Tag Archive

LightHouse for the Blind

Meet the Distinguished 2021 Holman Prize Jurors

07/21/2021 LightHouse Staff

A few weeks ago, we introduced you to the fourteen 2021 Holman Prize for Blind Ambition Finalists. Three from this ambitious group of blind people who want to challenge misconceptions about what it means to be blind will be selected as winners of our fifth annual Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. A special thanks goes to Waymo for sponsoring one of this year’s winners.

But who chooses the winners? Each year a panel of esteemed blindness leaders from around the world come together for discussion and debate to select the winners of the Holman Prize. All committee members are themselves blind.

For the second consecutive year, our committee will meet virtually. The fifteen members of this year’s committee reside in six countries and work in a variety of fields from law to computer science, to academia, to leadership roles in blindness organizations.

Learn more about them below.

The 2021 Holman Prize Committee

Martine Abel-Williamson, QSM
Auckland, New Zealand
President, World Blind Union

Martine is employed as a Senior Human Rights Advisor for the New Zealand Human Rights Commission. She’s on the boards of the Accessible Books Consortium, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and Blind Citizens NZ. She also holds pan-disability roles as a board member of Disability Connect, a pan-disability service provider.

Bryan Bashin
Berkeley, California, USA
CEO, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Bryan has led a diverse life since he graduated UC Berkeley in history and journalism. He first spent 15 years as a journalist in television, radio and print, specializing in science news. In 1998 Bryan was hired as Executive Director of the Sacramento Society for the Blind, where he quintupled the number of hours of teaching and developed innovative programs such as the Senior Intensive Retreat and summer immersion camps. In 2004 he was hired as the Region IX assistant regional commissioner for the United States Department of Education’s west coast branch of RSA, overseeing funding for $500 million in federal disability programs. In 2010 he was hired to lead the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco, leading a staff of 140.

Jason Fayre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
National Lead, Accessibility and Assistive Technology, CNIB

Jason has been working in the accessibility and assistive technology field for more than 20 years. In his current role at CNIB, he ensures that any staff who are blind are able to take full advantage of the multitude of technologies available to them. He works directly with companies such as Microsoft and Google to assist them in providing the most accessible products possible. Prior to CNIB, Jason worked for Freedom Scientific, one of the largest providers of assistive technology for people who are blind or have low vision.

Karla Gilbride
Silver Springs, Maryland, USA
Senior Attorney, Public Justice

A graduate with honors of Georgetown Law, Karla clerked for Judge Ronald Gould on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Her current legal work focuses on fighting mandatory arbitration provisions imposed on consumers and workers that prevent them from holding corporations accountable for wrongdoing in court. She is also a board member for the National Employment Lawyers Association, and a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. She is an avid baseball fan and fantasy baseball nerd and enjoys hiking, cycling and playing goalball.

Georgina Kleege
Berkeley, California
Professor in Creative Writing and Disability Studies, UC Berkeley

Georgina has been teaching at UC Berkeley since 2003. Her recent books include: Sight Unseen, Blind Rage: Letters to Helen Keller and More than Meets the Eye: What Blindness Brings to Art.

Karen Knight
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
General Manager of Client Services, Vision Australia

A proud Australian, Karen spent the first fifteen years of her career as a psychologist specializing in youth suicide prevention and mental health promotion. It is her lived experience and many years involvement in the consumer movement of blind people in Australia that has shaped her views about best practice in blindness service delivery. Karen is passionate about blind and visually impaired people living their dreams without the shackles imposed by others. Being out there telling blind positive stories is one way to change attitudes.

Karen has two young adult children and is a keen ballroom and Latin-American dancer.

Trisha Kulkarni
Dayton, Ohio, USA
B.S. Candidate in Computer Science, Stanford University

Trisha is an incoming senior at Stanford University studying computer science with a minor in creative writing. This summer, she is working as a software engineering intern within the Office Experience Organization at Microsoft, while also proudly serving as the President of the National Association of Blind Students. Kulkarni is humbled to be taking part in this incredible opportunity and looks forward to building our future together.

