesterday, we held our annual tradition of Donuts with Grown-ups in Kids Town. Each year, when we get close to the end of school, we invite parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to join us for donuts. We look forward to it every year.

GE’s IT Department Volunteer at VIPS

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:21:00 GMT

Last week, our friends from GE’s IT Department stopped by and made donor cards using the brailler and craft materials. Thank you, GE. We can always count on you.

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Milestone Monday — Emery

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:19:00 GMT

Emery is a remarkable child and continues to make wonderful progress across all areas of her development. Curious, determined, and eager to learn, she approaches new challenges with confidence and enthusiasm. In this picture, she is proudly shown walking down steep stairs independently, with her mom, and VIPS DI Tammy and O&M Ashley close by to cheer her on. Her perseverance and positive spirit make her truly awesome!

Diane Nelson Awarded Excellence in Leadership Award from VisionServe Alliance

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:23:00 GMT

“I am beyond humbled to join the ranks of past honorees. For me, this work is all about the children and families we serve, and everything we do is to shine a spotlight on them,” said Diane Nelson. Diane added, “I am forever grateful to VisionServe Alliance and its member organizations. VIPS has benefited greatly because of the collective leadership and the dedication to those who are blind or have low vision.”

Thank you, Diane, for all you do for our VIPS families.

Here’s the announcement from VisionServe Alliance:

VisionServe Alliance is honored to recognize Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS, for her unwavering commitment to enhancing learning opportunities by providing early intervention services to young children living with blindness or low vision and their families.

The Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes exemplary leadership demonstrated by an Executive Director, President, or CEO of a member organization. Award recipients are listed on a print and braille plaque in the Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field located at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.

After a successful career in the private sector, in 2008 Diane Nelson joined VIPS (Vision Interventions and Parental Support), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Under her leadership, VIPS has expanded operations into Indiana, has more than tripled its annual budget, and more than doubled the number of children and families served.

“Diane is a hands-on visionary,” said Lee Nasehi, President and CEO of VisionServe Alliance. “In addition to growing VIPS locally, she is also a strong and passionate voice nationally for blind and low vision children and their families. Her willingness to pitch in to get the job done coupled with her deep understanding of those VIPS supports make her an inspiring leader and advocate.”

We extend our deepest gratitude to Diane Nelson for her exemplary leadership and life-changing efforts on behalf of our field and the people we are proud to serve.

The Excellence in Leadership Awards will be commemorated during the Annual Awards Luncheon, hosted on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Envision and VisionServe Alliance 2026 Conference in Columbus, Ohio.

About VisionServe Alliance

VisionServe leads an alliance of more than 130 organizations that vastly improve the lives of people with blindness and low vision. VisionServe Alliance collaborates with leaders to enhance the health of the vision service field, addressing strategic issues, cultivating leadership, enhancing management systems, sharing best practices, increasing capacity-building and sustainability, informing public policy, and maximizing awareness of life-changing vision rehabilitation training. For more information, visit VisionServeAlliance.org .

About VisionServe Alliance Annual Awards and Annual Conference

VisionServe Alliance bestows its Annual Awards on leaders and innovators in the BVI field. Leaders receive Annual Awards in several categories at our annual conference .

VisionServe Alliance press inquiries may be directed to SDraddy@VisionServeAlliance.org .

We are excited to share that Diane Nelson, our Executive Director, is being honored by VisionServe Alliance with the 2026 Excellence in Leadership Award.

“Diane has applied her leadership skills and business knowledge to the day-to-day functions of VIPS as well as to plan for our sustainability far into the future,” said Kathy Mullen, Director of Education at VIPS. “She recognizes her strengths and the gifts those around her can offer for the continued growth of VIPS. It has been an honor to work alongside Diane for the past 14 years.”

Milestone Monday — Ezra

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:04:00 GMT

Ezra is making steady progress in his developmental skills. He demonstrates enjoyment when observing lights and bright objects and is beginning to reach toward, grasp, and hold his toys, showing emerging coordination and interaction with his environment. We are so excited for you, Ezra!

Justine Aycock Named to Twenty Under 40

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:31:00 GMT

We are excited to share that Justine Aycock, our Director of Development, has been included in the News and Tribune’s Twenty Under 40 Class of 2026. Congratulations, Justine. We are so proud of you. Click here to read her feature .

Milestone Monday — Elise

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:03:00 GMT

We are featuring Elise today for Milestone Monday. She is working very hard on hand-eye coordination! Here she is successfully putting together a puzzle and putting shapes into a shape sorter. Yay, Elise!

April is National Volunteer Month

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:03:00 GMT

April is National Volunteer Month, and we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who donates their time to VIPS . From the cards to the cleanups, the effort is staggering. We couldn’t do what we do with you.

Thank you, Volunteers. We love you!

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Well, Well, Well… Look at Wells!

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:33:00 GMT

Wells is a bright, spirited 2-year-old who is currently enrolled in both the Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP) and the 2’s program at VIPS. Born with hemimegalencephaly (HME) , a rare condition affecting brain development, Wells also has Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) , where the eyes may function normally but the brain struggles to process visual information. This can make everyday tasks like recognizing a person or reaching for a toy more challenging, but with early intervention and support, Wells is thriving.

Working with Wells and his family has been a career highlight for Paige, his VIPS teacher. One of the most rewarding parts of early intervention is working alongside families to support their child’s growth in ways that fit seamlessly into their daily routines,” Paige says. She recalls administering Wells’s CVI Range Test and discovering his preferred color: “Finding his favorite color felt like he was being sorted into his Hogwarts house. He was ‘sorted’ into Hufflepuff, yellow, which completely suits him! He is the happiest child, loves being with people, loves a snuggle, and lights up with squeals when the wind blows his hair or when playing with his sisters.”

One of Wells’s first goals with his family was learning to reach out to be picked up, a skill that seems simple but requires social, motor, and cognitive development. Paige explains, “Reaching out to be picked up relies on the ability to see and recognize who is in the room and use vision to guide movement. It is simultaneously a social communication skill, a motor skill, and a cognitive skill, and it’s an opportunity for the parent to bond with the child.” Using lighted gloves, wiggling fingers, social games, and auditory cues, Kirby and Michael helped Wells learn to locate hands and reach out. Paige remembers, “The first time I saw him reach both hands out to an adult, I nearly melted with joy. To see his sweet smile and both hands extend to Michael’s was one of those experiences I have added to my mental treasure box to remember on hard days.”

For Wells’s family, support and community have always been central. Kirby and Michael shared that, “some of the most meaningful relationships in life begin in unexpected ways. For our family, it started with a Facebook message, two families, miles apart, united by the rare diagnosis of HME. Though we’ve never met in person, we formed a bond through shared experiences, supporting each other through the highs and lows of raising boys the same age on similar journeys. That connection led to something truly special: Wells was invited to be part of Seize the Day , a children’s illustrated book featuring kids around the world living with HME. The invitation came from that same parent, now a co-author, making the opportunity both humbling and personal.”

They continue, “HME can impact vision because the brain plays a key role in processing what we see, often leading to challenges. Through our community, we learned how critical early vision support can be and were introduced to vision therapy through VIPS. Seeing other children make meaningful progress gave us hope and direction, and we pursued VIPS knowing that even small improvements in vision can lead to significant gains in independence and engagement with the world.”

Today, Wells is building on these early milestones, pulling to stand, holding hands with friends, and even playing the drum. Being featured in Seize the Day is a celebration of Wells’ courage, his family’s dedication, and the life-changing impact of VIPS’s programs. It’s a reminder of how early intervention, family engagement, and community support can create milestones and moments that last a lifetime.

Podcast: Vision AND General Education with Rachel Will and Meggan Heady

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:11:00 GMT

Available On

Send Us Your Questions and Comments!

Resources

Children who are blind and low “Vision AND” have additional needs may receive early intervention services from multiple professionals.  A list of those services can be found here⁠ .

Feedback

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠⁠⁠

Follow Feeling This Life

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org

Jenny interviews Rachel Will and Meggan Heady, two experienced public school teachers who once taught her daughter. The conversation is about how educational experiences are strengthened through collaboration between families, general education teachers, and teachers of the visually impaired or other specialties.

Cathy shares insights on Universal Design for Learning and how educators can create learning environments that meet the needs of all students. She explains how thoughtful lesson design, multiple ways for students to engage with content and varied options for demonstrating learning can help make classrooms more inclusive and accessible.

Later in the conversation, Jenny and Paige talk about the anxiety many families feel about how their child will do in school, especially during important transitions. From starting school for the first time to moving between grades or classrooms, they share insights into why these moments can feel overwhelming for both children and parents.

Please note that by leaving a voice message, you agree to sharing your message with our FTL audience on one of our future episodes.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Kentucky Science Center Visits Kids Town

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Our friends from the Kentucky Science Center paid us a visit and brought so much cool stuff to play with. There was a Squishy, Gooshy, Mushy station, tiny little plastic creatures so the kids could practice using a magnifying glass, and of course, homemade slime for everyone to take home. You’re welcome, parents. Thank you, KSC!

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Milestone Monday — Wells

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:38:00 GMT

We’re back with another Milestone Monday, and today we are celebrating Wells. During his morning routine at school, he initiated using both hands! Using both hands is an important skill for body and tactile awareness. We are so proud of you, Wells.

Beeping Egg Hunt at the ISBVI

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:02:00 GMT

Once again, we had a wonderful time at the Beeping Egg Hunt thanks to Clovernook Center of the Blind & Visually Impaired and the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired . It was a little chilly outside, so we had to move the egg hunt to the gym, but that did not detract from the fun. All the kids got to exchange their eggs for goodie bags from Clovernook that included toys, candy, and a dental kit donated by the Indiana Department of Health, Oral Health Division . Thank you to our hosts and all the great volunteers who made this a success.

Louisville Folk School Returns to Kids Town

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:57:00 GMT

You might remember that last month we had a visit from the Louisville Folk School as part of a HeARTS Day grant from Fund for the Arts . Last week, they paid us another visit and this time Jannell brought a drum, a guitar, and a fiddle. So much fun! Thank you, LFS.

Hand Washing Day at VIPS

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:25:00 GMT

Yesterday, students from UofL’s Future Physician Assistants of Kentucky (FPAK) visited Kids Town to talk about the importance of good hand washing habits. Everyone had a turn at the sink and got to see their hands before and after using a UV light. The kids even got to take home free “germs.” Thank you, FPAK.

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Milestone Monday — Roxanne

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 13:50:00 GMT

Today, we celebrate Roxanne and her puzzle-solving skills! We would also like to recognize Roxanne’s mom, Dakota (heard in the audio). She is Roxanne’s first and best teacher, as she encourages and prompts Roxanne to problem solve for herself! Way to go, Roxanne.

PDS Hosts Free Glasses Event at Kids Town

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:31:00 GMT

On Friday, our friends at PDS Optical held another free fitting event in Kids Town. Any VIPS family that signed up received a fitting for a free pair of prescription glasses. Many of our kids have prescriptions that change frequently, out grow them, or just lose or break their frames. This opportunity is such a generous gift from PDS. Thank you! A big thank you to Megan from PDS for spending the day with us and making sure each family received the care and attention they deserve.

If you couldn’t make it the event last Friday, you can still get a free pair of glasses. All VIPS families are eligible. Click here for details!

Delta Gammas visited the Family Resource Center

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:13:00 GMT

31 Delta Gammas visited the Family Resource Center to volunteer their time and take a tour. They are part of the Theta Chapter at IU Bloomington. The group made cards celebrating World Braille Day, as well as Thank You cards. They also took turns on the braille machines to make birthday card inserts. Before their visit, they purchased items from our Indiana Amazon Wish list. So kind and thoughtful. Thank you all for visiting. We loved spending time with you.

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Milestone Monday — Kilani

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Kilani has been a VIPS kid for a few months and his doing great! She loves her string lights and new toys (Thank you, volunteers.) Today she actively used both eyes together to search for others when we said their name, to track her favorite toys and red light, and with moms assistance, to reach out and touch the red light pen today. This is absolutely huge for Ms. Kilani and we are so proud of her!

Podcast: Vision AND Supporting Preschoolers with Complex Needs with Emily Munson

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:33:00 GMT

The conversation also covers the often-daunting transition from early intervention to preschool. Cathy breaks down the role of Child Find, a federal requirement that ensures children are evaluated for special education services, and how the process varies by state. Paige shares how early intervention programs support families through this eligibility process. Finally, the team discusses the importance of trusting your instincts when choosing a school and utilizing State Early Learning Guidelines to ensure children are getting the support they need.

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/child-find-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

Available On

Send Us Your Questions and Comments!

Resources

Children who are blind and low “Vision AND” have additional needs may receive early intervention services from multiple professionals.  A list of those services can be found here⁠ .

Feedback

Please give us your feedback using this survey link: ⁠⁠⁠https://educationutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39OmBvMih6MlgNw⁠⁠⁠

Follow Feeling This Life

Email: feelingthislife@vips.org ⁠⁠

Paige interviews Emily Munson, a preschool teacher in an early childhood classroom for children who are medically complex. Emily shares her journey of finding her way to her dream classroom. She tells how she includes children who are blind and low vision, and gives a sneak peek into her favorite lesson to teach.

Jenny, Paige, and Cathy discuss the powerful impact of preschool. They reflect on the way that Emily seamlessly integrates strategies into the environment that help children thrive and ease parental anxiety.

The group dives deep into the importance of observation as a foundational tool for both teachers and families. Jenny and Paige emphasize that learning to “watch and wait” is a vital skill for families before jumping into action.

Please note that by leaving a voice message, you agree to sharing your message with our FTL audience on one of our future episodes.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Republic Bank Ribbon Cutting in Kids Town

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:57:00 GMT

Yesterday, Republic Bank dedicated its latest banking center in Louisville, and it’s in Kids Town! The banking center has play money and adaptive learning tools so our preschoolers can learn math and money skills.

The highlight of the day came from one of our parents, Lauren, who shared what it was like for VIPS to be there for her twins, both in her family’s home and in our preschool. Lauren talked about the experience of Paige Maynard, Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) come into their home. “She (Paige) not only taught the girls how to use their functional vision, but she taught us how to work with the girls,” Lauren said.

Haven and Harlow, Lauren’s daughters, both attend preschool at VIPS, and the experience has been meaningful to their family. Lauren said, “I love this place so much that when I heard that there was a classroom assistant job open? Absolutely. Sign me up!” And we gladly did.

We are forever thankful for companies like Republic Bank. They help us the tools and resources that prepare our kids to move on to kindergarten and more.

Watch the full presentation below.

Rangers from The Parklands Visit Kids Town

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:15:00 GMT

Rangers Erin and Ryan from The Parklands of Floyds Fork visited Kids Town and brought so much cool stuff for kids to play with. Sand complete with bugs (plastic, thankfully), sections of trees, pine cones, and small animal skulls and pelts. We love it when the Rangers visit each year. Thank you!

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

The FRC Welcomes Volunteers from Mercy Road Church

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:42:00 GMT

Yesterday, twelve volunteers from Mercy Road Church in Carmel, Indiana, spent a couple of hours serving at the VIPS Family Resource Center. After a tour of the facility, they helped create sensory books, brailled inserts for cards, made thank-you cards, and organized the playroom.

Thank you so much for your work. Our VIPS families appreciate it more than you know.

Milestone Monday — Roxanne

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:54:00 GMT

Roxanne has been working so hard at O&M training (orientation and mobility). She recently transitioned from using a precane to her very own long white cane! She really enjoyed learning to navigate the stairs in Kids Town using her cane. Keep up the great work, Roxanne!

Milestone Monday — Penelope

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:24:00 GMT

Penelope is doing amazing things since starting with VIPS! She is finally tolerating her patch and starting to really use her weaker eye. She is starting to coordinate use of her eyes with her extremities and to look above her head! She is usually very hesitant with new objects and especially new textures, but today she works on orienting a cap correctly, exploring the textures and visual properties of slime, and putting it into the container (visual motor and depth perception!). Great job, Penelope!

We Have A Winner!

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:46:00 GMT

The lucky winner of the VIPS Bourbon Raffle was Charlie Bensinger, whose name was drawn during a live broadcast on VIPS’s Facebook page .

VIPS was selected as a recipient of the prestigious 100 Bourbon Sets for 100 Charities program from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Through this generous initiative, VIPS received a highly sought-after three-bottle set of E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, including:

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch 100 Proof (750ml) Tasting notes: Caramel corn sweetness mingled with butterscotch and licorice, finishing with subtle spices of pepper and tobacco.
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel 100 Proof (750ml) Tasting notes: Lightly toasted oak with dried figs and butterscotch, balanced by tobacco and dark spices, with a smooth, lingering finish.
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof 127.2 Proof (750ml) Tasting notes: Cooked berries and rich caramel on the nose, followed by bold spice, toasty vanilla, dried oak, pepper, and a long, satisfying finish with a powerful rye character.

VIPS hosted a limited raffle featuring the three-bottle set, selling tickets at $100 each from January 10 through February 12, 2026. The raffle closed with one winner announced live on Facebook on February 13 at 12 p.m. The raffle raised $3,000.

VIPS is the only nonprofit organization in Kentucky and Indiana dedicated to providing early childhood education to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are blind or have low vision. Funds raised through the raffle will support early intervention services, including sending Teachers of the Visually Impaired into family homes to coach and empower parents, as well as operating a center-based preschool program in Louisville.

“This opportunity through Buffalo Trace Distillery not only allowed us to raise critical funds, but also introduced new supporters to the life-changing work happening at VIPS every day,” said Justine Aycock, Director of Development at VIPS. “We are deeply grateful for the partnership and for everyone who purchased a ticket in support of children and families across Kentucky and Indiana.”

The raffle was conducted in compliance with all applicable regulations, including: Commonwealth of Kentucky ABC Special Temporary Alcoholic Beverage Auction Licenses (056-TA-216857 and 056-TA-215098); Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government ABC Temporary Alcoholic Beverage Licenses (LIC-ABT-25-00470 and LIC-ABT-25-00473); Commonwealth of Kentucky Charitable Gaming License Number ORG0002010.

Christina and Justine draw for the winner.

Louisville Folk School Brings the Beat to Kids Town

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:34:00 GMT

Thanks to a HeARTS Day grant from Fund for the Arts , Louisville Folk School visited Kids Town last week and Gregory brought drums! Lots of drums! The kids had a blast and we are looking forward to more visits from LFS.

Milestone Monday — Myles

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:07:00 GMT

We are so excited to celebrate Myles, a determined little learner. Myles recently received a lightbox on loan from VIPS, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular! With the help of his amazing family—who are pros at setting up colorful visual targets—Myles is working hard on using his functional vision. In this photo, you can see him focusing intently on brightly colored window clings. We are so proud of the progress he’s making!

NCAA PR Team Volunteers at the FRC

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:50:00 GMT

Today, the NCAA PR team made a return visit to the Family Resource Center in Indianapolis. They made birthday cards for our VIPS children and welcome cards for our new families. They also spent time on the braille machine typing inserts for the birthday cards. Thank you for always supporting VIPS!

Milestone Monday — Jaxton

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:15:00 GMT

This is Jaxton, and he is using a walker to be mobile at the public library and to explore his environment. We are celebrating his milestone of using the walker to move independently. His parents do a wonderful job of encouraging him to explore and try new things. We are so proud of Jaxton!

The post Milestone Monday — Jaxton appeared first on VIPS .

2026 VIPS Bourbon Raffle

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Raffle is Closed
One Winner Announced
Feb. 13 at 12 pm on Facebook Live

Commonwealth of Kentucky ABC Special Temporary Alcoholic Beverage Auction Licenses, 056-TA-216857 and 056-TA-215098

Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government ABC Temporary Alcoholic Beverage Licenses, LIC-ABT-25-00470 and LIC-ABT-25-00473

Commonwealth of Kentucky Charitable Gaming License Number ORG0002010

$100 per ticket

Only 1,500 Tickets Will Be Sold

Available from Jan. 10 to Feb. 12, 2026

Three Bottles of E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

~ One Small Batch 100 Proof

~ One Single Barrel 100 Proof

~ One Barrel Proof 127.2 Proof

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch 100 Proof

One 750ml Bottle and Sleeve | Visit Product Page

Tasting Notes from Buffalo Trace

Tastes of caramel corn sweetness, mingled with butterscotch and licorice.

The aftertaste is a soft mouth-feel that turns into subtle spices of pepper and tobacco.

One sip brings flavors of sweetness balanced with tobacco and dark spices.

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel 100 Proof

One 750ml Bottle and Sleeve | Visit Product Page

Tasting Notes from Buffalo Trace

The aroma carries lightly toasted oak, with dried figs and butterscotch.

The finish is just long enough to prepare the palate for another sip.

E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof 127.2 Proof

The taste is bold and full of spice that fills the mouth with a distinct flavor of toasty vanilla, dried oak and pepper.

The finish is long and satisfying with a powerful rye character and lingering hints of fruit.

Tasting Notes from Buffalo Trace

One 750ml Bottle and Sleeve | Visit Product Page

The aroma of cooked berries meets the nose, followed by a rich caramel and slightly floral smell.

Milestone Monday — Phoenix

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:11:00 GMT

Phoenix is our first #MilestoneMonday of 2026, and he has been working on his container play, his way! His parents had a problem to solve—his love for the microwave. The solution was to give him his own to play with, unplugged, of course. This evolved into a new form of container play, using the microwave to put things in and take them out, while working on open/shut concepts and other prepositional directions in relation to the microwave. He is now putting things in/out and imitating words! Way to go, Phoenix!!

Hoosier Christmas Hope Donates Toys to VIPS

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:19:00 GMT

Last week, we had another toy donation. This one came from Sabrina Young and her organization, Hoosier Christmas Hope. She donated 40 interactive toys that will go to our families who are in the most need this Christmas. Thank you, Sabrina. Your gift will put a lot of smiles on kids’ faces next week. Click here to read more about Hoosier Christmas Hope and the wonderful work they’re doing.

VIPS Rolls Out New CCM

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:42:00 GMT

2025 was a big year for VIPS. With feedback from our teachers and providers, Christina and Emily have been building and designing a new Child Case Management (CCM) system, and we recently started training and migrating clients to the new system. It has been a heavy lift, but the rewards will be worth it.

The CCM helps our teachers and providers stay organized and up to date, giving them more time to focus on what matters most — helping children learn and thrive. It also ensures every child’s record is accurate and current, supporting consistent, high-quality care for every family.

With this new system, our team spends more time with families and less time on paperwork, creating a more complete picture of each child’s progress and growth.

This investment is about more than technology—it’s about enhancing the way we serve families every day.

Important Year-end Giving Dates | 2025

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:48:00 GMT

When planning a year-end contribution to VIPS, remember that charitable donations are deductible in the year they’re made. If you choose to give to VIPS before the end of December, please use these helpful tips to make sure your gift counts in the 2025 tax year.

VIPS will be closed from December 24, 2025, to January 4, 2026. To assist our donors with their year-end giving, the Development Team will be monitoring their emails for questions. To ensure that your gift will be processed to meet IRS tax-year deadlines, please see the information below.

Gifts by Credit Card—12/31

Credit card gifts made online should be completed before midnight Dec. 31, 2025, to qualify as tax-deductible contributions in 2025. To make your gift online, go to vips.org/donate . IRS guidelines require that online credit card transactions be completed by 11:59 p.m., Dec. 31, 2025 (based on the time zone in which the gift is made), in order for those gifts to count in the calendar year.

Gifts by Mail—12/31

Under the “mailbox rule,” if you are mailing your check via the U.S. Postal Service, the postmark date will be considered the gift date.

To ensure your gift is processed and postmarked in 2025, checks sent via U.S. Mail must be postmarked on or before Wednesday, December 31, 2025. We recommend mailing your gift by December 26th at the latest to allow the post office ample time to process and postmark it before the year ends.

Gifts by IRA Rollover—12/31

Qualifying IRA Rollover contributions (IRA Rollovers) or gifts made from your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) can be made directly from your IRA Administrator with the same receipt requirements as gifts by mail (postmarked on or by Dec. 31, 2025).

Gifts by Stock—12/23*

To qualify as a 2025 charitable donation, stock gifts must be received in VIPS’s brokerage account by December 31, 2025. Because transfers can take several business days, especially during the holidays, please initiate your transfer by December 20 to 23, 2025, or earlier, depending on your broker, to ensure timely receipt.

*Click here for the stock transfer instructions.

VIPS EIN #61-1061973

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Justine Aycock
Director of Development
jaycock@vips.org
(502) 498-2930

VIPS Kentucky
1906 Goldsmith Lane
Louisville, KY 40218

VIPS Indiana
1212 Southeastern Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Download Flyer

Friends Volunteer at the FRC

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:27:00 GMT

On December 6, VIPS welcomed a wonderful group of friends to the VIPS Family Resource Center in Indianapolis. After a quick tour and Q&A, they spent the afternoon creating thoughtful welcome cards for the bags we give to new families. Katherine (in the red sweater) assembled this group of friends after volunteering at FRC during United Way of Central Indiana’s Go All In Day back in June.

Thank you, Volunteers!

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:58:00 GMT

Today is #InternationalVolunteerDay, and we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who donates their time and energy to making VIPS great. Your dedication to our families and support of our mission is invaluable. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love our volunteers!

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Feeling This Life and Spotify Wrapped 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:42:00 GMT

So Spotify dropped Wrapped for Creators for Feeling This Life . Wow! Check out these numbers. We are humbled and flattered, and owe it all to our listeners. Thank you for listening this year.

Want to listen (or relisten) to the top episode of 2025? Click here for “Vision AND Another Condition with Kacey Poynter.”

Kiwanis Club of Bloomington Makes Donation to VIPS

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 14:55:00 GMT

On December 4th, Sheila Klopfenstein, VIPS Indiana Education Lead and Teacher of the Visually Impaired, attended a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Bloomington, Indiana , and was presented with a $1,500 donation.

Thank you, Kiwanis! Your support means everything to the families we serve in Indiana.

Thankful for Partners Like PDS Optical and Korrect Optical

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:16:00 GMT

You might remember that in the summer, we launched a new program with our friends at PDS Optical and Korrect Optical to give each VIPS kid a pair of free glasses. The program has been a huge success! This week, we received this note (and photos) from the mother of one of those kids.

“Thank you all so much for blessing Clyde with a new pair of glasses! He picked out red and was so happy to receive them the day before his Santa photos! I have attached a few for you! Clyde has such a special eye that his prescription changes 3-4 times a year. We are beyond grateful of this gift you’ve given for a free pair! That gift truly helped our family and made a huge difference financially for us!”

2024–2025 VIPS Impact Report Released

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 20:26:00 GMT

We are excited to announce that our 2024–2025 Impact Report is available. You can read online below or click here to download a PDF .

We catch up with a few of our VIPS kids, feature an overview of the past year’s events, and our aspirations for the future. We hope you enjoy it.

2025 VIPS Holiday Gift Guide

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 10:51:00 GMT

We asked our teachers and interventionists to recommend a few toys suitable for children who are blind or have low vision.

Feel free to reach out to your VIPS teacher or interventionist if you need ideas for creating accessible experiences from a favorite book, creating a story box for your child, or finding more ideas for what to buy for your child.

Happy Holidays from all of us at VIPS!

From Mr. David

Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Crib Toy and Sound Machine

This product not only helps calm fussy children and prepare them for rest, but also comes with a remote and an orange star-shaped button that matches the one on the aquarium. It’s perfect for cause-and-effect play opportunities, and children can work on shifting their gaze from one orange star to the other.

Purchase

Bathtub Light Up Toys

Purchase

From Ms. Michelle

These toys light up when they touch the water. It helps to engage children in the bathtub. It encourages them to reach for things around them. They can hide them under bubbles and play hide-and-seek. If you take them out of the tub when they are finished and dry them off, they last for quite a long time.

VTech Turn and Learn Driver

This toy has many different ways to activate it and many movements to encourage the child to engage with it. They can press buttons, move a lever, turn the switch, and turn the wheel. It also has fun sounds that help with cause and effects. It does light up.

Purchase

This is a lift-the-flap book. There is something hiding behind a felt flap on each plate. The child has to explore to figure out which way the flap can be lifted. There is also a mirror at the back of these books to help the child engage, and they get excited when they see themselves in the book

Purchase

Where’s the Giraffe?

Pound A Ball Toy

Purchase

This toy helps children work on hand-eye coordination by having them pound on a ball to make it fall. They can also work on tracking skills as they watch the ball roll down the track.

This play piano includes five musical modes and 26 sound effects. The Hippo Pop keyboard plays 15 fun songs and six nursery rhymes. Pressing the tiny hands-friendly piano keys makes eight colorful birds light up and pop.

Purchase

Hippo Pop Musical Toy Keyboard

From Ms. Tamara

Purchase

This is a Hide and Seek Bluey, you can hide it and then it has a timer. It will giggle and give you a clue to find her. I figured it would be good to work on sound locating, it is also fairly big, so that would likely help with visually locating it as well. I am sure you could put another color, like red tape, on her belly to help it stand out as well. plan to either get the Bluey myself or wait till my niece and nephew outgrow theirs and borrow it.

Bluey Hide and Seek Game

From Ms. Abby

Baby’s Very First Slide & See Farm

Purchase

I also like the Usborne finger trail books and the slide-and-see books. The pages are a bit busy, but you can trace different trails with them, which would also work for location concepts.

The Peekaboo Fishbowl Friends can help practice counting, color matching, and stacking, and the transparent fishbowls would work well on a lightbox.

Purchase

Peekaboo Fishbowl Friends

From Ms. Staci

Sensory play time can be a great opportunity to develop skills, whether visual attention, fine motor strengthening, matching, scanning, or more, through play. The toys I’m recommending this year would be especially effective when used in a water table, the bathtub, or with a lightbox (or even better, with a tub of water on a lightbox).

Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set

Purchase

The Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set and the Squeeze Rain Bulbs (below) are good play tools for working on fine motor strength and coordination as well as visual-motor skills. Whereas the Helping Hands set offers a variety of tools to work on pinching, a scissor motion, and squeezing, the rain bulbs have a different texture on each bulb in the set.

Purchase

Squeeze Rain Bulbs

Glo-Pals Water Activated Light-Up Cubes

Purchase

The Glo-Pals Water Activated Light-Up Cubes are a fun addition to water play for any child but might especially grab the attention of children with CVI or low vision.

My nephew is a big fan of the Light Up Whale Bath Toy Sprinkler, which changes colors and squirts water as it floats in water, making it another great toy for visual attention, tracking (though it is slow moving), and fun.

Purchase

Light Up Whale Bath Toy Sprinkler

Excellerations Translucent Rainbow Octagon Stackers

Purchase

This toy is great on the light box for learners who have light perception! The pieces are great for little hands. Their hollow shape makes them easy to grasp, and their simplicity helps with learning the skill of together and apart.

From Ms. Paige

I love these weighted stuffies from Target!

Purchase

Dinosaur Weighted Plush Kids’ Throw Pillow

Light Up Crab Bubble Machine Blower with LED Lights

This adorable crab bubble machine creates a waterfall of bubbles, while colorful LED lights illuminate the bubbles to captivate your child’s visual attention. It mounts to the wall of your bathtub, making it easy to present in their best visual field. The bubbles emit as a foamy vertical column, making them fun and easy to touch!

Purchase

It is a modular activity board! It is customizable to the child’s fine motor and cognitive developmental needs, and the arrangement of it would be great for teaching orientation skills – where things are in space in relation to one another!

PlayTab – Modular, Sensory Activity Board for Babies and Toddlers

Purchase

BTS: 2025 VIPS Holiday Card

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:52:00 GMT

This year, we asked our VIPS kids to create snowflakes for our 2025 holiday card. The results were amazing. We’re sorry to say we couldn’t include every submission, but we’d like to share them here for you so everyone can appreciate the hard work that went into each and every one. Read on for the gallery.

We expanded on the tactile element this year by embossing the snowflakes on the card’s cover. It’s a hard technique to photograph, but there’s an example below of a few of the embossed snowflakes. The results are wonderful and make for a more accessible experience.

Here are the submissions. You can click an image to view it larger. Thank you to all the teachers and kids for helping out this year.

Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation Awards $5,000 Grant to VIPS

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:42:00 GMT

The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation awarded VIPS $5,000 for the Early Childhood Intervention Program in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties, Kentucky.

The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation is a Charitable Trust established in 2004 by Elsa Heisel Sule, a native of Northern Kentucky. Elsa Sule’s philanthropic aspirations were to provide opportunities in education, the community, and the arts. To honor Elsa’s aspirations, the Trustee and Board of Advisors focus on distributions with a focus on children, adults, and animals.

Thank you!

Shop Genesis Diamonds Lou and Donate to VIPS

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:21:00 GMT

This holiday season, you can give back to VIPS while finding something special for yourself or a loved one.

Simply show this post at Genesis Diamonds Louisville during their Holiday Love Event, November 14th–16th, and Genesis will write a $100 check in your name directly to VIPS with any purchase—no minimum required.

While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are highly recommended to ensure personalized, one-on-one service from the moment you arrive. Appointments can be made easily at genesisdiamonds.com .

Visit Genesis Diamonds Louisville at 4600 Shelbyville Rd, Suite 106.

VIPS Visits IU Occupational Therapy Class

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:11:00 GMT

Sheila Klopfenstein, Indiana Education Lead and Teacher of the Visually Impaired, and Michelle Flora, Blind/Low Vision Specialist, spent the day with students from the Occupational Therapy Department of IU’s School of Health & Human Services , sharing information about VIPS and how early intervention helps children with blindness or low vision and their families. The students had fun completing various tasks while wearing simulation goggles. The goggles give wearers a sense of what it’s like to experience blindness and low vision. They also learned how vision issues affect learning and how to identify behaviors that may indicate blindness or low vision.

We love connecting with students. Thank you for having us!

Volunteers from TWG at the FRC

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:32:00 GMT

On November 4th, volunteers from TWG came to the Family Resource Center in Indianapolis to design and decorate birthday cards. We send these cards out to all the VIPS kids, and they love them.

Thank you, TWG!

Is your team looking for a volunteer project? We have opportunities available in Louisville and Indianapolis . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Trick or Treating at VIPS!

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:19:00 GMT

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Today, the preschoolers visited the admin side to go trick-or-treating—so many great costumes and lots of smiles.

Trunk or Treat Sponsored by Baptist Health Child Development Center

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:43:00 GMT

We had a great trunk-or-treat hosted by our friends at the Baptist Health Child Development Center in Lexington. Over 50 volunteers came out to decorate their trunks and pass out treats to VIPS and Baptist Health families. Thanks to everyone who came out to support our kids. We had a blast!

VIPS Featured in Geist Magazine

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:20:00 GMT

VIPS was featured in the November 2025 issue of Geist Magazine! You can read the article below or visit their website .

Geist Magazine is based in Fishers, Indiana.

Thank you for helping us tell our story.

Sheila Klopfenstein on Merritt in the Morning Podcast

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:14:00 GMT

Sheila Klopfenstein, Indiana Education Lead and Teacher of the Visually Impaired, appeared on Episode 61 of Merrit in the Morning, hosted by Jim Merritt and Sheila’s husband, Brad Klopfenstein.

Thank you, Brad and Jim, for helping us get the word out about VIPS!

You can also listen or watch on Facebook , Apple Podcasts , and Spotify .

Halloween Spooktacular at the FRC

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:50:00 GMT

The Halloween Spooktacular at the Family Resource Center was a great success. Many, many thanks to our sponsors: United Way of Central Indiana, McMillen Health, The Smile Mobile, Delta Dental Foundation, Starbucks(Thanks, Nicole), and [EYE can see].

And thanks to all the organizations that joined us, including Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation, Indiana School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Talking Book & Braille Library, Easterseals Crossroads, Oral Health Division of the Indiana Department of Health, Firefly, WFYI/PBS Kids, Bosma Enterprises for the Blind, and Cori’s Braille Service. We appreciate your support, and the kids (and adults) had a great time.

Halloween at the Kentucky Center

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:20:00 GMT

It’s Halloween week, and we’ve had a lot going on this month. Thank you, Kentucky Science Center, for letting our families spend time in the museum without the crowds. We loved seeing all the kids and their Halloween costumes. We also received support from the Louisville Downtown Lions Club, and thanks to UPS for supplying goody bags for the kids. Watch this space for more party updates.

Has Your Child Outgrown Their Cane? Donate It to Our Lending Library

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:44:00 GMT

VIPS is building a lending library of pre-cane devices and white canes for our VIPS children to use while they are waiting for a device of their own. If your child has outgrown their cane and you would like to share their old cane or pre-cane device with another child and family, please reach out to Paige Maynard ( pmaynard@vips.org ) in Kentucky or Sheila Klopfenstein ( sklopfenstein@vips.org ) in Indiana to make arrangements. Thank you for sharing your kindness with another family in need!

Golf Tournament Raises Money for VIPS Kids

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:11:00 GMT

The 37th Annual VIPS Golf Tournament, sponsored by Yum! , is a wrap, and we raised about $45,000! The weather was perfect, Wildwood Country Club is beautiful, and everyone had a great time.

We want to thank everyone who made this such a great event. Yum! sponsored the event, and Debbie Baldwin and Erica Kiefer were invaluable committee members.

Our other sponsors were Lockton, our $7,500 Birdie Sponsor; Zurich, our $3,000 Eagle Sponsor; Stock Yards Bank; and CorVel, each a $1,000 Reception Sponsor; and Pepsi, which provided soft drinks, water, Gatorade, Frito-Lay snacks, and Grandma’s cookies. A very generous Shady Ra ys donated $12,000 in sunglasses for all the golfers’ tee gifts

We thank Tito’s Vodka for donating their special cocktail to keep our golfers hydrated. Our generous hole sponsors included Ankura, State Street, Cerity, Chubb, Lockton, Louisville Geek, Sedgwick, Wheels, Willis Tower Watson, and Zurich.

A new feature this year was the Cannonball Experience . Check out the photos below. So much fun!

And thanks to our staff. We couldn’t pull this off without their dedication.

Our winners for the day:

Closest to the Hole: Turner Deckart
Closest to the Line: Doug Voss
Longest Drive: Grant Restmeyer
Longest Putt Made: Max Hanke
Turtle Award: Jerry & Maxine Bizer’s Team
Ball Toss Winner: Andy Steinbach
Winning Team: Doug Voss, Raymond Herrick, Justin O’Brien

Thanks again to everyone who participated. You are supporting important work.

We’ll see you again next year!

October Declared Blindness and Low Vision Awareness Month in Indiana

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 18:35:00 GMT

October is Blindness and Low Vision Awareness Month in Indiana, as declared by Governor Mike Braun. Over 157,000 Hoosiers who are experiencing blindness or low vision thank you. This recognition is also meaningful to those who work tirelessly to ensure that a whole and fulfilling life is achievable. Thank you, Governor.

Gov. Beshear Declares October Blind and Low Vision Awareness Month in Kentucky

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:30:00 GMT

Governor Andy Beshear has declared October Blindness and Low Vision Awareness Month in Kentucky. Thank you for raising awareness about the more than 160,000 Kentuckians who are experiencing blindness or low vision, and to those who work tirelessly to ensure all may reach their full potential and achieve the success they deserve.

David Sterne: A Lifeline for VIPS Families

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 01:00:00 GMT

When you ask David Sterne why he drives hours across Indiana to meet families, his answer is simple, “It’s a privilege to walk alongside them. The children and their families teach me just as much as I teach them.”

For nearly 30 years, David has devoted his career to supporting young children and their educational and developmental journey. Today, as a Teacher of Blind/Low Vision and Cultural Quality Assurance Coordinator at VIPS, he brings not only expertise but also extraordinary compassion for families navigating unexpected diagnoses.

A Journey Toward Early Intervention

David’s path to VIPS wasn’t straightforward. Growing up in Ohio, he initially thought he would become a classroom teacher. But after volunteering at a group home for children with disabilities, he was struck not by their challenges but by their resilience—and by their need for advocacy.

After graduating from Manchester College, David realized elementary education wasn’t the right fit; however, his love for working with very young children (birth to three) became clear when he accepted a position at a daycare inside an Ohio nursing home. The seed had been planted.

David later moved to Indianapolis and began working in an early learning center, where he first heard about First Steps , Indiana’s early intervention program, as several children were receiving ongoing services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and developmental therapy.

Then in 1999, David’s goddaughter began receiving First Steps services, and watching her grow through the program sparked an interest in a career as a developmental therapist.

“That changed everything for me,” he recalls. “I didn’t know early intervention even existed as a career before that time, but I knew I wanted to do something to support children with developmental delays and their families.”

Becoming a Developmental Therapist

David went on to become a developmental therapist with First Steps, a role that proved pivotal. He had a gift for connecting with infants and toddlers who had highly specialized developmental needs, but his true strength was in supporting parents and caregivers. His ability to listen, coach, and remind the families they weren’t alone made him one of the most sought-after developmental therapists in the program.

He was quickly building a reputation for being not just skilled, but deeply compassionate—and bilingual, too, making him an even greater asset to First Steps and a lifeline for Spanish-speaking families.

Discovering a Calling in the Field of Blindness & Low Vision

David’s connection to children who are blind or have low vision began a few years later, when he started co-treating alongside Annie Hughes, then Teacher of Blind/Low Vision at the Indiana School for the Blind & Visually Impaired (ISBVI) , in the early 2000s.

“I learned so much in those sessions,” he says. “About cortical visual impairment, about how vision impacts development, and about the strategies that could make such a difference for children.”

Impressed by David’s gift with children and families, Annie encouraged him to complete specialized training through Vision Impaired In-Service in America (VIISA), which deepened his knowledge of how blindness and low vision affect every aspect of a child’s development. She also knew David could make an impact at VIPS, where she was overseeing the organization’s expansion into Indiana. The timing wasn’t right at first—but in 2015, he officially joined the VIPS team and has been changing the lives of Indiana’s infants and toddlers who are blind or have low vision ever since.

Five years later, David further expanded his expertise by earning his Teacher of Blind/Low Vision certification from Indiana State University, strengthening both his knowledge and his ability to serve families across the state.

A Lifeline for Families

Credentials aside, what makes David remarkable is his ability to meet children and families where they are—with respect, kindness, and patience.

One person who knows this well is Tiffany Rasmussen of Crown Point, Indiana. Tiffany’s daughter, Aurora, was diagnosed with Aicardi Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects brain development. She also has cortical visual impairment, a severe seizure disorder known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and other special healthcare needs.

“Aurora has a lot of challenges,” Tiffany explains. “But she also has a smile that lights up a room and a joy that she shares with everyone she meets.”

Like many parents and caregivers of children with complex needs, Tiffany was used to a revolving door of early interventionists–all trying to help Aurora meet developmental milestones. But when David with VIPS walked in—and everything changed.