Jim Kutsch, PhD
Morristown, New Jersey, USA
Retired President, The Seeing Eye

Jim served as President and CEO of The Seeing Eye from 2006 until he retired in December 2019. He served as Chair of the Board of the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), Chairman of the Morris Animal Foundation Board, President of the Council of U.S. Dog Guide Schools, and Chairman of the Board of National Industries for the Blind. Earlier, Kutsch was a Professor of Computer Science, a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories, VP and Chief Information Officer at AT&T Universal Card Services, and VP of Strategic Technology at Convergys. His degrees include a Psychology BA and a Computer Science MS and PhD, as well as an honorary Doctorate for lifetime service to people with disabilities, including designing the first talking computer.

Jim Marks
Helena, Montana, USA
Program Director, Area IV Agency on Aging, Rocky Mountain Development Council

Previously, Jim served as the Director of Disability Services for Students at the University of Montana and as Montana’s director of vocational rehabilitation. Jim is the President of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana. He lives with his wife, Kathy. They have four adult children and six grandchildren.

Natalina Martiniello, PhD
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Research Associate, Université de Montréal; President of Braille Literacy Canada

Natalina is a Research Associate and teaches in the Graduate program in Visual Impairment and Rehabilitation at the Université de Montréal, in Montreal, Canada. She is the President of Braille Literacy Canada (the Canadian Braille Authority) and a strong advocate for braille literacy and accessibility. As a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, she has taught braille and access technologies to children, adults and seniors with visual impairments. Her research focuses on braille, adult learning and aging and on developing evidence-based strategies to support working-age and older adults who learn braille. An avid traveler, her most memorable trip was visiting the house of Louis Braille.

Florence Ndagire
Lawyer
Wakiso, Wakiso District, Uganda

Florence is the first visually impaired female lawyer in Uganda. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and a Master of Law in international and European human rights law at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. She is currently enrolled at Makerere University in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and tropical medicine for her PhD research on access to reproductive health services by persons with disabilities in Uganda. She is the chairperson of the UN Women Regional civil society advisory group of East and Southern Africa. She is the current UNPRPD advisor. Florence is the primary author of “Will the proposed reforms in the mental health treatment act be consistent with Article 12 of the Convention on the rights of Persons with disabilities in Uganda?”

Walt Raineri
Northern California, USA
Partner Emeritus, Fenwick & West LLP

Walt’s legal and accounting professional, academic, philanthropic, entrepreneurial, and adaptive athletic sports careers span 45 years, and counting. He has practiced in the areas of international taxation, multinational mergers and acquisitions, and large group consolidations. Walt is also a CPA, a former Associate Professor at Golden Gate university, former Lecturer at UC Berkeley, and Stanford University. He founded four for profit companies, notably Ariat International, the equestrian clothing and footwear company. He is an alumnus of UC Berkeley School of Business Administration and Georgetown university School of Law. Walt is a Paralympic level athlete in multiple sports and has a passion to help others achieve their fitness objectives. He has helped guide dozens of nonprofit organizations focused on supporting the visually impaired community.

Will Schell, J.D.
Washington, D.C.
Deputy Chief of the Disability Rights Office, Federal Communications Commission

Among other things, Will manages the Disability Rights Office complaints team, drafts various guidance and orders and engages in outreach with the disability community. He also serves as the Designated Federal Officer of the Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee, which provides advice and recommendations to the Commission on a wide array of disability issues within the FCC’s jurisdiction. Prior to that, Will was a disability rights attorney at the Office for Civil Rights and at Disability Rights California where he represented people in litigation to prevent them from unnecessary segregation.

Abby White
Oxford, England, UK
Co-founder and Volunteer CEO, World Eye Cancer Hope

Abby’s mother was raised in France and her father in Kenya, where he was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma in 1946. Her globally scattered family inspired her love for travel and study of geography at university, with emphasis on development in sub-Saharan Africa. Abby co-founded World Eye Cancer Hope, responding to the needs of one child with retinoblastoma in Botswana, and the desire to help many more worldwide. While working with the charity in 2015, Abby’s guide dog, Annie, became the first to visit Kenya – during a conference circuit that also took in South Africa and the USA.

She enjoys audio books, creative writing, open water swimming and long country walks. She lives in Oxford, England, with her current guide dog, Ritzie.