When no other provider had availability, David didn’t hesitate to make the long drive from Indianapolis to Northwest Indiana. He was already used to long hours on the road—his VIPS car has become a second office, stocked with essentials: water and granola bars for long days, a GPS (though not always reliable in rural Indiana), a rotating stash of toys and tactile tools, and enough music on his iPod to last him on a road trip to California. For Tiffany, that dedication meant the world.

“David and VIPS have been like an island in the storm,” Tiffany says. “He meets Aurora where she is, with kindness and respect, and has supported me as her parent every step of the way.”

Tiffany can’t express the happiness of watching Aurora make developmental gains—small but invaluable steps that give her more ways to interact with the world around her. “Those moments mean everything,” she says. “I can’t imagine navigating this journey without David and VIPS.”

A Bond Created Beyond Services

Tiffany’s gratitude runs deep—and it shows. Inspired by her experiences, she recently organized a donation drive for VIPS in her own community, personally delivering the items to the VIPS Family Resource Center.

“It was my way of giving back,” Tiffany says. “VIPS has given so much to our family. I want other families to have the same support we’ve had.”

Her generosity reflects the mutual relationship between VIPS and the families we serve. Just as VIPS team members like David invest countless hours in supporting children, families like Tiffany’s step forward as advocates, community builders, and champions for the mission.

Expanding His Impact

These days, David divides his time between providing direct services to children and families, conducting evaluations, and leading cultural quality initiatives at VIPS. His background in languages and multicultural education makes him an invaluable resource for Spanish-speaking families—often stepping in when interpreter services fall short.

Looking ahead, David hopes to make VIPS materials accessible in multiple languages, lead Spanish-speaking family groups, and help the VIPS team navigate cultural differences, so every family feels welcome and supported. With transportation barriers, fear, and language still significant challenges for many, his presence is needed now more than ever.

At the heart of it all, David remains focused on the children.

“At the end of the day, it’s about helping kids reach their potential and helping families feel less alone,” he says. “That’s what keeps me going.”

For families like Tiffany and Aurora, the impact is clear: “Aurora is thriving, despite all of her challenges. That’s because she has people like David in her corner.”

David’s story is about more than a career—it’s about connection, compassion, and commitment. For families across Indiana, he is proof that when someone shows up with patience, respect, and heart, they can truly be a lifeline.

Thank you for all that you do for VIPS, David!

David with a VIPS child at the VIPS Family Retreat & Conference in Louisville, KY

David offers a former VIPS child extra support so he can listen intently to Annie’s singing

David always has the best costumes at the VIPS Halloween Event!

Aurora shows off her new VIPS shirt and that infectious smile!

Aurora enjoys the lightbox David brought to a home visit

David and Aurora meet at the
VIPS Family Resource Center

Fifth Annual VIPS Pickleball Classic a Success

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:50:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the 5th Annual VIPS Pickleball Classic!

This year was our biggest yet, with an incredible turnout. We raised approximately $47,000 to support the kids. Your energy, generosity, and enthusiasm made this event truly special.

We would like to thank our tournament director, Chrissy Haywood, and our committee members, Jennifer Merrick, Loren Morris, and Josee Patenaude, for all their hard work. We could not have done this without them. A special thank you to Allen Haywood and Brandon Halfacre for performing during our Friday night welcome party. You guys sounded great.

Thank you to our host, Louisville Indoor Racquet Club .

Thank you to our wonderful tournament sponsors: Caldwell Preload Spirit Foundation , Louisville Downtown Lions Club , Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation , Ford , Hunt Brothers Pizza , American Printing House , Amcor , SWAGS , DiOrio’s Pizza & Pub , Gravely Brewing Company , and JustPaddles .

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

VIPS Honored as 2025 Colonels Grant Recipient

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 01:02:00 GMT

Louisville, KY – VIPS is proud to announce it received a grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (HOKC) in the amount of $4,999.95 to purchase laptops for the educational and administrative staff.

VIPS serves children, birth to five, who are blind or have low vision by providing early intervention and educational programming and services in Kentucky and Indiana.

HOKC awarded $2.5 million in grants supporting 333 non-profits, impacting more than 4 million Kentuckians. Grants are made possible through donations from Kentucky Colonels from throughout the Commonwealth and around the world who choose to exercise the honor of being named a Kentucky Colonel in a meaningful way.

According to Commanding General Gary Boschert: “2024 / 2025 was a challenging year for fulfilling Grant Requests, with $5 million in total requests. We were able to distribute $2.5 million through the Good Works Program that each of you generously supports. Every dollar you contribute to the Good Works Program goes out to nonprofits in the Commonwealth. Together we helped support more than 4 million people this year.

About the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is a 501(c) (3) entity dedicated to supporting charitable activities throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees. The “Kentucky Colonel” commission is an honorary title granted by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Since 1951, the organization has pursued its mission through annual grants totaling $72 million to more than 1,700 nonprofits. Of those Colonels’ contributions, each grant is thoroughly vetted by the trustees and staff. Though the corporate name is The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, most know it by its long-term trademark, KENTUCKY COLONELS. Visit kycolonels.org to learn more.

Empowering Families, Leading with Purpose… Meet Sheila Klopfenstein

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:23:00 GMT

Sheila Klopfenstein’s journey to becoming the new Education Lead for VIPS Indiana is anything but ordinary. From a 20-year career as a banker to training adult professionals in corporate settings, Sheila always carried a quiet but persistent dream in her heart—to work with children. Today, that dream has evolved into a passionate mission: guiding babies and toddlers who are blind or have low vision and supporting their families with care, empathy, and expert instruction.

Sheila brings the perfect blend of business and educational expertise to her role. With a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Indiana University, an Elementary Education License from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, and a Teacher of Blind/Low Vision (TBLV) License from Indiana State University, she’s uniquely equipped to lead with both head and heart.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Sheila shares. “Even during my time in banking, I was training adults, but something in me kept pulling toward children.” That calling led her from inclusive public school classrooms to the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI), where she taught fifth and sixth grade, earning her TBLV license along the way.

Sheila experienced a moment at ISBVI that solidified her decision to work with children with blindness or low vision while teaching a science lesson using a tuning fork in a bowl of water to illustrate sound waves. She saw the awe in her students’ faces as they felt sound for the first time. “I couldn’t hold back the tears,” she remembers. “They were begging me to teach more. I knew then—this was it.”

In October 2023, Sheila joined VIPS, stepping into the world of early intervention. While the age group was new, the calling was clear. “Teaching braille and giving access to literacy is not just about reading—it’s a civil right,” she says passionately. “To begin that journey in infancy is beyond powerful.”

As the newly announced Education Lead for VIPS Indiana, Sheila will soon begin supporting a team of more than 30 VIPS Blind/Low Vision Specialists across the state when she officially steps into her new role in July. Sheila shares that she’s eager to ensure the education team—and the families they serve—have the tools, guidance, and support they need to thrive. The creation of this role reflects VIPS’ continued growth and the organization’s commitment to strong, dedicated leadership in both Indiana and Kentucky.

Sheila’s days are filled with travel across Indiana (she is especially grateful for the new I-69!), meeting families where they are—both physically and emotionally. Her approach is always individualized. “We ask parents to tell us their story first. We come in with an open heart and open mind,” Sheila explains. “Sometimes the first few visits are just about listening.”

Brooke adds, “Sheila is the biggest blessing to our family. She has taught me so much—not just about CVI [Cortical Visual Impairment] and neuroplasticity—but also how to give myself grace as a momma.”

Sheila’s must-haves on the road? A Diet Coke and a good audiobook for herself. Plus, a flashlight with multiple brightness settings and a metal bowl because they are favorites of Sheila’s to use with children during early intervention visits. But more than that, she brings “a big heart and full acceptance for all people.”

And what keeps her going? “It’s the progress we see in these babies and the love from the families. They are so grateful you are there, and happy you want to support them. But when it gets heavy, I jump in the truck with my husband Brad, and we take off. VIPS is really good at supporting its team and recognizing that we need the time to recharge, not only for ourselves but so we can be there for these families.”

When asked what she wishes more people knew about children who are blind or have low vision, Sheila doesn’t hesitate: “Don’t place limits. These kids will surprise you. They are amazing. We must give them every opportunity to thrive.”

From the boardroom to the classroom, and now to living rooms across Indiana, Sheila Klopfenstein is a relentless advocate, a fierce supporter, and a guiding light for families navigating the path of raising a child with blindness or low vision.

As Brooke so perfectly puts it, “If you’re not on the Brynnie wagon, jump off—because our kids deserve the world. And with Sheila on their team, they’re getting it.”

“Sheila has taught me that the sky is the limit,” says Brooke Harrell, mom to Brynn, a child served by Sheila and VIPS. “She is Mama Bear—she protects and fights for her people. I knew the moment she walked through our door that I wanted her in our lives forever.”

VIPS Announces Name Change to Better Align with its Mission

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 20:23:00 GMT

Louisville, KY – January 31, 2025 – Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) is proud to celebrate 40 years of serving young children with blindness or low vision and their families. As part of this milestone anniversary, VIPS is announcing a significant update to its acronym, which will now stand for Vision Interventions and Parental Support (VIPS) .

As the first and only nonprofit in Kentucky and Indiana to provide vision-specific early intervention services, VIPS supports children from birth to three years old in homes and community settings, as well as children ages two to five through its center-based program in Louisville, KY.

This change underscores the organization’s unwavering dedication to empowering children with blindness or low vision to discover their unique strengths, embrace their potential, and thrive beyond limitations, building a future where they can flourish with confidence and independence.

Why the Change?

This redefinition reflects VIPS’ commitment to adopting language that clearly articulates its mission of empowering families by providing educational excellence to young children with blindness or low vision. The organization recognizes that terms like “visually impaired” no longer align with evolving standards of inclusivity, which celebrate each child’s individuality and potential rather than defining them by their diagnosis. By adopting terminology that prioritizes individuals over labels, VIPS reaffirms its belief that every child is so much more than their diagnosis.

The updated acronym, “Vision Interventions and Parental Support,” better reflects the comprehensive services VIPS provides to all children and families. While the primary focus of early intervention is often on the child, VIPS embraces a holistic, family-centered approach. By empowering parents and caregivers with knowledge and confidence, the organization ensures that families can continue to support their child’s growth well beyond the duration of the intervention, creating lasting and transformative impacts for everyone involved.

What Stays the Same?

Although the acronym has evolved, families can trust in VIPS’ steadfast dedication to their children’s development, education, and future. Kids Town Preschool programming, early intervention visits in homes throughout Kentucky and Indiana, and support services will continue as always. The nonprofit will also maintain its current logo and branding.

When asked what VIPS stands for, the organization will proudly share: “VIPS provides critical early vision interventions and parental support for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are blind or have low vision.” That has remained true for 40 years.

A Message to the Community

The updated acronym and focus reflect VIPS’ growth and evolution. “We have been VIPS for 40 years and will continue to be known as VIPS,” said Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS. “However, over these 40 years, we have evolved and grown, focusing on offering specialized services when and where we can have the greatest impact for the most children. When 90% of a child’s early learning is through vision and 85% of brain development occurs before age 6, we know that it is critical to provide educational support as soon as possible.”

Taylor Gehring, President of the Board of Directors and mother of a VIPS graduate, echoed Diane’s sentiments adding that “VIPS is making a meaningful shift to reflect the services provided for the needs of young children with low vision and their families. Their mission is critical to establish a successful early childhood education foundation for the children they serve, as well as the families and caregivers of these children. VIPS will continue to be a pillar of excellence serving these families and children, with a refreshed acronym that serves as their North Star of 2025 and beyond.”

About VIPS

Founded in Louisville, Kentucky, VIPS is a nonprofit organization that serves young children who are blind or have low vision in Kentucky and Indiana. VIPS provides early intervention and educational services, empowering families with resources and guidance to help children reach developmental milestones. Beginning with home services for eight local children in 1985, VIPS expanded to Lexington, KY in 1990 and Indiana in 2011. Today, VIPS delivers direct services to families across all 120 counties in Kentucky and 92 counties in Indiana. The organization operates from three locations: Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis. VIPS serves over 750 children and families annually, reflecting its significant growth and impact over the past 40 years. VIPS has exciting community engagement opportunities in 2025, for more information about its services or ways to get involved, please visit www.vips.org or contact 888.636.8477.

Brynn’s Story of Independence & Mobility with GoBabyGo

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:35:00 GMT

Brynn, a VIPS child, is a bright and joyful little girl who has achieved a new level of mobility and independence thanks to a specially adapted ride-on car provided through the GoBabyGo program. GoBabyGo is a collaboration between Purdue University engineering students and local physical therapists from the Bartholomew School System in Columbus, Indiana. The goal is simple…give the gift of mobility to children with disabilities by modifying ride-on cars to meet their needs.

Brynn was one of just five children recently chosen to receive a motorized car custom-designed by the Purdue engineering students as part of their class project. They first needed to understand more about Brynn and her mobility limitations therefore in September 2024, Rebecca, a physical therapist with the program, visited Brynn’s family to assess her physical abilities, take detailed measurements, and learn about her personality and preferences. That information was then shared with the GoBabyGo team so they could begin designing a ride-on car tailored just for Brynn. Two months later, the family traveled to Columbus to check on the progress and ensure Brynn’s car was sized correctly for her. Then by December, the special day had arrived–Brynn’s car was ready. Brynn gave her new wheels a test drive for the very first time and was able to take her car home!

The GoBabyGo team went above and beyond to accommodate Brynn’s visual diagnosis and her bubbly personality. They included thoughtful features such as a large, bright “UP” button to activate the car and an option to use joysticks, giving Brynn the freedom to move independently in the future. Brynn’s car also has bright lights, music, and even a sound effect that mimics a loud engine revving up. With a remote control option for her family to drive it for now, Brynn is already hitting the buttons and enjoying the ride.

Brynn’s mother, Brooke says the car has completely changed the relationship between Brynn and her brother, Rhett. The two reached a meaningful milestone moment when Brynn “chased” Rhett with her car and the siblings laughed as they had fun. “I can’t even begin to explain how happy this made me!” shared Brynn, “GoBabyGo has given [Brynn] the gift of mobility and interactive play with her siblings!” It reminded the family how far Brynn has come—and how much further she can go with the right support. But for Brooke, she said this is just the beginning. “We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Brynnie with her new car.”

We are so happy for Brynn and her family! To learn more about GoBabyGo, please visit: https://sites.udel.edu/gobabygo/ .

Caesars Foundation of Floyd County Awards Transformative Grant to Benefit Children

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:25:00 GMT

VIPS is incredibly grateful to the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County for the generous grant of $10,000 to support critical early intervention services for infants and toddlers who are blind or have low vision, as well as their families, in Floyd County, Indiana.

The partnership between VIPS and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County is grounded in a shared goal to create opportunities for children and families in need. The foundation’s funding directly supports VIPS’ ability to deliver early intervention services, such as home visits by expert teachers, parent training, and access to assistive technology and adaptive materials. By working together, VIPS and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County aim to make a lasting impact on children’s lives, fostering independence, confidence, and the skills they need to thrive in school and beyond.

“For every child who exits the VIPS program because they’ve aged out, met their goals, or whatever reason, there will be another family in Floyd County who has learned their baby or toddler is blind or has low vision and will need somewhere to turn for guidance, information, and support,” said Meredith Howell, director of community outreach and advocacy for VIPS in Indiana. “VIPS can be the lifeline for these families and t

About Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS)

Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing essential early intervention and educational services to children in Kentucky and Indiana who are blind or have low vision. VIPS is the first and only nonprofit in these states dedicated to giving children with visual impairments a strong start in life. Through its qualified teachers, adaptive materials, innovative learning strategies, and assistive technology, VIPS ensures children and their families receive the support they need.

For more information, visit www.vips.org .

About the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County

The Caesars Foundation of Floyd County is a private philanthropic foundation committed to enhancing the lives of Floyd County residents through grantmaking initiatives. Established in 1999, the foundation supports charitable nonprofit organizations, educational scholarships, and programs that promote economic development, all for the benefit of the Floyd County community.

CANEtucky Competition for Students with Blindness/Low Vision

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 21:29:00 GMT

By: Ashley Emmons, COMS, IECE, TVI

On Friday, October 25th I had the opportunity to volunteer at the 2nd annual CANEtucky event held at The University of Kentucky and hosted by the UK College of Education Visual Impairment Program. What is CANEtucky? CANEtucky is a specifically designed competition for students 12 years and up with blindness/low vision to show off and demonstrate their Orientation and Mobility (O&M) travel and cane skills. The event was sponsored by the Lexington Lions Club and Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation.

Each registered student had a specific set of O&M-related skills that were assessed based on their individual skill level. Some of these skills included human guide technique, ascending and descending stairs with a cane, cane techniques such as diagonal technique and two-point touch technique, map reading skills, traveling outdoor routes, street crossings, and much more! Each participating student was paired with a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) to assess and rate their skills. I was beyond thrilled to be paired with former VIPS child, Brody Fromholdt. Throughout the day, Brody demonstrated many great skills and ended up taking home the 2nd place prize! Congratulations, Brody!

In addition to assessing travel and cane skills, the participants also had the opportunity to meet with and learn about guide dogs from Leader Dogs for the Blind, and explore a variety of technology with Kevin McCormack, Kentucky School for the Blinds Assistive Technology Consultant.

A Legacy of Love: Laurie Roselle’s Dedication Transformed VIPS Indiana

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:33:00 GMT

In September 2016, Indiana Director of Community Outreach & Advocacy, Meredith Howell, received an email that said, “I am the Director of Fundraising for the Indianapolis Alumnae of Delta Gamma and we’d like to sponsor a fundraiser for VIPS! We’d love to manage a Trivia Night on Friday, February 3, 2017, with all the proceeds going to VIPS. Would you allow us to do this with you?” As someone responsible for raising money to support Indiana programming for kids and families, Meredith dreamed of emails like this and replied, “Yes!” to this woman she had never met. Little did she know that email would begin an agency-changing journey for VIPS in Indiana as it came from the most incredible woman–the late Laurie Roselle.

Laurie always had a philanthropic spirit as an alumna of the Delta Gamma Fraternity at Purdue University and the former International President of Delta Gamma. She was committed to the Delta Gamma mission to “Do Good” and because the Delta Gammas have a philanthropic focus on “Service for Sight” to help individuals with blindness or low vision, the pairing of the Delta Gammas and VIPS was a perfect match. VIPS had a long-standing partnership with the Delta Gammas at Indiana University because the chapter had supported the VIPS mission since VIPS services expanded into Bloomington in 2011. Other collegiate and alumnae chapters around the state hadn’t been involved with VIPS–but it all changed once Laurie found VIPS.

Laurie, along with her Indianapolis Alumnae of Delta Gamma sisters, Laurie’s beloved husband, John, and family would host numerous Trivia Nights–raising thousands of dollars for VIPS. Laurie didn’t stop with Trivia Night as she’d organize additional fundraisers such as Tables That Bloom and an Anchor Auction where she auctioned off her personal belongings–all to benefit VIPS. Laurie facilitated a monthly ‘Lunch Bunch’ group where she and fellow Delta Gammas made sensory exploration items for the VIPS children over lunch. When asked, Laurie eagerly joined the VIPS Indiana Advisory Board and dedicated every ounce of her energy to helping the stories of the kids be told. She began to truly understand the impact of the VIPS mission after volunteering at family events. Laurie was especially good with the VIPS kids who often have complex needs in addition to their vision diagnosis. Laurie didn’t see a baby with challenges, she just saw a child. She’d reassure the parents to learn and relax because she would take care of their little one and she did–as if they were her own.

In 2019, when it came time to launch a $2.5M capital and operations campaign to build a Family Resource Center in Indianapolis–Laurie was all in. She knew the families needed a place to find community, resources, connectivity, and peace, and she became determined to make the dream a reality. Unfortunately, Laurie was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS in September 2021. While it was devastating news, Laurie continued to raise funds to see this project come to fruition. In April 2022, the Simon & Estelle Knoble VIPS Family Resource Center opened and Laurie was instrumental in helping us accomplish this monumental achievement. Later that year, Laurie was recognized with a VIPS Beacon Award as an outstanding Individual Volunteer because of her dedication, passion, and commitment to VIPS.

Sadly, Laurie lost her battle with ALS in August 2024 and the world lost a truly special human being. Laurie will forever be remembered as an unforgettable VIPS champion and our organization will never be the same because of her.

Leading the Way for Best Practices

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:15:00 GMT

By Kathy Mullen, VIPS Director of Education

The VIPS community was well-represented at the 2024 AER Biennial International Conference this year. Five team members traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina in late July to share news on the exciting things happening within the VIPS community and to learn from our amazing collaborators from across the country and well beyond. AER or Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind/Visually Impaired is the overarching professional agency supporting individuals working in fields serving those who are blind or have low vision.

While at the conference, we learned of new practices in the field, including updated assessments, screeners, and diagnoses; ways to embed the Expanded Core Curriculum for Students with Visual Impairments into the preschool day; new strategies used in low vision clinics and with vision devices; mental health care for our young children and their families; funding sources for continuing education; and much, much more. VIPS team members were able to share information on our podcast, “Feeling This Life” and our ongoing work in developing a curriculum resource for the ECC, “Every Child Can”. There were many opportunities to visit with friends, make new friends, and celebrate the friends who came before us. And there was FUN! Lots of fun! As it should be with any conference, our VIPS team came back with minds full of new information and hearts full of eagerness for the future!

“Little Medical Miracle”

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 18:08:00 GMT

Written by Natalie, mother to VIPS child Gatlin

Meet Gatlin, our little Medical Miracle. At just 2 years old, Gatlin faces immense challenges, including Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and Severe Vision Impairment. Despite his non-mobile and non-verbal state, he finds joy in life. After a healthy pregnancy, his birth required emergency surgery, leading to a roller-coaster of diagnoses like severe brain damage and multiple developmental delays. Living in a rural community, our family— me, his dad, big brother Decklyn (8), big sister Izalyn (5), two dogs, and a flock of chickens—embraced Gatlin’s needs and found VIPS immediately.Introduced to VIPS through the First Steps program, we focused on Gatlin’s visual challenges. Terms like “legally blind” were hard to accept, but Ms. Paige, our VIPS teacher, visits monthly, teaching us how to enhance Gatlin’s vision and accommodate his needs. Her enthusiasm and techniques make vision intervention fun for the whole family.

Our life is different from what we envisioned, but there’s no pity here. We’re just trying to live our lives to the fullest in whatever time we’re given, raise good humans, and keep things as simple as possible. To those just starting their journey, don’t lose hope! Your child is more than their diagnosis; vision impairment is only part of who they are. Gatlin is proof that “never” often only means “not yet”. As the parent of a child with complex needs, we were told he would never smile, laugh, or socially engage in any way…the biggest lesson has been meeting him where he is, especially with his vision. I’d give anything to know what those eyes see… but VIPS is helping us expand that world, whatever it may be. We are so thankful for this program and VIPS as an organization!

Terms like “legally blind” were hard to accept, but Ms. Paige, our VIPS teacher, visits monthly, teaching us how to enhance Gatlin’s vision and accommodate his needs. Her enthusiasm and techniques make vision intervention fun for the whole family.

Resilience and Love Amidst Daunting Medical Challenges

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 17:30:00 GMT

VIPS mother, Kacey, bravely shares the emotional journey of their son in her article, The Incredible Story of Sonny Jules . The journey began in August of 2021 with much uncertainty as their son, Sonny, was diagnosed in utero with a congenital brain malformation called Dandy-Walker syndrome—a form of Hydrocephalus.

Sonny’s birth marked the start of an intense medical journey from managing his breathing with a tracheostomy to coping with unexpected setbacks. Kacey wrote, “Days turned into weeks in the hospital, filled with tears and fears.” Through the various challenges, glimmers of hope emerged as successful surgeries and progress hinted at a brighter future.

The family persevered through 75 days in the hospital with unwavering determination. With the support of compassionate healthcare providers, they overcame obstacles to bring Sonny home. His journey of resilience continues to inspire and since coming home, his mom shared, “Sonny has continued to defy expectations.”

In 2023, Sonny began receiving early intervention services through VIPS as his diagnosis of Dandy-Walker syndrome impacts his vision. Since starting VIPS services, Kacey has noticed Sonny taking giant strides with the use of his vision in his right eye indicating to his VIPS provider and the family that he can see more with that right eye than they had originally believed. Even those closest to Sonny have been in awe of the change they have witnessed in his ability to track toys and people in sync with his left eye. Kacey said, “We couldn’t be happier with how far Sonny has come, and can’t wait to watch him grow and keep proving every single doctor that has ever met him wrong .”

While it’s been two years since Kacey wrote The Incredible Story of Sonny Jules , she said Sonny is thriving today despite enduring obstacles and hard times they’ve encountered. In Sonny’s story, Kacey shares a powerful message of hope to other families facing similar struggles, “To all parents navigating similar journeys, remember: miracles do happen, and our children are stronger than we know.” You can read the full story, The Incredible Story of Sonny Jules , linked here .

VIPS is honored to have played a small part in Sonny’s progress and we know great things are in store for this resilient family!

LEGACY FOUNDATION OF KENTUCKIANA AWARDS VIPS GRANT TO HELP YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:04:00 GMT

**LOUISVILLE, KY** —Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana to support early intervention services for infants and toddlers who are blind or have low vision and their families residing in the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana region. This area includes Jefferson, Shelby, Bullitt, Nelson, and Hardin Counties in Kentucky, and Clark County in Indiana. This is the first time VIPS has received funding from the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana.

“The services provided by VIPS are so important to families seeking guidance and support for their visually impaired infants and young children,” says Anne E. Monell, Executive Director of the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana. “We were impressed by the commitment and care not only for the child, but for the entire family. And as the only service provider of this type in Kentucky, VIPS is truly filling a unique need.”

VIPS has deep roots in the Kentuckiana area, as the organization was founded in 1985 in Louisville, Kentucky. It began serving young children who are blind or have low vision through vision-specific early intervention home visits by teachers with extensive knowledge in both early childhood education and blindness. Since the inception of the nonprofit, additional support programs have been created for families seeking answers for their children. The nonprofit also opened a Kids Town Preschool in Louisville, with an additional office location in Lexington and a Family Resource Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. VIPS is expected to serve over 750 children and families this year.

Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS, says that because of this grant families will have someone to walk alongside them when they are told their young baby or toddler is blind or has low vision and that is often a very difficult time in their lives. “We are so grateful for the very generous $75,000 investment in the future of hundreds of VIPS’ youngest children who are blind or have low vision in Kentuckiana,” said Nelson, “This gift will change lives!”

About the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana

Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana cultivates healthy communities for all, especially those who are vulnerable, through impact-driven philanthropy. The foundation supports programs and services in six counties: Jeﬀerson, Shelby, Bullitt, Nelson, and Hardin in Kentucky, and Clark in Indiana.

The Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana (LFK) was formed in 2019 after KentuckyOne Health, which was part of Catholic Health Initiatives, divested its healthcare facilities to the University of Louisville. It originated as the former Jewish Hospital Foundation, and then evolved into the former Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Foundation (JHSMF). As part of the divestiture, the assets of JHSMF remained with CHI, a part of CommonSpirit Health, for use by a newly created nonprofit community grant making organization known as the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana.

For more information, visit https://legacyfoundationky.org/ .

VIPS Leadership Team Expands

Mon, 13 May 2024 10:19:00 GMT

We have some exciting news to share! Our VIPS Leadership Team has changed and we added a new member. Justine Aycock, previously Assistant Director of Development has been promoted to Director of Development and Meredith Howell, previous Director of Development has now become the Director of Community Outreach and Advocacy–concentrating on our Indiana efforts. Kelly Easton will remain Director of Community Outreach and Intake–concentrating on our Kentucky efforts. This change will fill a void in our organizational structure in Indiana and we are thrilled. Meredith’s efforts are best utilized in the realm of advocacy and outreach where she will continue as our legislative liaison and growth across the state of Indiana. Justine is the perfect person, trained under Meredith, to assume the development directorship because of her two degrees in philanthropy and wealth of experience. We are also thrilled to announce that Christina Welsh has been promoted to Director of Finance from her previous role of Controller.

We think these changes are a huge win for VIPS! We are #VIPSstrong!

“We are so grateful to be a VIPS family”

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 18:06:00 GMT

Driving home from the ophthalmologist’s office, Victoria and Josiah’s concerns were confirmed— their baby boy Lucas has Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and Strabismus. At the time, Lucas was not able to track his toys, watch his older brother dance, or see his parent’s faces. His family felt defeated.

There are so many unknowns for a young family of a child with visual impairments, but Lucas’ parents were not ready to sit by without giving their son all the opportunity to succeed despite his vision loss! They met with their VIPS interventionist, “Miss B”, and within that first session, she was able to isolate specific colors, textures, and lights that Lucas could focus on. She left their home equipping the family with ideas and resources to work on improving Lucas’ vision.

Lucas’ family drove all the way from northeast Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the annual VIPS family retreat. The connections they made were priceless, “It meant the world to spend time with other families who had similar experiences to us. We left that weekend even more equipped and empowered to advocate for our son’s future.” They felt encouraged knowing that both of their sons were taken care of by the VIPS staff and volunteers while they were able to attend sessions during the retreat.

Lucas just turned two, and Victoria and Josiah are still uncertain about his vision. However, through the help of early intervention, they feel better prepared to help him reach his goals, ”We as parents have been trained to advocate for our son and to work with him on a daily basis to encourage his visual strengths and to continue to work on his deficits. We are so grateful to be a VIPS family.” Raising a child who is blind or visually impaired can be isolating and hopeless, but VIPS aims to empower all parents or caregivers to be their child’s best advocate while providing a community that is rooting for the success of their family.

“There is no obstacle we can’t overcome”

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:59:00 GMT

Written by VIPS parents, Brooke & Luke—

“Our Brynnie girl is a Mono-Di twin—two sacs, and one placenta that our girls shared. Her twin sister’s name is Blake. My pregnancy was incredibly high-risk, and we had no idea how tough of a road we would have. To make a very long story short, I was monitored weekly with ultrasounds to make sure that the girls had even fluid levels and blood levels because they shared a placenta. One day in June, I had an appointment and the ultrasound did not turn out as well as we had hoped. Two days later, I found myself at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital having a surgery called twin-twin transfusion (TTTS). It’s a condition in which the blood flows unequally between twins that share a placenta. They told me that Baby A, Brynnie Sue, was not doing well and she might not make it. There were two doctors that offered us to terminate Brynn before this surgery. Luke and I said no, that is not our call, we knew we were blessed with two baby girls, and we would bring two home, by the grace of God! They did tell us that terminating Baby A, would not termimate Baby B, Blake Leigh. That option still did not matter to us, we wanted to do everything we could to save BOTH girls. Many hours later, we all survived this surgery, and they highly monitored Brynn for days. The doctors were SHOCKED she survived because she was so close to death. Weeks later, we found out that Brynn had suffered a stage four brain hemorrhage while she was so sick during the surgery. We were then offered back in Indy the option to terminate her again, but we still said, NO. We would be bringing our girl home with us. We knew we had a long road ahead of us to bring our girls to term, but I was willing to do anything to keep them safe! There was bed rest, and limited lifting, which was challenging because we had their older brother at home with us, almost a year old at this point.

Many doctors told us Blake would survive, but Brynn had a VERY low chance of surviving outside of the womb. They said she would never breathe on her own, feed on her own, and everything else was a question mark to them. We had ONE neurologist say she believes she will breathe on her own, so Luke and I said, that’s enough for us! We had faith of a mustard seed.

As a precaution, the hospital had asked us to make Brynn’s funeral arrangements and plan out final details on how we would like to proceed in that way. Heart-wrenching is not a term that is large enough to describe this feeling. I was feeling the heavy weight of that truth, but Luke never ever waivered on his belief that the Lord would protect both of our girls.

I was not due with our girls until November, but we delivered them on October 10, 2022. It was such a wonderful day, hearing BOTH of our babies cry! They instantly took Brynn to the NICU. She stayed there for 34 days, just to regulate her breathing. We prayed for a wireless baby to bring home. No oxygen, no feeding tubes, but pure, chunky baby girl. We got exactly that. Our girl came home to us with zero machines, and bottle-fed!!

Luke and I were not told until the day we were leaving the NICU that Brynn might be visually impaired. That thought never crossed my mind before we were told this. I remember saying to them, “Well, we have made it this far, our girl is strong and a warrior. There is no obstacle we can’t overcome!”

Our girls are almost 15 months old now, and it has been the most challenging and rewarding year of our lives. Brynn has four different types of therapies, one of them being VIPS. Ms. Sheila is our VIPS “teacher” we say. We love having “class” with her. I knew the moment she walked through our front door she was meant to be in our family. We never want to let her go. She has already told us so many great things to do with Brynnie. She is a fighter for our family too, so we are so thankful to have her on our team!!

We have faced many obstacles along the road, but our strong girl seems to overcome every hurdle that has been thrown at her. She is small, but oh so mighty. Our girls are a true miracle, and warriors. I always say one could not have made it without the other. I’m not sure why the Lord chose us to be their parents, but I’m so very grateful He did.

Brynn’s story is a redemption story. A little girl who will fight and be a warrior to the very end.

To God be the glory.”

The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation Awards Visually Impaired Preschool Services $5,000 Grant

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:59:00 GMT

Lexington, KY: Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) announced a $5000 grant from the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation for the Early Childhood Intervention Program, which provides early intervention services to children, birth through age 5, who are blind or visually impaired in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties.

“This funding has a life-changing impact on children in Northern Kentucky. Learning that their child has been diagnosed with a severe visual impairment is very scary and challenging for new parents,” says Kelly Easton, Director of Community Relations & Intake, Visually Impaired Preschool Services. “VIPS provides the support that families desperately need as they learn how to be their child’s best teacher and strongest advocate. Our in-home early intervention services provide children with the solid foundation that they need in order to reach their goals.”

“Elsa loved to provide education, safety and security for children in many ways throughout her life. She believed it was essential to make sure children were safe and thriving. VIPS Early Childhood Intervention Program helps to meet Elsa’s goals by providing children with essential educational programming to ensure they are set up to flourish throughout their lives” says Jordan Klette-Cusher, Program Office, The Elsa Sule Foundation. “The Elsa Sule Foundation is beyond grateful that VIPS is providing this essential service for kids in the Northern Kentucky region. Without early intervention to help, these kids would risk falling behind developmentally and educationally. I know Elsa would be proud of the work VIPS is accomplishing and is thrilled to support such a wonderful and transformational organization.”

Founded in 1985, Visually Impaired Preschool Services was the first and continue to be the only non-profit agency in Kentucky and Indiana that provides regular and ongoing early intervention services to infants, toddlers and preschoolers who are blind or visually impaired. VIPS empowers families by providing educational excellence to young children with visual impairments in order to build a strong foundation for reaching their highest potential.

The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation is a Charitable Trust established in 2004 by Elsa Sule, a native of Northern Kentucky. For more information, please visit elsasulefoundation.org

The Debut of Summer Short Course at VIPS Kids Town Preschool

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:27:00 GMT

By: Staci Maynard, VIPS Teacher of the Visually Impaired

This summer, VIPS held its first summer short courses in Louisville. Families from across the state were invited to bring their child with a diagnosed visual impairment to VIPS Kids Town Preschool for a three day session of activities, assessment, and observations themed around favorite aspects of summer. The first session was held the last week of June with four families, and the second session took place the first week of July with two families attending. Families were also given the opportunity to experience an attraction like the Louisville Zoo while they were in town.

During their time at VIPS, children received an overview of activities that students in our preschool programming might typically participate in such as learning about how to participate in a community in Kids Town, regulating their bodies in the sensory room, engaging their creative side in music therapy, and moving their bodies in a variety of ways on the playground. They also experienced classroom activities such as making a sandbox volcano for a science observation, using magnifiers to search for objects or pictures up close or at a distance, and counting “suns” (bouncy balls) as they transferred them to a different container. Children went on a bear hunt obstacle course to practice gross motor skills and following positional directions and worked with a family member to create an experience book. Most chose to write a book about what they could see, feel, hear, and smell when playing outside. These books were visually simple, had a texture on every page to correspond with the object they represented, and had text decided on by students either verbally or using choices given on a voice output device.

While the children played and learned in this variety of ways, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired was making observations about each child’s vision and ability to get around safely in order to offer suggestions and strategies to the families and future teachers. One of my favorite parts of each week was watching families making connections with one another as well as seeing each child quickly growing more comfortable in a new environment. I hope all families who were able to participate felt the benefit of having time together and of getting to visit and learn at VIPS, even though the time was brief.

A Mom on a Mission to Advocate for Her Daughter

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:13:00 GMT

Avelyn (Avy) lives in Southern Indiana, spending her days outside with her siblings along with her animals–a cat, a dog, and eight chickens. She is a bubbly, playful, animal-loving almost-three-year-old who currently receives services from VIPS due to her Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) , Anisometropia , and hypermetropia . Avy loves wearing her purple glasses as she works on skills to help compensate for the vision loss in her left and lower fields of vision. She works hard to keep up with her fast-paced siblings and her friends when running, swinging, or playing with a ball. While it often leads to bumps and bruises due to her depth perception, she doesn’t let it stop her from enjoying playtime!

Avy’s mother, Kara, explains how the services they receive through VIPS have helped their family learn to accommodate for Avy to make her more independent as she learns to navigate her environment. Avy and her family work with VIPS teacher, Ms. Pam, to ensure Avy is set up for success. Kara shares that Ms. Pam has shown the family many great resources including how to use an angled board to help with Avy’s field of vision, how to use contrasting colors for backgrounds, and how to guide Avelyn in public areas. Kara says, “We have been able to understand how Avelyn sees the world with the help of VIPS. I look for opportunities in daily activities for her to practice using all of her vision and focus on the tough areas through play. We practice in various public places for her to learn her depth perception and how to navigate without contrasting colors available.”

The family treasures the vision services they receive and the knowledge they have gained as it can be difficult to find early intervention services especially when living in a rural area. Kara said that it took their family almost a year, several doctors, and specialists to finally get an idea of what Avy’s visual challenges were and why she struggled with her vision as an infant. Through this journey, Kara hopes other parents going through something similar understand that advocacy is one of the most important things you can do for your child. Finding resources, utilizing what is available in your community, and asking for help when it’s uncomfortable will make a difference in a child’s overall development. Kara explains, “I have learned that the answer will always be “no” unless I ask, regardless of how uncomfortable and guilty I may feel.”

Avy has made such an impact on her family with her determination and independence. While she struggles to reciprocate verbal communication, she knows her family—including her VIPS family—is in her corner, fighting for her every step of the way. We are so grateful to have had a small role in Avelyn’s journey!

Kosair for Kids Grants VIPS $150,000

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:46:00 GMT

For 100 years, Kosair for Kids has served the children of Kentucky and Southern Indiana by providing care, joy, and hope. Children with blindness and vision loss have been the beneficiary of these blessings since 1999. This year, Kosair for Kids has generously blessed VIPS with an amazing $150,000 grant in support of early intervention and our Kids Town Preschool programs. Since 1999, the life-changing gifts from Kosair for Kids through the support of VIPS now total $3,624,010. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Kosair for Kids in their essential work of enhancing the health and well-being of children in our community. We would like to say thank you to Kosair for Kids for awarding VIPS with this incredible gift!

WHAS Crusade for Children Awards VIPS $182,000

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:41:00 GMT

Founded 70 years ago, the WHAS Crusade for Children’s mission is to make life better for children with special needs. They have absolutely fulfilled that mission at VIPS! In 1984, when VIPS founders providing critical early intervention to children with blindness and vision loss was but a dream, the Crusade for Children stepped up to make it a reality with an initial investment of $10,000. Here we are, 38 years later, the Crusade for Children continues to support the VIPS mission but now across two entire states with a grant of $90,000 to Louisville, $50,000 to Central Kentucky, and $42,000 to Indiana. The Crusade for Children’s total blessing to VIPS now totals $3,175,691! We are so grateful for their ongoing support as it will impact many children’s lives!

VIPS Wins Inaugural Power to the Parent Grant

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:02:00 GMT

Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) is proud to announce it has received $33,330 through the inaugural Power to the Parent grant thanks to the Parent Advisory Council through the United Way of Central Indiana. This funding will be used to provide critical early intervention services to Central Indiana’s babies and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired and comprehensive support to their parents. This whole family approach enables children to meet milestones and empowers the parents with the knowledge they need to parent their child with significant vision loss.

The Parent Advisory Council of the United Way of Central Indiana is made up of 14 parents and caregivers that represent the seven UWCI county service areas in 10 zip codes. The council members learned about problems within the Central Indiana community and the solutions various organizations have to those challenges. The council awarded $200,000 in grants this inaugural grant cycle.

Gloria & Odin Stay Positive No Matter the News

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:05:00 GMT

Smiling through adversity, VIPS child Odin, has brought such joy and positivity to his family over his young life. His mother, Gloria wrote to VIPS telling the impact her son has on their family as he navigates life with a visual impairment. The family experienced negativity from doctors and those around him, but it brought them all closer as they leaned on each other for support.

Odin was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy, which made walking, crawling, and tummy time difficult. Right away, the family worked to combat his seizures, learning how to administer his medicine via shot. He has now been 2 years seizure free! Gloria was once concerned that he wouldn’t be mobile, but he is now running. Odin is unstoppable and his family has so much admiration for his perseverance.

Along with CP and epilepsy, Odin was also diagnosed with cataracts at nine months old and had surgery soon after to remove them. His family has worked hard to provide adaptations to his life to make him as independent as possible— from his glasses to feet braces, to a McKie splint for his thumb. Empowering families to advocate for their children is what makes VIPS services so important to these young children.

Gloria is so grateful for the early intervention services Odin received. She writes, “VIPS helped me and my family and especially Odin by sending us Angela. She was always positive and happy to work with Odin. She would bring lights and toys and he loved sessions with her. Odin has achieved walking, talking more, communicating, playing, and more. I will always be thankful to his therapists from First Steps: Bobbie, Holly Anne, Sarah, Angela, and Cara.

To other parents, always stay positive no matter what the news. Look at your babies and just watch how strong, loveable, and positive they are. Remember their will to keep achieving things at their speed, and know we all learn at different speeds. The point is to achieve them. Keep talking to your babies positively, love them, and kiss them every chance you have. Enjoy the now and know that the future will be 100 times better.”

Baby Odin and his siblings

VIPS Provider Ms. Angela and Odin

Who is Tala Beth, “Warrior Princess”?

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:49:00 GMT

We are so grateful to Christine, mother to young Tala, for sharing her family’s journey—

Tell us about Tala!