Joe Xavier
Elk Grove, California,
Director, California Department of Rehabilitation,

Joe Xavier has over 36 years of experience in business and public administration, as well as many years participating in advocacy and community organizations. As an immigrant, a blind consumer, a beneficiary of the DOR’s services, Joe has the experience and understands the challenges and opportunities available to individuals with disabilities, and the services required to maximize an individual’s full potential. Joe: believes in the talent and potential of individuals with disabilities; in investing in the future through creativity, ingenuity and innovation; ensuring decisions and actions are informed by interested individuals and groups; in pursuing excellence through continuous improvement; and preserving the public’s trust through compassionate and responsible provision of services.

LightHouse News

San Francisco’s Market Street is being transformed and the city wants to hear from you

09/24/2019 LightHouse Staff 1 Comment

You’re invited to a community gathering on Thursday, October 3, to learn more about and give input to the Better Market Street project.

When: Thursday, October 3, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse Headquarters, 1155 Market St, 10th Floor

Better Market Street is the City’s multi-agency project to transform 2.2 miles of Market Street, from Octavia Boulevard to Stuart Street, enhancing safety and accessibility, improving transit performance, replacing aging infrastructure, and revitalizing the corridor’s streetscape.

The project is advancing toward approval this fall and in the coming months, team members from San Francisco Public Works and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will be joining us for community meetings to provide updates on the project.

At our first meeting, we’ll hear an overview with an emphasis on the first phase of the project, Market Street between Eighth and Fifth streets, right in front of LightHouse Headquarters. The team will also discuss proposed transit stops and passenger drop-off zones, as much of these streetscape improvements may affect the travel of blind pedestrians. This meeting is a key one in which we all can give input.

Please join us at 1155 Market Street, 10th floor, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

RSVP directly to Jennifer Blot of San Francisco Public Works: Jennifer.blot@sfdpw.org or 415-554-6993.

LightHouse News

Red Szell reflects on how the Holman Prize got him to the top of the rock

08/26/2019 Christina Daniels 1 Comment

Each year, the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition, funded by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, provides three blind people up to $25,000 each to carry out an ambitious idea. On June 22, 2019, Holman Prize winner Red Szell successfully completed his extreme blind triathlon, which included a 10-mile off-road tandem bike ride, an open-water swim and a 213-foot climb up Am Buachaille, a vertical rock formation off the coast of Scotland. We interviewed Red shortly after his successful climb to get his reflections on training for his Holman Prize adventure.

Red’s triathlon training began in earnest last October. “I had a pretty high level of fitness from climbing and swimming,” Red, age 49, says, “but I had to ramp it up because I would be outside for twelve hours.” Red began incorporating running on a treadmill into his training regimen but injured his right Achilles tendon in January. With the help of twice-weekly physiotherapy sessions and some modifications to his training techniques, Red was able to continue preparing to climb Am Buachaille. Despite the ordeal, Red’s injury ultimately provided some benefits. “It actually helped my climbing because we worked on ankle stability and stretching,” he explained.

Besides the physical training required to successfully complete his Holman Prize goal, Red also had to navigate logistics, such as planning a practice climbing trip to Sardinia, finding a videographer to film the triathlon, getting the tandem bike from London to Scotland and more. “Being the CEO of my own project is something that I never really expected to do,” he admits. “That is a very difficult challenge but also immensely enjoyable and character-building. I feel a genuine sense of achievement and personal growth that has resulted from being awarded a Holman Prize.”

Red has always loved climbing, spending his teenage years climbing in the Welsh mountains in Wales. When he was 20, he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive condition that eventually causes blindness. As Red’s vision continued changing, he became depressed and stopped climbing. More than twenty years later, Red, now a father and journalist, had learned blindness skills. His passion for climbing was reignited at a birthday party for his daughter at a climbing gym. He decided it was time to learn to climb as a blind man.

In 2013, Red became the first blind man to climb the Old Man of Hoy, another sea stack in Scotland. Red declares that was “a personal achievement.” Successfully climbing Am Buachaille was different, however, because of the scope of the Holman Prize as a worldwide competition. Red remarks that the Holman Prize demonstrates to everyone “what blind people can achieve with the right support and determination.”

Red sitting on a rocky beach at Sandwood Bay, on the far north-west coast of mainland Scotland, with Am Buachaille towering behind him.