“Tala is a 2.5-year-old young girl, full of joy! Tala knows exactly what she likes and dislikes. She enjoys being part of the day-to-day activities of life, but ultimately loves the chaos, drama, and excitement of events. Tala is not able to communicate through words but is able to inform everyone through her sounds, expressive eyebrows, and infectious smile. Tala likes warm weather, but not too warm. She likes laughter, loud noises, and her chest percussion therapy. Tala loves to play with her switch plate and various attachment toys. Tala loves bright lights and thinks the light board is absolutely amazing. She seems to like adding and popping the bubbles as she plays.

Tala is diagnosed with Walker-Warburg Syndrome— a severe congenital muscular dystrophy that affects the eyes, brain, and muscles. Because of this overarching diagnosis, Tala has diagnoses specific to each part it affects. Tala has bilateral microphthalmia and is completely blind in her right eye as it did not develop properly due to her WWS. Tala has some light vision in her left eye, but the full scope of sight is unknown. Tala wears glasses that tint with light to protect whatever vision she does have.”

How has her vision impairment impacted the family?

“As Tala’s mama, I did not have any indication that Tala had any visual impairments prior to birth. The day after Tala’s arrival, she received her diagnosis of bilateral microphthalmia. I was distraught at first because I have an older daughter who has no visual impairments and is neurotypical. However, I vowed that day that I would do anything and everything to ensure Tala would succeed in whatever she wanted to and could do, and that I would learn to accommodate any need. With the help of personal research, study, and David from VIPS, we have learned an exponential amount of knowledge that has made us better people, parents, and community members. The biggest challenge for us was finding ways to produce and enhance smiles and laughter. Without vision, I struggled as a mama to entice expressions and smiles from Tala. The feedback, persistence, and continued attempts made this challenge possible. And once we as a family learned ways to interact without vision, but through voice, touch, smell, and constant communication in all senses, we had breakthroughs.”

How has VIPS played a role in Tala’s journey?

“VIPS has played a vital role in Tala, and our family’s journey! David [with VIPS], came into our home with a knowledge base for parents, siblings, and Tala as an individual with visual impairments. He has provided tips, tricks, and recommendations based on Tala’s needs. Tala struggled with days and nights. A stuffed animal with a certain scent was given. Tala sleeps with her lamb, smelling like vanilla and sweet pea, every night. No matter where we go, it goes with us, and she knows, by the stuffy and the smell, that it is nighttime. Tala’s understanding of play has improved vastly since beginning services with VIPS. Tala was not able to play independently until a switch plate was introduced to us. Once Tala played, with time and multiple attempts, Tala now understands “cause/effect” which is such an amazing milestone and accomplishment.”

What do you wish people understood about Tala and your journey so far being her mama? Any advice for other parents?

“My goal is to share Tala’s journey, our family’s journey, to provide hope where hope has been lost. When receiving life-altering diagnoses, hope can seem to be fleeting. For our family, receiving Tala’s diagnosis of Walker-Warburg Syndrome was life-altering, hopeless, and heart-shattering. Because her diagnosis is terminal, unknown, and with no cure, finding hope and maintaining that hope is vital. Tala is an amazing, vibrant, joyful child. This journey of bridging the world together through knowledge, understanding, adaptations, research, play, and hope, is the greatest opportunity we have been able to be a part of. My advice to anyone is to never stop learning, never stop hoping, never stop loving, and know without a doubt that doctors and diagnosis know much, but they don’t know everything. Children, siblings, and parents are resilient. You are resilient!”

Feel free to keep up with Tala’s journey through the family’s Facebook Page “ Tala Beth Warrior Princess ”.

Tala’s family has also started a Nonprofit, Little Warrior Wishes, inspired by their girls, Tala and KaiLayna. Little Warrior Wishes, Inc. (LWW) is a wish-granting organization established to assist families in creating lasting memories when timeframes are limited. LWW is a nonprofit organization that serves children 0-5 with life limiting diagnoses in the Daviess, Knox, Martin, Pike, and Greene County in Indiana, as well as any child in the United States with Walker-Warburg Syndrome. Visit: littlewarriorwishes.godaddysites.com

Jacob’s Journey— growing and thriving with each day!

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:21:00 GMT

From Melisa, mother to Jacob:

“Jacob joined our family via domestic adoption in September 2020, at 10 months of age. At the height of the global pandemic, we had the delight and honor of welcoming our son, Jacob, home forever! What a joy!

Before Jacob’s adoption, we were aware that he had experienced global developmental delays and had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and failure to thrive. However, after transferring all of his medical care to our closest children’s hospital following his adoption, Jacob was comprehensively assessed and received a diagnosis of Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Type 4, as well as other accompanying medical diagnoses, of which one was CVI and several brain anomalies, including a retinocerebellar cyst, white matter volume loss, and thinning of his corpus callosum.

After several hospitalizations, team assessments, and medical appointments, Jacob now is medically stable, thriving, and developing. He is dependent on a G-tube for all feedings, meds, and hydration, has severe epilepsy and is dependent for all mobility and activities of daily living. Jacob, now almost three years old, resides in eastern Kentucky with his family, which includes his parents and three older siblings, Isaac, age 21, Jonah, age 21, and Abby, age 16. He is the joy of our lives and spending our days with him is the highlight of this season of family life.

Jacob loves his daily routines, which include morning playtime, therapy sessions at home, traveling in the car and out in our community, and spending time with family and friends. He is funny, mischievous, and playful. He smiles and laughs hysterically, and loves going for long walks with his family in his wheelchair near our home. His dog, Pippen, brings him lots of joy and fun.

After Jacob came home, I (Melisa) left the full-time workforce as an occupational therapist to become Jacob’s full-time caregiver, playmate, and mama. Although I had primarily worked with the elderly population throughout the last 24 years of my career, I did have just enough experience in pediatric therapy services to know the value of early intervention and know the right questions to ask to initiate services for Jacob. I began aggressively researching options for assessment and treatment for him, knowing that traveling the four hours each way to our local children’s hospital was not feasible or reasonable for long-term services. After initiating First Steps Early Intervention Services, I reached out to VIPS in Louisville via email to determine if there were any options for virtual services, and to my surprise, they indicated that they had a service provider that lived in my county! Who knew?

We worked with VIPS and First Steps to coordinate services with Ms. Bekah Allen, who became our Developmental Interventionist and VIPS service provider. Ms. Bekah has blessed our family tremendously. She has provided innovative services, did research to assist us in locating equipment and services that would benefit us, as well as accompanying us virtually to Jacob’s CVI Team Assessment at our children’s hospital all while contributing and assisting in implementing strategies at home. She worked to acquire Jacob a lightbox, which has been invaluable for his development and learning. Ms. Bekah has been so playful and interactive with Jacob…he doesn’t AT ALL realize he is working on skills! She has assisted with suggestions about home modifications to assist with his vision as well as identifying toys that would allow him to be successful with play and development. Once she taught me, I ran with it and we established a great repertoire of stimulatory toys and an environment that has helped him thrive visually and developmentally.

One particular emphasis that Ms. Bekah had was ensuring that we understood about simplifying Jacob’s visual background and environment to allow him to thrive visually. We made a backdrop and changed his play floor mat to more simplistic, dark colors to allow the colors of his toys to pop! He loves it and has come alive with his independent play skills since we made the change.

I strongly advise other parents, physicians, and therapy services providers in the eastern Kentucky area to make referrals to the VIPS program. This service, in my estimation, is grossly underutilized in the eastern Kentucky region. In an area where services can be much more difficult to navigate, identify, and utilize, this service is accessible and so helpful! We are so thankful that we have been connected with VIPS and will always be grateful for the services of our provider, Ms. Bekah Allen. “

Meet Noah: a social butterfly who happens to be non-verbal

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 13:33:00 GMT

“Noah is full of life and laughter,” says Becci, mother to almost 3-year-old Noah. Noah is a social butterfly; he loves playing with his brothers and interacting with anyone who wants to talk to him. Noah is not able to use words to talk but that doesn’t stop him from communicating. Thanks to a collaboration between Noah’s VIPS teacher and his speech therapist, Noah is well on his way to talking–just in a different way with the help of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. This type of device will allow Noah to communicate through a combination of words, sentences, and images that the device then speaks out loud. It is giving Noah a voice that he never had before!

Shortly after Noah was born, he was diagnosed with brain abnormalities and other genetic markers, leading the family down a new path of navigating life with a child who has disabilities. When Noah was just a few months old, he was diagnosed with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), the most common cause of vision loss in young children. CVI is when the brain is unable to process what the eyes see and is often caused by damage to the brain. However, with intervention, a child who has CVI can essentially learn how to see. VIPS teachers and interventionists work with a child to train and stimulate their brain so they can learn to process what their eyes are seeing. VIPS works with Noah’s family and other therapists to ensure they understand how CVI impacts Noah’s development. Becci said, “The information they shared about CVI has been invaluable to the other therapists. Not only has it helped them in treating Noah but will help with other children they see with CVI.” Vision impacts all aspects of a child’s development- speech, mobility, etc so it has been critical for Noah’s therapy team to work together so that Noah continues to reach his highest potential.

In the winter of 2020, Noah’s family reached out to his neurologist to see what communication would be like for him as they knew there was a high chance of Noah being non-verbal. Soon after, Noah began speech therapy where he got to use a Big Mack Communication Switch which allowed the family to see that he was able to make choices, answer questions, and identify sounds. Noah has now moved on to an Accent 1400 tablet which has multiple ways to operate it; whether through scanning, eye gazing, or head tracking. Because of Noah’s visual impairment and difficulty using his hands, his team had to work together and get creative when it came to choosing an AAC device so he could begin to communicate.

Because of their great collaboration, Noah’s VIPS teacher was able to work alongside his speech therapist to figure out what AAC device would work best. Often these types of devices are very expensive. Becci stated that they are able to lease the ACC device from Easterseals Crossroads , an amazing organization that allows families to rent adaptive equipment at no cost. For a social child like Noah, these devices will open up a whole new world to him. Noah has already come so far and it is because his parents have done amazing work advocating for his needs. In regards to their journey, Becci explains, “It’s so hard in those early days, you are just struggling to keep up and process everything. Before you realize it you find yourself becoming a parent, caregiver, nurse, and therapist. It’s daunting and overwhelming at first but when your child reaches their first goal or hits a milestone, no matter how big or small, and then you realize it was all worth it.”

Noah playing a game on his Accent 1400 tablet

The first year is the hardest

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 15:31:00 GMT

“Having a baby with complex medical needs and being in the NICU for 48 days wasn’t what we had expected,” said Stephanie, mother to Madison who was born in January 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US. Stephanie recounts, “Dealing with the trauma of her birth, the uncertainty of her future, COVID, and parenting another young child was definitely difficult.” Madison was born at 33 weeks and suffered brain damage due to loss of oxygen. Her primary diagnosis is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (a type of brain dysfunction that occurs when the brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen or blood flow), and she was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Stephanie took Madison to a neurologist who recommended she reach out to VIPS for services as she could track with her eyes well, but couldn’t hold her gaze on objects for long. A pediatric ophthalmologist later confirmed that Madison has Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI); her eye structure and optic nerves are normal, but her brain struggles to process what she sees. Shortly after, Madison started to receive virtual visits from her VIPS interventionist, Michelle, in the fall of 2020.

While these virtual visits were valuable to the family, they really began to notice a difference in Madison once Michelle was able to meet them in person. When she first started services, Madison struggled to maintain a gaze for more than a few seconds, sit up in her chair, and use her eyes during her sessions. But Madison has made great progress during her time working with Michelle! Now, she can maintain a gaze on many objects. She can reach and open her hands to grab objects. She mirrors and reacts to facial expressions, and plays independently with toys in front of her. Stephanie explains that the best part about VIPS is that we meet at their home. The home is the child’s first learning environment and is where they (and the parents) are most comfortable. Meeting families in their homes allows VIPS interventionists to teach the family how they can adapt their own space to help their child meet developmental milestones. Madison is thriving in her VIPS sessions because of the family’s dedication to implementing what Michelle has taught them in their everyday lives.

Early intervention services are life-changing to the future success of a child. Stephanie confirmed families in need of services shouldn’t wait- start as soon as possible! Early intervention services can provide families not only with resources and knowledge but also hope for the future that now looks so different than expected. Stephanie admitted that the first year of Madison’s life was the hardest. One thing that made that first year so difficult was comparison. It’s heartbreaking watching other children do things your child can’t. But Stephanie continues to see the positive in her little girl, “She is sweet, sassy, and silly. She loves when you give her your full attention and do things that make her laugh. Her smile is the best.” Madison is learning in her own way, on her timing, and this has brought hope to her family. Stephanie, looking back on those difficult times, now advises, “Your child may meet milestones much later in life, or maybe not at all, and that’s okay.”

Madison working with VIPS Interventionist Michelle.

ALLEN WHITEHILL CLOWES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AWARDS VISUALLY IMPAIRED PRESCHOOL SERVICES WITH $50,000 GRANT FOR NEW SENSORY GARDEN

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:16:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation has awarded Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana) a grant in the amount of $50,000 to support the sensory garden that will be planted at the new Simon & Estelle Knoble VIPS Family Resource Center.

VIPS Indiana is a statewide nonprofit agency that provides early intervention services to young Hoosiers, ages birth to three, with blindness or low vision and comprehensive support to their families. VIPS recently relocated to 1212 Southeastern Avenue near downtown Indianapolis, after completing a successful $2.5M capital and operations campaign. The Family Resource Center is the first space of its kind completely designed and adapted for babies and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired. The center includes a toddler town, sensory room, teletherapy room, lending library, parent hub, and accessible outdoor space that will house both an adaptive playground as well as the sensory garden.

“With features such as plants with tactile components and vibrant scents, indigenous trees, tall grasses, an orientation and mobility track, and more, the sensory garden will be a destination spot that VIPS parents will be able to call their own thanks to to the generosity of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation,” said Meredith Howell, Regional Director of VIPS Indiana. Because a child who is blind or visually impaired must learn about the world through various senses, the organization felt it was imperative that the Sensory Garden was incorporated into the design. The sensory garden was designed by local outdoor architectural firm, Browning Day.

Dr. James Lemler, the Foundation’s President said, “The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation supports the Visually Impaired Preschool Services efforts in providing a unique space and facility for the children served by the organization through its grant to establish a sensory garden which contributes to the therapeutic milieu benefitting children, staff, families and community. This garden offers plantings and art that can be accessible to all of the senses of children and adults who enjoy it.”

Construction of the sensory garden is currently underway and the VIPS Family Resource Center is set to have a grand opening in April 2022.

About Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana).

The mission of VIPS is to empower families by providing educational excellence to young children with visual impairments in order to build a strong foundation for reaching their highest potential. VIPS was founded in Louisville, KY in 1985 and the agency expanded its efforts into Indiana after a mother couldn’t find early intervention for her daughter with vision loss. Since its expansion in 2011, VIPS has served nearly 1,000 Hoosiers across the entire state of Indiana.

About the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.

The primary mission of the foundation is to support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities and those that were supported by Mr. Clowes during his life or are similar to those supported by Mr. Clowes.

For more information, visit www.awclowescf.org

Welcome to the Simon & Estelle Knoble VIPS Family Resource Center

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 16:48:00 GMT

In late October, our Indiana staff officially moved into the new Family Resource Center located at 1212 Southeastern Avenue, just east of downtown Indianapolis! This center will not only house offices and storage for our staff, but, more importantly, will be a hub for VIPS parents to receive more resources and programming, and allow for children to receive intervention services onsite.

“Indiana will now have a space that is welcoming of all young children who are blind or visually impaired,” said Meredith Howell, regional director and former VIPS mom. “It is imperative these parents know they are not alone–VIPS is here to help.”

The VIPS Family Resource Center will be a safe space for parents to let their guards down providing a place of respite for family members and caregivers who are doing their best to get through an especially challenging time. It will provide a sense of community and caring, giving parents hope that their child will be able to successfully navigate the challenges ahead. The center includes-

• A lending library filled with braille and tactile books especially for babies and toddlers as well as parent resources available for check out as well

• An adaptive playground (Still under construction)

• A sensory room (Still under construction)

• A “Toddler Town” specifically designed to meet the curiosity and educational needs of children with visual impairments (Still under construction)

• Two activity rooms with child-size furniture, appropriate toys and technology to support children with low vision, and a place where children can be assessed

• A teletherapy room

• A sensory garden (Still under construction)

• Office space for staff and storage for adaptive equipment

For a parent of a child who is blind or visually impaired, the future is scary and unknown. But VIPS is changing all that—and we’re ready to change it for even more children and families in need. The Family Resource Center will be the first and only facility of its kind in the State of Indiana. It’s the culmination of years of effort that will allow us not only to serve more kids and their families but also to serve them better for many years to come.

We look forward to hosting our grand opening this spring 2022! Stay tuned for more details on how you can participate in our grand opening event.

Activity room (left) and Family Hub/Kitchen (right)

Lilly Endowment Inc. and Nina Mason Pulliam grants bring VIPS near capital campaign goal

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 22:22:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. —Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) Indiana announced it has received grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust in the amounts of $300,000 and $250,000 respectively for its Envision the Future capital and operations campaign.

The grants are instrumental in helping VIPS complete the future Family Resource Center near downtown Indianapolis. Once open later this year, the center will be a hub for parents to receive resources and a place for children to receive therapy onsite. The center will also allow VIPS Indiana to offer more programming and training sessions for providers. The grant money VIPS received will allow the organization to continue providing vision-specific early intervention to children who are blind or visually impaired and support to their families.

“The Family Resource Center has been a dream of ours and the families we serve for years, and this funding from Lilly Endowment and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust puts us at 98% of our goal,” said Meredith Howell, regional director of VIPS Indiana. “The generous support from all our donors will impact the lives of countless children living with blindness or vision loss for years to come.”

VIPS Indiana is a nonprofit agency that provides critical early intervention services to young Hoosiers, birth to age 3, who are blind or visually impaired, and comprehensive support to their families. The new Family Resource Center, located at 1145 E. Washington Street, will ultimately allow VIPS to serve more children with vision loss in the state.

“You cannot overstate the positive impact VIPS Indiana makes on these children and their families. The Family Resource Center will be an incredible asset to the entire community,” said Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

VIPS Indiana has $15,000 to reach its capital campaign goal and continues to seek donations. Individuals can learn more about the Family Resource Center and the Envision the Future Capital & Operations Campaign at https://vips.org/vips-indiana/family-resource-center/ .

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About Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS)

VIPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that provides specialized and ongoing, in-home early intervention to infants and toddlers, ages birth to three, who are blind or visually impaired in Indiana and Kentucky. VIPS was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1985 and expanded efforts across Indiana in 2011. The mission of VIPS is to empower families by providing educational excellence to young children with visual impairments in order to build a strong foundation for reaching their highest potential.

For more information, visit www.vips.org

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

For more information, visit https://lillyendowment.org

About the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust was established upon the death of Nina Mason Pulliam in 1997 to support the causes she loved in her home states of Arizona and Indiana for 50 years. The Trust seeks to help people in need, protect animals and nature, and enrich community life in metropolitan Indianapolis and Phoenix. Since its inception, the Trust has distributed nearly $341 million.

For more information, visit www.ninapulliamtrust.org

Isaac’s Arrival

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:24:00 GMT

On January 19th, I was on bed rest and about to go crazy. I was 4 cm, 80% effaced, and knew that Isaac could be born any day. That evening, as I was watching TV, I thought my water broke and it was finally time to go to the hospital and give a *natural* birth. Instead of water, it was nothing but blood, and things got really scary.

As the ambulance drove me 30 minutes to the hospital, I wasn’t sure if Isaac was alive because there was no doppler to hear if there was a heartbeat. I was scared about bleeding out, about him making it alive, and him coming out in the ambulance with only one medic with me. But I had to stop my thoughts from the “what if’s” and concentrate on what was true – God is with me, and he is good no matter what the outcome would be. This gave me peace.

When we arrived at the hospital, Issac’s heart rate was 60, which was extremely low. Within 4 minutes, Isaac was out via emergency c-section, but he wasn’t breathing. The doctor called Brandon in while they were working on Isaac and breathing for him. The doctor told Brandon that Isaac failed his neurological exam and to prepare himself. He told me later that he was praying unceasingly, and minutes later, Isaac was breathing on his own. When I woke up, I was told Isaac was stable, but being transferred to Children’s to cool his body, in order to help slow down any more damage to the brain.

Isaac spent 34 days at children’s and in the end, we only left with a G-tube to help with feeding. Throughout his first year, he had many surgeries and EEGs to help make sure everything was working properly. His G-tube was removed in March 2019, and was later placed back in August 2020, and he has had a history of different types of seizures up until January 2020. He was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy spastic quadriplegia in June 2019, and was confirmed with cortical visual impairment in March 2020. He has many therapists that he sees weekly – physical, occupational, speech and VIPS. Although his motor skills (he doesn’t sit up, roll over, crawl) and communication skills (non-verbal) are limited, he loves to smile and react to people. He likes his switch toys, and when I sing him songs, and he especially loves when I read books to him. Isaac has two other siblings – Haddon (7) and Noël (4) who have so much fun playing with him and making him laugh!

After Isaac was diagnosed with CVI in March 2020, Isaac was able to receive VIPS services through the First Steps program. We met Ms. Dixie, from VIPS in Lexington, who provided us with so much information on his diagnosis, and in particular, what his CVI Phase meant for him. Through her initial evaluation, we were given the tools and tips to help Isaac progress. One thing I remember when we first met Dixie that shocked me was that CVI is ever evolving and can improve. That is what gave us hope, and I think will encourage other families. Within a year, Isaac’s CVI had improved so much that he emerged from Phase 1 to Phase 2 according to the CVI range. Without Dixie’s guidance, this would have not been accomplished on his/our own.

Top: Isaac sits in a stroller, pictured with siblings, Haddon and Noël, and mom, Traci. Bottom: Isaac sits smiling with dad, Brandon.

Isaac sitting outside in his chair.

Volunteers from Luke 5 Adventures carry Isaac’s wheelchair up a hiking trail. This was the first hiking adventure Isaac’s family had been able to do with him.

Simone is learning independence one step at a time!

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 16:53:00 GMT

“Simone is joy and light, and the center of our family,” said Nicole, mother to VIPS child Simone. She is a busy little girl, always moving and thriving on attention. She spends her days playing, dancing, and exploring the outdoors; specifically, the trees and flowers. She especially loves doing so with her family.

Simone is the youngest of five children, born in August of 2018. When Simone was just 7 weeks old she began receiving physical therapy for a condition called torticollis in which the neck muscles contract, causing the head to twist to one side. At around a year old, her parents took her to her first eye doctor appointment. Because Simone is very nearsighted and would not wear her glasses, vision services were recommended. Nicole wasn’t sure what to expect from the services VIPS provides, however she says the services have been very useful. Melisa, Simone’s VIPS interventionist, provides resources, knowledge, and suggestions that help Simone thrive. Nicole explained, “My favorite tip is to use color to mark boundaries.” Melisa taught the family to mark where they would want Simone to put a cup or want her to step on the stairs. This critical piece of advice now prompts the family to look for boundaries that are naturally in their environment. For example, when walking around their neighborhood, Simone can use rumble strips and painted curbs to know where to stop, ultimately, preventing her from running out into the street. Melisa provides the family with suggestions in the home that can be applied to all areas of their life.

Simone’s family is grateful for the impact Melisa and VIPS have had on their life from the virtual and in-home visits, to the family events like the Drive-Thru Santa event held in December 2020. Investing in the education of babies and toddlers has such a profound impact on their future success. Simone will be aging out of the VIPS program as she will be turning three on August 1. Her family plans to celebrate with a Sesame Street themed party with her favorite foods–pizza and sundaes! Happy early Birthday, Simone!

Simone sitting in her high chair with her oldest brother pointing happily at her standing behind her.

VIPS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS CERTIFICATION

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:36:00 GMT

April 27, 2021 Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) has received accreditation from the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind an Visually Impaired (AER), the world’s largest professional organization dedicated exclusively to professionals who provide services to persons with vision loss, with the aim to promote and support evidence-based practices, high quality standards, value-added resources and giving voice to issues of critical importance.

VIPS, serving Kentucky and Indiana, is a nonprofit organization that provides early intervention and education services to young children who are blind or visually impaired. VIPS received accreditation for their early childhood intervention, home visitation and
tele-intervention, preschool, itinerant services, and orientation and mobility programs. VIPS is the first agency serving only young children who are blind or visually impaired to be accredited by AER.

This prestigious accreditation comes after an intensive process, including a self-assessment of the program by VIPS team members, interviews with stakeholder groups, and an external review by AER to determine the agency’s strengths and areas of improvement. Along with the accrediting process, AER also provides networking, mentoring, connectivity, awards, and scholarships for professionals to advance excellence within the field, ensuring the successes of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Building Trust Through a Screen; Early Intervention in a Pandemic

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:46:00 GMT

It’s been over a year since the coronavirus hit our local communities, and when we think about getting back to “normal” a lot of us think about finally shedding the masks, eating inside our favorite restaurants or attending events, etc. But for our VIPS parents, it has been an indefinite countdown for when they will be able to see their VIPS teacher or interventionist in person once again. Last March, VIPS quickly transitioned to a virtual model to provide our critical services while facing the unknowns of the pandemic. Our incredible teachers rose to the challenge because they knew their families needed them. While virtual home visits have been extremely beneficial–both our teachers and many of the parents/caregivers have been ready to resume or for some families that began services during the pandemic- -begin in-person visits. One of those families being Martha, mother to VIPS child Adele.

Spunky and sassy Adele, was referred to VIPS in the spring of 2020. She started services with Ms. Carla virtually through Zoom and while she has made amazing progress, it has not been an easy journey. Ms. Carla admitted that being thrust into a new way of providing services with no warning or guide book was challenging for everyone–teacher and family–because you are building trust with each other through a tiny screen.

But over the year, Adele grew more and more confident in herself. She was born with Coloboma, a condition in which tissue around or in the eye is missing at birth. This caused her to have sensitivity to light and challenges with depth perception. Martha explained when Adele was very young, she was so sensitive to light that they would keep the house dark to protect her eyes. But Adele’s life changed when she had surgery to help her eye. She became a completely different child, ready to take on the world. The family lives on a turkey farm, so now Adele is able to explore her surroundings without discomfort. Martha said, “She goes outside and she pulls her tinted glasses off and throws them on the ground!”

Martha is grateful for the virtual services and feels that they have made a difference in Adele’s vision, but she found it difficult to balance it all. Moreover, she continues to be Adele’s greatest advocate. She said that she continuously asks questions as not knowing what to expect has been the most difficult part of the journey. Her advice to other parents is to ask questions and find your support group–people who understand your child.

Ms. Carla is so proud of the progress both Adele and Martha have made through these challenging times. She described that the shining light in this situation was that she was able to watch Martha become her daughter’s teacher as well as mother and protector.

From VIPS kid to VIPS Board Member: Meet Paul Frazier

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 21:28:00 GMT

VIPS board member, Paul Frazier, brings a lot to the table. He is the father of a preschooler, a former educator, a businessman and a natural advocate with a charismatic personality and a heart of gold. But one of the strongest qualities Paul brings to his board responsibility is the critical perspective he has as a legally blind individual. He knows visual impairment inside-out on a very personal and practical level.

You see, Paul is a VIPS alumnus. He was referred to VIPS when he was just seven weeks old, following his diagnosis of albinism, a condition impacting pigment in the hair, skin and eyes that causes impaired vision.

“My mission for serving on the VIPS board is to be a name and face of what VIPS does.”

“I want to make sure everyone knows the significance of this work,” Paul notes. “VIPS served 752 children and their families last fiscal year. Numbers and reach are important, but what’s more important is that each one of those is a REAL person who has been helped; VIPS services to REAL children and REAL families = REAL impact.”

Paul and his wife, Chelsea, have a son, Lincoln, who turns four in May, the same month Paul turns 30. Being a parent now, Paul realizes how important VIPS services were to his Mom and Dad in terms of offering comfort and showing them the possibilities. “VIPS helped me and my parents to be able to adapt.”

“We were a sports family,” Paul’s mom, Robin, says. “My husband Roy and I both played high school sports and were avid sports fans. Our friends joked that we should get married on the pitcher’s mound. When our first son was born, he was destined to be an athlete. Roy coached and I was team mom.” While awaiting Paul’s birth, Robin and Roy anticipated the same would be true for Paul. “But little did we know that once Paul was diagnosed, we would wonder if he would even be able to play at all,” Robin recalls. “I was holding that seven-week old jumping 16 years ahead in my mind.”

Once referred to VIPS, Robin and Roy were able to develop a new “game plan.” Robin says, “Our bi-weekly visits with our interventionist kept us on track. Once we had hope, it helped us not project into a future we did not know, but to take things one day at a time. I had joy everyday in witnessing what Paul was able to do instead of grieving what he might not be able to do someday.”

“VIPS gave my Mom and Dad the knowledge and skills to help me find the things I could do and find ways to overcome whatever obstacles there were to me doing them successfully,” Paul said.

“My brother was a very good athlete. So I wanted to be a very good athlete. I know my mom thought she would lose her mind when I said I wanted to play football, but she knew if I’d made my mind up, I was going to do it.”

“When you are growing up, you feel some insecurities,” Paul recalls. “That’s compounded if you have a disability. When you are 13, all that matters is feeling included. I decided sports would be my thing, and that I would immerse myself into that and become successful.”

Paul is still very athletic, playing golf whenever he gets the chance and running in the Stampede 5K for VIPS each year.

After graduating from college, Paul taught PE and Health. He served as Athletic Director at the private school where he taught for five years. Currently, Paul is Head of Sales at Cliff Cherry Machine Co., which is an FAA repair station in Louisville, repairing aircraft wheel and brake components, primarily for UPS.

Baby Paul at 7 weeks old.

Paul and wife, Chelsea, married in May 2015. They knew each other in high school, but did not start dating until Chelsea was a senior and Paul went off to college. Pictured here with their son, Lincoln.

Paul is an athlete and played football in high school.

Paul takes his son, Lincoln, golfing with him.

25+ KIWANIANS WHO CARE GIVE VIPS $5,000 AT INAUGURAL NIGHT OF GIVING

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:02:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — 25+ Kiwanians Who Care (Indiana District), a new club concept of the youth-serving organization, Kiwanis International , chose nonprofit Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) as their inaugural Night of Giving winner. VIPS Indiana Regional Director and former VIPS mom, Meredith Howell, gave a virtual presentation to almost 50 Kiwanis members, all joining Zoom from various parts of Indiana due to the pandemic. Howell shared about the importance of the early intervention services VIPS provides for Hoosier infants and toddlers, ages birth to three, with vision loss across Indiana. Two other youth-serving organizations, 100 Black Men of Indianapolis and Montgomery County Youth Services Bureau also presented to the group of caring Kiwanians and while it was close, the Kiwanians chose to support VIPS.

Through each of the Kiwanian’s individual gifts of $100, VIPS was awarded $5,000 that will go towards the organization’s new state of the art Family Resource Center which is currently under construction by local developer, The Whitsett Group (TWG), and will be located just east of downtown Indianapolis. The VIPS Center will include a sensory room, a lending and resource library for parents, a teletherapy room, an ophthalmology office, an accessible Toddler Town, an outdoor sensory garden, and more. All components specifically designed for young children with visual impairments. Howell, who has a daughter who is legally blind and was served by VIPS, said the gift from the 25+ Kiwanians is a critical testament to the importance of the unique space VIPS is building. “Indiana will soon have a destination where Hoosier families of young children who are blind can find an accessible community filled resources, support, and most importantly–hope.”

25+ Kiwanians Who Care is the brainchild of longtime Kiwanian and former Indiana District Governor, Vanessa McClary. Because the pandemic forced Kiwanis members to adjust the way they serve communities, McClary said the Night of Giving, similar to a giving circle, brings a new way to serve during these unprecedented times “The giving circle seemed to be a great fit as we could give of our treasures and do it all virtually no matter where we lived,” said McClary. “A member could join in virtually with a new way to impact one child and one community at a time.”

McClary has already expanded the 25+ Kiwanians Who Care initiative into other regions of the United States with the most recent being the Pacific Northwest District. McClary says the best part is that the membership is open to anyone whether they are a Kiwanian or not. “You become a Kiwanis member when you join 25+ Kiwanians Who Care,” said McClary. “And you can join virtually from around the world.” McClary thinks it’s a win-win for children and communities everywhere and is thrilled that VIPS is the very first winner. “VIPS is a champion for young children with low vision, and this is a perfect fit for our Kiwanis Young Children Priority One initiative which focuses on children under the age of five.”

Howell, who helps lead the Envision the Future Capital and Operations Campaign for VIPS, says the support and awareness the Night of Giving has already brought to VIPS has been overwhelmingly positive. “We are this little nonprofit doing a mighty job and we need the help from the community to achieve this big goal,” said Howell. “We can’t thank the 25+ Kiwanians Who Care enough for believing in the futures of the kids we serve!”

Wallace Braveheart is a 20-month-old superstar!

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:45:00 GMT

Wallace has several diagnoses and is our miracle boy, hence his middle name Braveheart. We went from planning his funeral at 33 weeks during my pregnancy, to 193 days in the NICU/CICU following his birth, to home and thriving.

We were introduced to VIPS once we were home for a few months and started to receive services through First Steps. Due to many of Wallace’s diagnoses and complications in the hospital, he was left with visual problems. Wallace has thrived through vision services. We are very blessed with the provider we were given through VIPS (Ms. Dixie). She is very encouraging and has been a support to our entire family.

VIPS has educated me on Wally’s vision diagnosis and helped me understand so many different things about how to work with Wally’s vision when it comes to developmental milestones. Hearing about a new diagnosis that impacts your child’s vision is a huge challenge, especially when it was not caught while in the hospital for 193 days!

I would encourage any parent who receives a visual diagnosis to first and foremost accept the diagnosis. Acceptance is the first step; once you are able to accept the new diagnosis, then you can hit the education and resources hard and put them into practice to learn how to work with your child or to adapt things in your home.

COVID 19 has not impacted Wallace’s development — it was not an option for us. We looked at it as another barrier that we learned to overcome. As for his diagnoses, we do not look at them as “impacting” us, but as a way to educate ourselves and to adapt and overcome.

Tele-intervention has been important to utilize because it allows more direct one-on-one work with the parent and child. It gives parents so many more opportunities to learn the skills to put into play daily, compared to the therapist coming to the home for a session and taking the skills with them.

We are very thankful for VIPS and their teachers. VIPS as an organization has so many different things to offer to families and we are very thankful for the support they have offered us during this time and to have gotten to know the VIPS family.

To follow Wally along on his journey, check out his Facebook page here!

Meet “Determined Dallin”!

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 20:11:00 GMT

“I never imagined that my son’s first best friends or play dates would be with his therapists,” said Jeanette, mother to 19 month old Dallin, a child who currently receives services through VIPS. Dallin was born with a brain condition called Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) which is caused by the softening of white brain tissue. Because of PVL, he was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy and cortical visual impairment. However, these diagnoses do not get Dallin down a bit, as he is one smiley boy! His family refers to him as Determined Dallin–he works with six therapists and interventionists to help him reach goals and overcome obstacles every day.

Dallin began receiving physical and occupational therapy when he was about 4 months old, but as he got older, it became apparent that he was struggling to track and focus on objects with his eyes. After visiting an ophthalmologist and discovering there was nothing wrong with the anatomy of his eyes, Jeanette became concerned and confused about Dallin’s vision. In came Mindy, a VIPS Teacher of the Visually Impaired and her knowledge! Mindy explained Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) to Dallin’s family and how his vision issues were a result of his brain struggling to interpret what his eyes were seeing. Then a visit with a neurologist confirmed that Dallin’s vision issues were a result of brain damage, not his eyes.

Jeanette said that Mindy’s knowledge and support has been the greatest gift because it has allowed her to understand her son’s vision. Mindy helped the family incorporate CVI friendly activities and toys into Dallin’s daily life. Most toys available in stores are not designed with a child who is visually impaired in mind so Mindy has taught the family how to make their own toys and adaptations.

After a year of working with VIPS, Dallin has made amazing progress–he tracks and even makes eye contact! Jeanette proudly shared, “It feels amazing to have my son look into my eyes and know that he sees me.” She also wanted to express deep gratitude to Mindy because without her help, Dallin would not have been able to make such progress. “I can tell that she really cares about Dallin and helping him and that means the world to me.”The family embraces all of Dallin’s challenges because they have made him who he is meant to be though Jeanette says that having a child with special needs can come with feelings of isolation. “You often feel that you are up against the world in trying to give your child the things they need to be successful,” said Jeanette. But with time, Jeanette is much more positive about their family’s journey. Ordinary has become “extraordinary” for Dallin’s family and Jeanette wouldn’t have it any other way! For other parents who are finding themselves in a similar situation, Jeanette provides some assurance, “You start to see things with a different perspective, you start to celebrate the little things, you start to see your child for who they truly are meant to be and it just gets better.”

VIPS AMBASSADOR, BRIA BYRD, RAISES AWARENESS OF AMBLYOPIA

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 18:19:00 GMT

Louisville, KY – November 10, 2020

Bria Byrd is a sophomore at Elizabethtown High School and an ambassador to Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS), a nonprofit based in Louisville, focused on providing education and intervention services to children born with blindness or visual impairment in Kentucky or Indiana.

Byrd chose VIPS as the charity she wanted to represent and support because of her own visual impairment called amblyopia, an eye condition where the brain is unable to recognize sight. While Byrd was born with this condition only affecting her right eye, she did not know of her diagnosis until she was 8 years old. However, this has not kept her from becoming active in pageants.

Through Byrd’s participation in beauty pageants in her region, she has raised awareness about the importance of doing vision screenings at an early age. At just 15 years old, she has partnered with preschools in her local community to increase these opportunities for children and has even written a book, titled These Heels are Made for Talking , about her experience with a visual impairment in the pageant industry.

“I love children,” says Byrd. “I hope to spread the word about VIPS’ mission and share the importance of seeing an individual’s ability before their disability.”

As VIPS’ newest ambassador, Byrd has been fundraising for VIPS during the entire month of November. In this type of fundraiser, donors give a gift based on the date, such as an $11 gift on November 11 ^th , totaling to $465 by the end of the month.

Byrd also has a book signing event on November 28 ^th at Forest Edge Winery in Shepherdsville from noon to 4pm. She hopes to donate copies of her book to local elementary schools and some of the proceeds to VIPS.

“I eventually want to study marketing at the University of Kentucky and be Miss Kentucky or Miss Teen USA,” Byrd says.

She stays busy participating in pageants, raising awareness of amblyopia and cheerleading at her high school, but Byrd has a bright future ahead of her.

Teaching the Teacher; Early Intervention Isn’t Just for the Child

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 12:57:00 GMT

Craniosynostosis – a word Teresa never thought would be in her vocabulary, much less a part of her baby boy’s life. Teresa’s son, Elias, was born at 31 weeks of age and weighed just 3lbs 13oz. Elias was diagnosed with left craniosynostosis; which means some of the joints in his skull fused before his brain could finish forming. Teresa and Elias went through many ups and downs throughout his first year of life but at age one Teresa knew it was time to begin preparing Elias for reconstructive skull surgery. “He did very very well and made a full recovery within almost two weeks with only four days of hospitalization,” said Theresa. “This was a very scary time for all of us!“

As a new parent, you expect your child to be born perfectly healthy. Never do you think your baby will be faced with the alternative–a life filled with challenges because of significant disabilities, visual impairments and more. It can be terrifying because it wasn’t expected. It’s not that you don’t love the baby you have because you do–and very much so. It’s just you may mourn the loss of the baby you were expecting all while learning how to raise a child who doesn’t learn like you as a typically sighted parent. Your mind may fill with ‘what ifs’ about your child’s future and how he or she will grow alongside your family and friend’s children. Theresa shared, “Through Elias’ first years I really began to worry about if he was going to keep up with other kids his age due to his Developmental Delay.” Luckily, this is where VIPS steps in to guide parents through the uncertainty.

“I myself would not know how to help my son if it weren’t for these ladies and their knowledge,” said Theresa. Melissa Barrick, Elias’ VIPS OTR and Blind/Low Vision Specialist went into Elias’ home and helped give small hints as to ways Theresa could position objects or where to place something on the table to maximize Elias’ use of his vision. It is through instruction, resources, and advice that VIPS teachers and interventionists give parents knowledge and hope for their child’s future. Yes, their child may learn differently than “typical” children, but they WILL learn and develop in their own way–they just need a parent to be willing to learn alongside them.

Early intervention is about guiding children in their first years of life to reach developmental milestones and teach them how to adapt to the world despite their disabilities. However, without the parent also learning how to implement strategies to help their child learn and adapt, it’s very difficult for a child to thrive. Essentially, early intervention is just as much about teaching the parent as it is teaching the child. VIPS recognizes this as we equip parents to be their child’s greatest advocate, their first and BEST teacher.

Teresa is now hopeful for Elias’ future, which just a couple of years ago seemed so bleak and unknown. Elias is in the process of aging out of the VIPS program because he’s turning three but will soon be starting Pre-K. Not only are vision services unnecessary as he enters school, but he also scored in the “average” range for his age group meaning he is on track with his “typically” developing peers. “So many different ways [Melissa] helped us I couldn’t thank her enough,” said Theresa!

We understand that not every early intervention path will lead to the same level of progress but every child deserves the chance to reach their highest potential. And for parents, well Teresa is just one example of how hope can lead to powerful things thanks to the empathetic ears, resources, and knowledge our teachers and interventionists give to the families VIPS serves. We are proud of Elias and his mom and we thank them for sharing their story with us. We’d also like to thank our amazing team member, Ms. Melissa for being right alongside Elias and Theresa on this journey.

VIPS INDIANA ANNOUNCES GRANT FROM THE NINA MASON PULLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 19:40:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has granted Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana) an award of $75,000 to support Central Indiana’s youngest children who are blind or visually impaired with vision-specific early intervention.

VIPS Indiana is a nonprofit agency that provides critical early intervention services to young Hoosiers, birth to three, with blindness/low vision and comprehensive support to their families. Typically these services are provided to families in their home, but due to stay at home and social distancing orders, VIPS quickly transitioned to a virtual home visit service delivery model. “We had already been exploring the idea of supplementing our in-home visits with virtual home visits as it would allow us to serve more Hoosier infants and toddlers in need,” said Meredith Howell, regional director of VIPS Indiana. “However, the novel coronavirus forced our teachers of blind/low vision and early interventionists in visual impairment to take action quickly since we know this critical time of brain development and neuroplasticity, will impact the future of that child.”

“We are impressed with VIPS’ practice of providing personalized early intervention services within the homes of visually impaired children, helping them maximize the use of all their senses so they can better navigate their world,” said Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Howell says she isn’t sure how COVID-19 will affect the financial future of VIPS but thanks to the funds from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, VIPS will be able to continue to provide services and support to Central Indiana’s youngest children with visual impairments.

“This pandemic is hard but I can tell you — it’s especially hard for families who have kids with disabilities,” said Howell, whose own nine-year-old daughter is legally blind and is a former VIPS child. “Anything we can do at VIPS to help ease fears, alleviate stress and provide hope to these Central Indiana families, we will do it.”

About Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana).

VIPS Indiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that provides specialized and ongoing, in-home early intervention to infants and toddlers, ages birth to three, who are blind or visually impaired. In August 2011, VIPS Indiana began serving children with visual impairments in Indiana. VIPS was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1985. The mission of VIPS is to empower families by providing educational excellence to young children with visual impairments in order to build a strong foundation for reaching their highest potential.

For more information, visit www.vips.org

About the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

For more information, visit www.ninapulliamtrust.org

VIPS Stands With Black Lives

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:16:00 GMT

Today is the celebration of Juneteenth, which is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is a day filled with reflection, renewal and pride. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African-American experience. It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities– as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend.

At VIPS, we stand for justice being delivered to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, capabilities, needs or gender identity.

Let our voices be heard; Black Lives Matter to us.

I recently shared an internal communication to all of our VIPS team members. In that message, I said that I truly care about ALL people and that if someone is a member of the VIPS team–then they should, too. We will not stand for any type of discrimination at VIPS. For over 35 years, we have served a marginalized population of children, but it needs to be said out loud to our current and past families: VIPS is a safe place for you. We believe in every child’s potential–no matter the color of his or her skin. But we recognize it’s time for us to do more–not just individually as employees of VIPS, but collectively, as an organization that is committed to doing just as African-American author, James Bladwin, once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Breonna Taylor is a name you should know by now. She was a black woman who was killed in her own apartment at the hands of police and in our very own Louisville community. Breonna Taylor was actually a Louisville paramedic who put her own life on the line in the midst of a pandemic to help others. Breonna Taylor was just 26 years old. Her death, while a tragedy, couldn’t have prepared the world for the devastating killing of George Floyd. Floyd’s death brought the world’s attention to an urgent disease that has been plaguing our country for over 400 years and that is systemic racism. Sadly, Ahmaud Arbery is also another casualty of police brutality against unarmed black men. How many more people in our black communities have to suffer as a result of our complacency and inaction?

I recognize that there are so many people better equipped to discuss the depth of this issue than I, but what I know for sure is that all people need to come together to reduce the disparity. We need not be afraid to say we are fed up with injustice and inequality on behalf of all citizens of our communities, but especially those of color. This is a time of great national upheaval, which could lead to great change and I know together we can navigate this passage to open water.

In the coming weeks and months, we will take actionable steps to live by the words we shared here. Through podcasts, books and webinars, we will be joining as one VIPS team to educate ourselves on systemic racism and discuss it as a group. We will look at ways to make our boards and staff members in our three locations more inclusive and diverse. In the future, we also hope to create partnerships with nonprofit organizations that serve underserved communities and show our support through volunteerism, as well. We will be the first to admit that this change will not happen overnight, but we are committed as an agency to learn, listen and reflect every day–and if we get something wrong, we ask for grace as we improve and wisdom to help us learn to do better. If you have ideas or suggestions of ways we can do that, please know we’d love to hear from you. We stand with our Black community.

Thank you for joining us in this important journey to equity and justice.

Diane Nelson
Executive Director
Visually Impaired Preschool Services

Golf Tournament by imi benefits VIPS

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 12:35:00 GMT

Visually Impaired Preschool Services was recently awarded a substantial monetary gift from Irving Materials, Inc. (imi) and their interstate, highway, and road construction division, E&B Paving. The money was raised by imi and their many sponsors at the second annual Swing for VIPS golf tournament held at the Louisville Audubon Country Club on July 8.

“VIPS is so grateful for the partnership has created, along with their team of local business members who are making a true difference in the lives of children with blindness or low vision all across Kentucky and Indiana, “said Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS. “I was astonished last year with their generosity and even more so this year with their gift that exceeded all my expectations.”

This gift will help VIPS provide a portion of a teacher’s salary, a key the very best in direct services to those children birth to 5 years old with low or no vision in Kentucky and Indiana. This gift allows VIPS to employ the exceptional teachers who educate our children throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

“VIPS is a local organization who is making a huge difference in these kids’ lives,” said Ron Wibbels, imi business development. “We have seen for ourselves where this money goes and it’s right here in our communities.”

VIPS, founded in 1985, is a unique charitable organization dedicated to meeting the critical early intervention needs of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are blind or visually impaired and to their families. VIPS has served over 700 children this past year across Kentucky and Indiana and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of visual impairment.

Our Kids Town Preschool at VIPS’ campus hosts visitors from around the world wanting to learn more about our Expanded Core Curriculum and best practices. Kids Town Preschool, a Kentucky 5-Star Center, is a test site for American Printing House for Blind’s new research and materials and is accredited nationally by AdvancED. VIPS has also been awarded the coveted 4-Star rating by Charity Navigator for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.

VIPS Published in Online Professional Journal for Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 15:06:00 GMT

Check out the latest issue of Visual Impairment and Deafblind Education Quarterly which features VIPS child Bradley on the cover. There is a feature on VIPS published by Executive Director, Diane Nelson, and Director of Education, Kathy Mullen, that can be found here:

VIDBEQ641Winter2019_selected-pages

We are so grateful that the Council for Exceptional Children (International Headquarters) supports the mission of VIPS!

AWS Foundation to Support Services for Babies and Toddlers with Blindness/Low Vision in Northeast Indiana

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:02:00 GMT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The AWS Foundation has awarded Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS Indiana) a grant of $21,250 to be used for vision-specific early intervention services to northeast Indiana’s babies and toddlers with blindness/low vision.

“The Early Childhood Intervention Program is so important to young children who are blind or visually impaired and in need of early intervention, and we are so thankful that the AWS Foundation recognizes how significant of an impact that specialized early intervention can make on these children living within their community,” said Meredith Howell, regional director of VIPS Indiana. “We are deeply honored by the generosity of the AWS Foundation.”

Two-year-old, Rowen McClain of Fort Wayne has a rare neurological disorder called Moebius Syndrome, which affects a number of his cranial nerves, including those responsible for some eye movement as well as blinking. Rowen and his family, Emily and Brandon, have been part of the VIPS program since March of 2018. “I’m in awe of what VIPS offers to children in need of early vision intervention. Thanks to therapist Melissa, who travels a hundred miles no less than once a month, Rowen’s hand and eye coordination as well as focus, is improving,” said Emily, Rowen’s mother. “VIPS is such an important organization to our little ones and I’m so grateful!”

“VIPS is an invaluable early intervention service helping children learn about their environment using techniques that advance age-appropriate development,” said Patti Hays, AWS Foundation CEO. “Having this service available in northeast Indiana means children with vision impairments are getting the best start in life and families are learning how to support their child at home, at school and in the community.”

About the AWS Foundation
Founded in 2007, the AWS Foundation supports a wide range of organizations in northeast Indiana working to develop a community in which people with enduring intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities are engaged fully and meaningfully in all aspects of community life.

For more information, visit awsfoundation.org .

VIPS Recognizes Terri Connelly with Ambassador Award

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:06:00 GMT

VIPS honored Terri Connolly at our 12th Annual Beacon Awards as a VIPS Ambassador. The VIPS Ambassador Award is given to a special individual or organization who has displayed an outstanding contribution to VIPS, sometimes through generous gifts, other times through their devotion of time. Ambassador Award recipients have demonstrated their commitment to VIPS by taking the agency to a new level.

Terri Connolly has been a leader in education, a mentor, an advocate and a life-changing gift for VIPS, our team and families. Terri started in the field of education early when she obtained her Deaf/Blind Education Masters at the historic Perkins School. She joined VIPS early on as an early interventionist and although she left her full-time job here, she never left VIPS. Terri was instrumental in the development of our Play and Learn Program which continues today as the Parent Empowerment Program across the two states VIPS serves.

Terri was also one of the first teachers to develop the “cozy cave” – a dark, quiet space made of a blanket, creating a fort where parents and children could crawl inside. This cave provided a calm space for children with sensory overload, a concept that was helpful in the creation of the incredible Sensory Rooms now featured in two VIPS locations. Under the leadership of Pauletta Feldman, Terri helped write part of the At Home Parent University which VIPS was able to sell to American Printing House for international commercialization. Terri also created the very popular Friday Friends program which invited community children into our Kids Town facility to learn more about visual impairment.

As a great Helen Keller enthusiast, Terri arranged for VIPS to throw a Helen Keller Birthday Party celebrating teachers of students with blindness at the governor’s mansion hosted by former first lady Jane Beshear. Terri volunteers whenever and wherever needed and is always thinking of our team. Oftentimes great new learning tools will just show up on the counter for teachers to scoop up or during holidays, little thank you gifts for staff will appear with an encouraging and loving note. Terri has been known to even make the snack table at our VIPS Board Meetings an interactive learning experience with tactual exploration activities. Her kind and gentle spirit, tireless energy, infectious smile and selfless generosity fill us all with great joy!

Terri has supported VIPS as a staff member, a board member, the President of the Board, volunteer and along with her wonderful husband, Bob, an extremely generous contributor. The first street name in Louisville’s Mobility City was “Terri Lane,” a gift from her husband, Bob, and her five wonderful children to celebrate the work of this amazing woman. Terri is currently leading the very active and engaged Best Practices/Continuous Improvement subcommittee of the VIPS Strategic Plan.

VIPS is eternally grateful for all the years of service Terri has provided to us and the children we serve. Terri is a treasure and a friend to all she comes in contact with. Terri’s remarks upon receiving her award were inspiring and capture the essence of her compassionate and humble spirit.

“I thank you…for this privilege.

When one individual is recognized, we all know that many are also recognized. The many in my life are those who contribute to who I yearn to be.

I know you all are a lot like me – juggling balls and occasionally dropping a few. And our dearest of family and friends are picking up those balls for and with us. I think as often as I thank someone, I also ask forgiveness for balls dropped.

Friends and family make us who we are. Perhaps, we are most inspired by those we carry with us at all times in spirit.

How many times has my husband plumped up a guest list for an event and widened our ripple effect? How often has he altered his routines to be a little earlier here or a little later there? How often have my children joined me in activities and come to know VIPS by just being here or doing a little project? How often have my parents, sisters and extended family received a Christmas card with the dearest of messages from VIPS? We know that each one of us here this evening is created and molded by our personal experiences and what others bring out in us, what others make possible for us. Our voices joined together become many voices, reaching many others.

We each have a responsibility to contribute to each other’s being our best, from the smallest of words to the smallest of thoughtful acts to just knowing we are there for each other. There is no one else like you. You and I are enough, just as we are and as we continue to grow in our own ways.

An “ambassador” represents something. To represent VIPS? In a heartbeat, no hesitation. I have every confidence in the hopes, dreams and services, the children, the families, the staff and the supporters that come from here. Promote VIPS? What a privilege!

When you are passionate about and excited about and continually blown away by what happens here, the lives that are truly changed, you can’t help but mention it to a neighbor, a cashier, a nurse or the person sitting next to you in a restaurant or on an airplane. Yes, I’ve given my Board of Directors card to total strangers. So, we all depend on each of you; our dear family, friends and supporters. We are all ambassadors for the best of what can be.

With thanks to Helen Keller, we are again reminded that “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

-Terri Connolly

Gheens Foundation Awards VIPS with a $50,000 Gift

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 18:41:00 GMT

Visually Impaired Preschool Services was recently awarded a $50,000 gift from the Gheens Foundation to be used for in-home early intervention visits by VIPS teachers as well as for two- to five-year-olds who attend Kids Town Preschool at VIPS.

“We were completely overwhelmed at the generosity of the Gheens Foundation,” said Diane Nelson, VIPS Executive Director. “We’ve enjoyed a long-time relationship with Gheens—our library is named after them—and this gift means so much for a strong start for our kids with blindness or low vision.”

Demand for VIPS services increased so much that VIPS built a fifth classroom so that more students needing specialized preschool have access to the foundation VIPS lays. Last year, VIPS served over 600 children and anticipate that number only growing.

“I am confident our founders, Edwin and Mary Jo Gheens, who had no children, would be most pleased to know their legacy of love and generosity is being perpetuated through the all-important mission of VIPS,” said Gheens President, Barry Allen.

VIPS, founded in 1985, is a unique charitable organization dedicated to meeting the critical early intervention needs of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers birth to 5 years old with low or no vision in Kentucky and Indiana. VIPS served over 600 children this past year across Kentucky and Indiana and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of visual impairment.

Our Kids Town Preschool at VIPS’ campus hosts visitors from around the world wanting to learn more about our Expanded Core Curriculum and best practices. Kids Town Preschool, a Kentucky 5-Star Center, is a test site for American Printing House for Blind’s new research and materials and is accredited nationally by AdvancED. VIPS was also recently awarded a 4-Star rating by Charity Navigator for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.

Inaugural ‘Swing for VIPS’ Helps Children with Visual Impairments

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 16:57:00 GMT

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Visually Impaired Preschool Services was recently awarded a generous monetary gift from Irving Materials, Inc. (imi) and their interstate, highway, and road construction division E&B Paving. The money raised by imi and their many sponsors at the inaugural imi ‘Swing for VIPS’ Golf Tournament was held at the Louisville Audubon Country Club on July 9.

“VIPS is incredibly grateful for the generosity of Mr. Ron Wibbels and the team at imi, along with their many sponsors, in raising money for our kids,” said Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS.

This grant will help VIPS provide a portion of a teacher’s salary, key to the direct services to those children birth to 5 years old with low or no vision in Kentucky and Indiana. This gift allows VIPS to employ the exceptional teachers who educate our children throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

“VIPS is a local organization right in the footprint where imi and our partners operate,” said Ron Wibbels, imi business development. “We know exactly where our money is going and it’s providing a foundation for these great kids.”

imi has already secured Audubon for July 9, 2019 for their next tournament and VIPS has been named as the recipient of those proceeds.

VIPS, founded in 1985, is a unique charitable organization dedicated to meeting the critical early intervention needs of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are blind or visually impaired and to their families. VIPS served over 600 children this past year across Kentucky and Indiana and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of visual impairment.

Our Kids Town Preschool at VIPS’ campus hosts visitors from around the world wanting to learn more about our Expanded Core Curriculum and best practices. Kids Town Preschool, a Kentucky 5-Star Center, is a test site for American Printing House for Blind’s new research and materials and is accredited nationally by AdvancED. VIPS was also recently awarded the coveted 4-Star rating by Charity Navigator for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.

Early Intervention and Brain Development: Making the Most of Neural Plasticity

Wed, 30 May 2018 17:56:00 GMT

by Melissa Barrick
Occupational Therapist and Early Interventionist in Visual Impairment | VIPS Indiana

What is the importance of early intervention for babies and toddlers? Why should families and children participate in such intervention? The answer to both these questions has to do with the young brain’s capacity to change, learn, and rewire itself. This is known as “neural plasticity.”

Neural plasticity involves the brain and its ability to wire and re-wire itself based on stimulation from the outside environment. This stimulation comes from exploration, experiences, exposure, or even specific training through early intervention. Neural plasticity suggests, as evidenced by the neuroscientific study of the central nervous system, that the brain is “plastic” or in a sense, moldable and able to be changed to some degree with stimulation and learning experiences.

The brain remains plastic throughout the human lifespan, but most research indicates that it is the most moldable within the first three years of life. During these first three years, the human brain undergoes immense growth with sprouting of new nerve cells and forming of new neural cell-to-cell connections at a rapid pace. These new neurons grow and sprout in anticipation of a newborn young child being able to explore and learn about their surroundings through the senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing, touch, and proprioception. All of the body’s senses and sensation mechanisms arise from the central nervous system, which is composed of the brain and spinal cord.

The phrases “Use it or lose it” and “Neurons that fire together wire together” hint at the importance of experiences, stimulation, interaction, and engagement, particularly with very young children. Rich sensory stimulation helps the young brain form new and lasting neural circuits that in turn supports a child’s ability to learn and understand more about their surrounding environment and world. Opportunities to see, move, smell, touch, taste, hear, and feel are necessary to facilitate ongoing brain growth, as well as physical, social, and emotional development.

Early intervention services, such as those provided by Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS), capitalizes on the brain’s exceptional ability to grow and change during the first three years of life. Initiating services early on affords the advantage of intervening when a child is at a prime age to respond relatively quickly to stimulation that boosts brain development, and when the brain has its highest potential of neural plasticity and change.

Featured Image Credit

Trystan Progresses

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 20:28:00 GMT

He came into our lives with Gods Perfect Timing. But we soon learned our little boy had visual problems and was getting behind in developing. Therapy helped but the gap was getting larger in his development. We moved to Indiana just before he turned two and struggled with getting therapy started again. We were set up with Pediatric Development at Riley Children’s Hospital and from that initial visit, we were put in touch with VIPS. Annie, the director, came out to visit and we were immediately impressed with her vibrant personality. Near the end of that visit she explained what she observed from our son, and for the first time we had an idea of what was going on with our little boy and had a direction for helping him.

With the new information, we made a few adjustments in how we worked with our son and changes started to happen. He went from cruising and always taking hold of things (which he had been doing for several months) to walking in a few weeks! There were lots of little improvements as well that we were able to report to his VIPS therapist, Amy, when she came for her first visit with Trystan. Amy quickly became involved in our lives and has gone above and beyond in helping our son’s other therapists to have a better understanding of how our little boy sees and ways we can tailor his therapy to work with him. Changes began to happen rapidly for our son. He was developing new skills almost daily. (He is still behind, but the gap has lessened.) Then Nick, the O&M Instructor from VIPS, came for a visit and we were surprised to learn that our son would probably need assistance walking in unfamiliar areas for the rest of his life. But we also learned from Nick how we could help our son and what to do to help him better navigate his environment. This information turned out to be a blessing as now we are more acutely aware of potential situations that can be a problem for our son and how we can help him learn to negotiate his surroundings.

I know that because of all the wonderful people at VIPS and their desire to help, our son’s life has been greatly improved, not only for the present but also for his future. I cannot say THANK YOU enough to those who have helped make our son’s life better. I am Trystan’s mommy, Thyrealynn. And his daddy is Jerry. Trystan is our little boy through an interfamily adoption. We are very thankful for this little boy and for all the help we have received to make his life better.

Help for Santa’s Helpers: The Gift of Christmas Routines

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 13:15:00 GMT

by Paige Maynard
Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Developmental Interventionist | VIPS Louisville

All young children thrive in the context of routines. Routines are essential for enabling the child to fully participate in activities. However, during the holiday season, the craziness of celebrations can really disrupt those essential routines that help your child to function at her best. Consider giving her the gift of establishing Christmas routines and traditions this year. Not only will your child be able to successfully take part in celebrations, your stress level can go down as you feel confident about her joining in.

First, I encourage each VIPS family to start the tradition of doing what is best for your household each winter. December is a busy month for everyone, and sometimes the pace of life is a little too swift to allow you to feel that the most wonderful time of the year is indeed wonderful. Sometimes it’s better to have a few simple routines and traditions that are meaningful than it is to try to take part in every celebration you are invited to.

So what’s in a routine? Why is a routine important? A good routine for your child has predictability – your child should know what is going to happen from start to finish and that steps occur in the same order each time. If your holiday routine is to send out one card together to one family member each day of the month, your child might learn to know that first, she sits in the high chair, then hears you get out the box of cards, then it is her turn to grasp an inked stamp or another tool to help sign the card. Finally, the card is placed in the envelope, and your child joins you in taking it to the mailbox.

Consistency is also important – your child should know what is expected of her during the routine. Is it her job to pull the tissue paper out of the gift bag? Or maybe to be the designated holder of the songbook during the religious service? Good routines also engage your child in anticipation – when your child observes your cues, she knows how to prepare herself for what comes next. For example, your child can learn to get ready to help join in on part of a familiar carol you sing each evening when she hears you begin the tune. Finally, a good routine allows for practice –the opportunity to complete activities again and again over a period of time so that your child can recall what happened the last time and try to do more of them this time. For instance, multiple attempts at rereading “The Night Before Christmas” can help a child who uses a switch to know when to press it to take part.

Specific traditions and routines that you can start with your child this year include:

• Instead of opening all gifts on one day, let your child participate in opening one gift each day of the month. Not only will opening one gift for a succession of days enable your child to learn this “skill,” it can also help minimize the sensory overload that can come with wrapping paper and toys strewn throughout the living room.

• Create a story about what happens in your home on Christmas day. Then review it each day. This can be as simple as telling your child what happens on Christmas morning. Or, it could be as complex as creating a book or story box that describes what to expect at each part of your celebration. I recommend consulting with your child’s VIPS teacher to help make the most of your holiday story.

• Celebrate the season by reading the same favorite holiday story each day. Allow your child to help turn pages in the book, join in on reading, or pat the pages of the book.

Resources:
Smith, Millie. (n.d.) Routines. Retrieved from http://www.tsbvi.edu/component/content/article/1733-routines.
Smith, Millie. (n.d.) Why are Routines Worth the Trouble?. Retrieved from http://www.tsbvi.edu/component/content/article/1723-why-are-routinesworth-the-trouble.

Glasses 101 for Children with Low Vision/Blindness

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:38:00 GMT

Annie Hughes
VIPS Indiana Director and Teacher of Blind/Low Vision

When a child is blind or has very low vision, sometimes the first thing a parent or a friend or relative says is; “He needs glasses.” But whether or not glasses will improve a child’s ability to see is dependent upon the reason for the child’s low vision or blindness. For some eye conditions/diagnoses, there IS something that will help improve vision; a surgery, a medication, a visual intervention, or prescription eye glasses. But, for many serious eye conditions, there is NOT an intervention that will improve visual acuity. And in these cases, putting glasses on a child simply will not help. That is why, as a teacher of the visually impaired, one of the first things I try to do is make sure a child’s parents have an accurate diagnosis from a pediatric ophthalmologist or an optometrist so parents understand whether or not prescription glasses might help their child to use his or her vision.

Why Glasses are Often Prescribed

There are a number of reasons that eyeglasses are prescribed. By far, the most common reason is to correct a refractive error. In the case of a refractive error, glasses (or contacts) are prescribed to help the lens bend the light so it comes into focus where it should on the retina. When a child is diagnosed as near-sighted, (myopia), or far-sighted, (hyperopia), glasses can greatly improve visual acuity. Sometimes, each eye has a significantly different refractive error, (anisometropia), and each eye needs a distinctly different correction. And because we all have small imperfections in the shapes of our eyeballs, glasses can also include a correction to take our eyeball shape into account. (Astigmatism)

Another reason that an eye doctor might prescribe glasses involves alignment /eye muscle issues or Strabismus. The most common types of Strabismus are esotropia or exotropia. There are a number of things that are usually part of the protocol when an eye doctor is trying to help the child to use both of his/her eyes together. (Binocular vision) After patching the better eye, frequently, one of the steps can be to try to pull the weaker eye into alignment by prescribing specific lenses. As a teacher, I have watched a child put on glasses and eyes miraculously align, followed by taking those same glasses off and watching the eyes immediately slip out of alignment. Sometimes though, glasses are not effective, and eye muscle surgery is necessary, or glasses are used in conjunction with other strategies to foster binocular vision.

There are times when a child is prescribed glasses with clear unbreakable lenses with the only purpose being the protection of the better eye. This is usually done if the child has very little or no vision in his/her other eye and the doctor is doing everything possible to protect the child’s one working eye. Because accidents happen, especially with children and in a busy school setting, the doctor decides to put a layer of polycarbonate in front of the better eye to protect it from flying objects, (rocks, dust, balls, elbows), that could blind the child if his/her better eye sustained damage.

Another reason for glasses is when a doctor tries simple magnification in a child with extremely low vision in an effort to increase a child’s ability to perceive objects. (Fostering object perception) Along the same lines, sometimes specific prism lenses are dropped into glasses in an effort to pull more light into the eye of a child with CVI who is not responding visually to lighted targets. (Fostering light perception)

Frequently, children with very significant visual loss have more than one diagnosis. They may have a primary diagnosis, and then several secondary diagnoses that all contribute to the loss of acuity, and the glasses prescribed may only help one of the eye conditions. Also, children with significant vision loss frequently can only be provided with “best correction,” which means that in spite of the glasses, he or she does not see with the clarity of a child with normal vision. Sometimes a person sees a child wearing glasses and it can be misleading. They assume that the child can see, when in fact, they see very little. But as any parent of a youngster with visual impairment will tell you, any little bit of visual acuity that you can gain for your child is “golden” and greatly impacts functional skills and mobility.

Deciding which eye professional to use is the subject of a completely different article, but parents should always feel free: 1) to ask questions of their ophthalmologist or optometrist, 2) to get a second opinion, and 3) to talk with their child’s teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) to get more information about the implications of their child’s diagnosis and ways to make visual accommodations that might allow the child better use of the vision he/she does have.

Keeping Glasses on Your Little One

Once glasses are prescribed, the next challenge can be to keep them on a child’s face! As an adult, you may have experienced the sensation of putting on new glasses. If so, you understand that there is an adjustment period as your brain recalibrates to the new correction. The same is true for children. Knowing what the glasses are for and when they will help the most, (viewing at a distance, viewing at near-point, etc.); will go a long way in making the transition easier. If the child continues to take the glasses off, try “pairing” a favored activity with “glasses time” (meals, snack-time, favorite toys, a favorite CD or video, etc.) If the glasses come off, the favored activity stops until those glasses are replaced.

Keeping those little hands busy is a good idea, and sometimes it is necessary to create a barrier of sorts to keep the child from reaching up and pulling off his/ her glasses. Put on music, slip those glasses on, grab the child’s right arm, trap the child’s left arm under your right arm and dance! The idea is to build up a tolerance to the sensation of glasses on a child’s face over time and to gradually increase “glasses time” so the brain actually has an opportunity to adjust to the new correction.

Consistent verbal cues or physical prompts can help to teach the child to leave the glasses on and avoid pulling them off. With very young children, the rule can be, “Only Mommy or Daddy can take your glasses off or put them on.” Because prescription glasses are expensive to replace, it is important that they are put in a specific safe place when taken off. This won’t occur if the child takes them off whenever he/she feels like it.

Picking the Right Kind of Glasses

It is important that the doctor prescribes the correct type of glasses for your child’s specific needs. If your child does not sit up or stand, but lies down or rolls around to move, glasses with a comfy foam wrap-around strap that adjusts rather than standard temple earpieces are preferable. Some children’s glasses frames are unbreakable flexible plastic in a variety of colors, but they usually need a strap to keep them in place. Straps can really help as long as they are not too tight. For some children who have difficulty with glasses, sports goggles can be an answer. Whether or not your child’s glasses have nose pads depends on the shape of your child’s face. There are also non-slip pads for glasses that are put on the earpieces and can keep the glasses from moving around.

Sometimes, using a timer to signal the time when the parent will remove the glasses provides an opportunity to increase the time a child can tolerate glasses in small increments. Praise your child whenever the glasses are in place and allow your child to become aware of significant people in his life who also wear glasses. Have your child look in the mirror to see how handsome or beautiful he or she is. Teach proper care of glasses, and build “shiny glasses cleaning time” into the day (before putting them on in the morning, after meals, after naptime, etc.).

For children who need a great deal of correction, doctors sometimes do not correct to the full strength with the first pair of glasses, but instead, build up to the full strength over a period of time. The important thing is to give the child time to adjust to his/her new glasses. Most often, as the child realizes that the glasses are helping, he/she will WANT to wear them. If, after trying lots of things and giving it plenty of time, your child is still not wanting to wear his glasses, then it is time to talk with your eye care professional again to figure out what is going on. Are the glasses really helping? Is there an error with the prescription? Sometimes in a youngster with a CVI diagnosis, an optometrist will correct for a refractive error and prescribe glasses, but the CVI is so significant that the refractive error is not even functionally noticeable. Perhaps later, after the child begins to use his/her vision, the correction for the refractive error may be revisited. And some children with significant brain damage or multiple impairments have difficulty with bi-focal and progressive lenses because processing, in general, is difficult for them. Each child is unique, and if prescription glasses are a part of the visual solution, a lot of variables will need to be considered as decisions are made about the types of lenses, frames, and straps that will be best-suited to your child.

Hand-Under-Hand or Hand-Over-Hand?

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:05:00 GMT

Jan Moseley
Visual Impairment Specialist/Newsletter Editor

You may never have thought about these instructional strategies, let alone which one is preferable for your child with visual impairments but amazingly, there are some considerations you may wish to address.

Back in graduate school, I learned about using the hand-over-hand technique. I would place my hands over the top of the child’s hands so the child would be touching the materials. Then my hands would guide her to actually perform the activity. This strategy worked –most of the time- but occasionally, a specific student or specific task might not turn out as I had intended. I don’t recall ever analyzing why that might be the case.

A recent request from one of the preschool teachers for information about hand-under-hand caused me to search online. I found a well-written article in the American Foundation for the Blind website, Hand-Over-Hand and Hand-Under-Hand that pointed out the subtle differences in my learned technique. Could it be that giving the child more control by allowing her to place her hands on top of mine while I complete the activity would result in a higher success rate than I previously achieved? I don’t have a conclusive answer, but it makes sense to me.

Support for the Strategy

A plus of the hand-under-hand strategy might be to give a reluctant child more of a secure touch since I’d be touching the “foreign” materials. She could pull her hands away any time she chose rather than feeling “forced” to touch something new that might be unsettling. She might be able to feel more clearly exactly what my hands were doing. Either way, her level of comfort might increase and allow for more successful completion of the task benefits I never considered!

Intrigued? I certainly was. Visit the AFB website for the full article. I also visited the National Federation of the Blind to see what they were saying about hand-over-hand and hand-under-hand teaching. Don’t forget to read the article “Talking the Language of the Hands to the Hands” in the National Center on Deaf-Blindness’s website. I am certain there are probably many more helpful articles but these made me a believer! The consensus appeared to be that hand-under-hand could be a much more successful technique for children with blindness or visual impairments than hand-over-hand ever was!

Elijah's Determination Overcomes Hurdles of Ocular Albinism

Sat, 17 Jun 2017 14:24:00 GMT

Elijah was first seen by our ophthalmologist in late February 2013. We noticed that his left eye was turning inward and felt it was necessary to have him evaluated. It was at the first appointment that he was diagnosed with Ocular Albinism, Strabismus (the turning in of his left eye) and Nystagmus. So many things happened so early in his life that it seemed like just another obstacle our beautiful boy was going to have to overcome. As we watched him grow and learn, it started to become more apparent that he wasn’t just overcoming these difficulties but rather exceeding every milestone we were told he may never meet.

Elijah dressed as Iron Man!

To say we have done it alone couldn’t be further from the truth. Through his journey we have encountered so many incredible people. We started working with First Steps while Eli was still an infant. He would get a visit at home or daycare, working with him on daily activities as well as informing us how we could help him thrive. When he was old enough, Elijah phased into the VIPS preschool. Their program has helped prepare him for any hindrances he will face and continues to encourage his ability to do things on his own. Above everything else, we are amazed by the love and support he receives on a daily basis from his teachers, volunteers and other parents in our community.

At this point Elijah is almost 4 years old. His diagnosis has not held him back in the least. Eli is an active, funny, charming and incredibly loving little boy. Most parents will tell you that they want their child to be “just like every other kid.” The reality is that Eli is not. He is stronger. He is more determined. He is set apart from other kids his age not because of what he faces but how he perseveres and will continue to do so. I could keep bragging about our son but the main point of all of this is how special we feel that he is ours and we are his.

Alex Ruidiaz
Elijah’s Father

Ashley and Aaron Working Against Blind Stereotypes

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 21:25:00 GMT

We always think it’s important to report on VIPS graduates and were thrilled when Mary Ann Reynolds, former VIPS staff member and mother of VIPS graduate Ashley Reynolds Linson, and mother-in-law of VIPS graduate Aaron Linson, sent along a progress report of Ashley’s current life.

“She is pursuing a degree in music business at IUS; also enjoys writing songs, playing the piano and violin, singing, and being married. She teaches voice to a class of 10 -15 students once a week at Diane Moore Dance Academy. She also takes dance classes at the studio including clogging and jazz. She is very interested in working with children with disabilities, someday, perhaps, having a job at VIPS. Ashley has made the journey through school with support from my family, friends, husband, and God,” writes Ashley’s mother, Mary.

Mary Ann Reynolds, also sent information from Ashley’s husband, Aaron, who will graduate from IUS in the spring of 2017 achieving a Bachelor of Science in music with a concentration in audio production and a minor in communications. Aaron writes, “I am excited about getting ready to graduate. This means that I’m not a part of the statistic of blind people who just get frustrated by college and don’t give it a second chance. I couldn’t have done it without all of the awesome teachers at IUS and the support of my family and friends. I plan on finding a job in technology or music. I am also working on getting my recording studio up and running. I want to focus on classy music which I define as music you actually have to know how to play an instrument to be good at. I want to record genres such as blues, jazz, folk, singer/songwriter, bluegrass, southern gospel, any kind of acoustic based or classy based feel. I’d lastly but not least thank my loving wife for letting me do my internship even when she was alone in a big bed a lot of weekends not knowing when I’d have to go to work.”

This means that I’m not a part of the statistic of blind people who just get frustrated by college and don’t give it a second chance.

Ashley Reynolds Linson with husband Aaron Linson.

Mary Ann Reynolds,

Ashley’s mother

Aria Makes Progress With Aicardi Syndrome

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 21:11:00 GMT

Our beautiful daughter Aria was born January 2014 and has kept us very busy as any child does. She has the diagnosis of Aicardi Syndrome, a rare disorder that typically only appears in females since the abnormality occurs in the X-chromosome. This syndrome causes several eye abnormalities along with a lot of other accommodative diagnoses. We sought out VIPS to start school because of all the positive feedback we had received from other families and therapists. We love seeing the progress she has made since being there. Thanks to all the wonderful teachers, assistants, therapists, and anyone else who makes Aria’s day when she is at school.

Jackie Morford

Aria’s Mom

Planned Giving

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 20:54:00 GMT

Sharon Bensinger
Founder of VIPS

Have you ever thought you might want to leave a gift in your will to VIPS or another charity of your choice?
A few years ago my husband Charlie and I sat down with our lawyer to update our wills. It had been a long time since we had made any changes. Our lawyer has a great “bedside manner” and obviously has helped many people over his professional career to write their wills. He asked us many good questions, one of which was “what charitable organizations mean the most to you, and would you like to remember any in your will?” My answer was obviously “yes!”

Over my professional career, I had been to quite a few workshops that focused on getting folks to leave bequests to nonprofit organizations. I especially remember seeing a short video quite a few years ago, stressing the fact that you do not have to be wealthy to leave money to a charitable organization!

Any Amount Will Make an Impact

Any amount of money……$500, $5,000 or $50,000 tells the charity that you believed in them in your lifetime, and now that you have passed, you want to support them with a gift. The important thing to remember is that you leave something, not the amount. I believe that to be true!

So, naturally, I decided that I wanted to leave something to VIPS in my will. I was not sure how much to leave. I talked to my financial advisor and he told me about the idea of having VIPS purchase a life insurance policy that will pay out at my death. He went on to say that if I donated money for the purchase of a life insurance policy now when I pass away VIPS will receive four times the amount! I never dreamed that I would be able to leave VIPS that much, so investing the money now and having it pay out at my death sounded like a great plan and made me very excited.
That is exactly what I did.

I understand that may not be what you want to do. You may not have the cash now to give. You might want to leave money after your death. There are numerous ways to leave a legacy, including plans that pay you an actual income while you are alive and then benefit a selected nonprofit upon your passing.

Contact a Professional to Advise You

To find the plan that works for you, just contact your lawyer or financial advisor. Additionally, VIPS has a team of experts who can also guide you through this process.

Please think about where you would like to leave money and, remember, how much is not important! The fact that you are remembering your favorite causes and want to leave something is what is important. Talk to an attorney, financial planner or the development staff at VIPS (Louisville: 888-636-8477, Lexington: 888-254-8477, and Indiana: 888-824-2197) to get started. Most importantly…remember VIPS in your will!

The Outdoors as Sensory Input for Your Visually Impaired Child

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 19:11:00 GMT

Annie Hughes
VIPS Indiana Director and Teacher of Blind/Low Vision

The outdoor environment is sensory-rich! Wind blowing across your skin and through your hair, warm sun on your skin, sounds made by wind blowing the trees and bushes, sounds of birds, traffic, church bells, dogs barking, sounds of swings and other playground equipment, the feel of grass on your feet and legs, the rough texture of bark on trees, the tickle of leaves when you walk under branches, cold squishy mud, dry sand, and fragrant soil that is ready for planting are all experiences that provide wonderful sensory input. All of these help your child; 1) use his or her tactile, olfactory, auditory and visual channels, 2) promote tactile and visual discrimination, 3) foster concept and language development, and 4) develop gross and fine motor skills in addition to just being a fun opportunity to spend quality time with your child.

Ideas for a baby/toddler or young child with multiple impairments (non-mobile)

Use a stroller, wheelchair or wagon to take a walk or have a destination like a shady tree or bench. Remember to talk about what you are feeling, hearing and smelling. Give cues about what you are rolling on…a smooth sidewalk, a bumpy road, through the grass, or across a gravel driveway. Your child’s receptive language is much more advanced than you may think.

Unhappy or colicky babies frequently calm if you take them outside. The change in air pressure and sensory input sometimes interrupts a crying jag.

Depending upon your circumstances, either leave your child in the stroller/wheelchair, or spread out a blanket or large towel so there is a home-base. Take whatever you need with you to position your child comfortably on the blanket or towel. Sing songs, talk about the things you hear and what is all around you.

Give me some skin! Your child will learn more if they have more skin exposed for feeling things. Take off those shoes and socks. Take off long pants so those legs encounter grass, sand, and little feet can kick at the branches of that bush.

Position your child so some of his/her body is touching the grass. Sometimes, this change of texture can be overwhelming, so start with just a foot off the blanket. Use the things in your yard or neighborhood park to help your child begin to experience and understand the natural world. Position your child under a little bush so when they kick or reach up, they encounter leaves.

Hold your child and walk under a branch with leaves. Don’t bump the branch, but walk through the tiny branches with soft leaves that will tickle. Talk about what you are doing. Then talk about it and do it again. This can become a fun game and may elicit giggles.

Take a walk in gentle rain without an umbrella. (No lightning, please!) Talk about, listen to, and smell the rain. Most children with vision learn about rain by watching it through a window, but your child will need to experience it.

Don’t be afraid to allow your very young child to get a little dirty as they feel/experience nature with skin surfaces. Cleaning up muddy feet that get to feel squishy mud involves remembering to take a few wet washcloths in a zip-log bag or a package of wipes.

Ideas for a child who is mobile (crawling or walking)

Select a little tree in your yard or neighborhood that is young enough that your child can reach the branches. Take a tactile marker with you on a string or shoestring to “mark the tree.” (Beads on a shoelace, a little plastic toy, a squishy ball on a keychain, etc.) Tie the item onto a branch of the tree that your child can touch. Now, this is “Katie’s or Zayden’s tree.” Check this tree frequently with your child as the seasons change to see what is happening. Are the leaves starting to get dry and falling down? Are almost all the leaves gone? It’s fall/autumn. Check the tree in the winter. Verify that it’s the same tree by locating the “tactile marker.” If it’s cold outside, there is sometimes snow under the tree, and there are no leaves on the tree, it’s winter. Find the little buds on the tree that tell you that spring is coming! Are the buds getting bigger? Are baby leaves starting to grow on the tree? Are they getting bigger? It’s spring! You get the idea. Later, find a pine tree and discover that coniferous trees shed some needles, but keep their needles, which are their leaves all year long.

Take your child on a tour of the yard so he/she will know what is there. (You can do this with babies too.) If you have your own yard, fix any dangerous aspects, (holes, drop-offs), and if possible, enclose the area with a fence so that later, your child can go outside independently.

When your child is outside, teach him/her how to find the back door using tactile and auditory cues. (Follow the side walk; listen for the wind chimes above the door or the radio/iPhone playing music in the kitchen window, etc.) Note: You and your child can even make the wind chimes yourselves!

When swallowing small items is no longer a hazard, allow your child to play with rocks, dirt, mulch, shells, etc. Compare and contrast things in nature. (big rock/little rock, big leaf/little leaf, smooth bark/bumpy bark, wet/dry rocks, cold/warm sidewalks, steps, and rocks, etc.)

Tie bells to swing set equipment that swings in your yard so your child will hear if another child is swinging and can avoid a collision. Sometimes families use bricks or wood to define a perimeter around the swings, and these act as tactile alerts for a child entering the “swing zone.”

If you find a bird nest, spray it thoroughly with a germ killing spray and seal it in a plastic bag for a couple days or put it in a zip-lock bag in the freezer overnight. Later, your child can safely explore it. Use artificial birds from craft stores to give children an idea of the size and shape of real birds since they rarely hold still and allow exploration. In late winter/early spring, let your child hang short pieces of yarn and string on a low bush so the birds can use them for nest-building.

Get a bird feeder that can be taken down from the tree and let your child refill it and notice how empty/full it is. “Do we need to fill the bird feeder?”

Do not allow your child to play in the water of a bird bath. Birds can carry a disease called Histoplasmosis that can be very dangerous.

Provide safe opportunities for water play. A small pool, a basin of water, a spray bottle, a paint brush and a bucket of water are all ways to play in water without actually going swimming.

In warm weather, let your child swim in a little pool or large storage bin, or play under the sprinkler. Always stay with your child when any water is present. A child can drown in only an inch of water.

Start to make a list of outdoor destinations with landmarks that your child can learn to love: A neighbor’s yard, a neighborhood playground or park, a blanket outside the fire station so you can listen to see if the fire fighters need to hurry to help someone, or a nearby creek or a farm.

Teach your child how to use outdoor equipment that is age-appropriate. Teach him/her how to climb a ladder on a small slide, sit down, and slide down a slide. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Children sometimes need many exposures before they can master a piece of equipment. Once you master one piece of equipment, move on to another piece of equipment.

Take an extra zip-lock back with you when you venture outside so that as you and your child experience the natural world, you and your child can take back souvenirs. (A favorite rock, a little branch, a sprig from a lilac bush) Start a nature box that can hold your child’s treasures. The items you bring home can also be turned into an experience story with one tactile item on each page. Your teacher of the visually impaired or early interventionist in visual impairment can help you turn those treasures into an experience story.

Think about the things you used to enjoy as a child and try to share those with your son or daughter. Put your phone away and stay in the moment with your child. Remember that children with visual impairment sometimes initially struggle with changes in the routine or new things, but if the natural world becomes a consistent part of your child’s life, he or she will learn to love Mother Nature’s sensory world.