Going forward, Red will include his Holman Prize experience in the presentations he gives about being a blind climber, but more importantly, he will encourage other blind people to apply for the Holman Prize. From applying for the prize, to winning it, to carrying it out, Red views the Holman Prize as “a journey of self-discovery.” Listen to Red talk about his harrowing adventure here. Red’s experience will be documented in a forthcoming audio-described documentary of his “Extreme Triathlon” full of Red’s humor and outrageous Scottish scenery, called Shared Vision.

Do you have Holman Prize aspirations? Holman Prize submissions open in January 2020. For more information about the Holman Prize, visit HolmanPrize.org.

LightHouse News

Coming soon – LightHouse East Bay expands services

08/20/2019 LightHouse Staff 1 Comment

LightHouse East Bay, our office at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, is growing, and along with it, our commitment to providing a continuum of programs and services. The LightHouse has welcomed students from the East Bay into our programs for many years, but recognizes that establishment of a consistent presence in the area will ensure we more effectively reach the large and diverse population of Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano counties.

Blind and visually impaired residents in the East Bay can look forward to a warm and welcoming location just steps above the Ashby BART station. Our attentive staff will be available five days a week to connect you with an abundance of services, including skills training and community events. LightHouse delivers individualized training in Orientation & Mobility, Access Technology, employment readiness, Braille, Independent Living skills, as well as hosting events to bring blind people together with one another and the wider Bay Area community.

This expansion coincides with the exciting news that we’ve been awarded a grant by the Senior Assistance Foundation Eastbay to provide training free of charge to residents of Alameda County over the age of 55. If you know of someone who qualifies, please contact LightHouse concierge Esmeralda Soto, at esoto@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7323.

We’ll have more to share on our progress at LightHouse East Bay throughout the coming months. If you have questions about LightHouse programs, contact Esmeralda Soto at 415-694-7323 or info@lighthouse-sf.org.

Featured, LightHouse News

Meet Kit Lau, the Blind 67-Year-Old Who’ll Put Your Fitness Regimen to Shame

08/29/2017 Camilla Sterne

LightHouse veteran and National Fitness Challenge participant Kit Lau wasn’t big on fitness, until she decided to sign up for the nine-month challenge.

“‘Fitness? I’m not too fit,’” the 67-year-old said to herself when she heard about the NFC in the LightHouse weekly newsletter. She wasn’t willing to change her lifestyle for “a little toy”, as she good-naturedly describes the Fitbit that is provided to each of the 25 participants, and use different weight lost programs from this Thomas DeLauer’s review.

But after a girlfriend prodded her about it, she figured she could just wear the Fitbit and go about her everyday life. But her competitive spirit got her tracking her steps and comparing her numbers to the other NFC challengers—and getting out and about regularly.

We kicked off the National Fitness Challenge in March this year, and participants like Kit have worked hard to step up their fitness and reach the recommended 10,000 steps and 30 active minutes per day. The NFC is put on by the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) and the Anthem Foundation in a national effort to get the low vision community out and about.

Since March, Kit has been one of our most involved and improved participants, riding in Cycle for Sight, signing up for a number of 10Ks throughout the Bay Area, faithfully attending our Summer Run Club at Lake Merritt, walking miles with her guide dog Alisa along the Bay Trail, and regularly riding more than 30 miles a week on a tandem bicycle with her fitness partner Nancy.

“People always ask me, ‘Are you training for something?’” she says, laughing incredulously. “No, I’m training for fun.”

And somehow, despite her initial objections, Kit has found fitness integrated into her life in a big way.

“I’m happier,” she says. “I’m enjoying it. Sometimes it makes me laugh because [the Fitbit] is so ridiculous, I work out for an hour and it says I only did 8 minutes. But exercising regularly is much easier than I thought.”

When Kit isn’t getting her steps in or reckoning with her temperamental Fitbit, she takes iPhone classes with our Access Tech specialists. She’s been in contact with the LightHouse community for approximately 40 years, since she first moved to the US from China in her early 20s. She has become a regular at the LightHouse since her retirement.

“You can never stop learning,” she says. “You think you know everything but there’s always something else you don’t know.”

And it’s true that Kit’s tenacity isn’t reserved to fitness. Growing up blind in China, she didn’t have access to education until Macau finally got a school for the blind when she was 12 years old. After learning Chinese braille she skipped ahead to 6th grade in just four years, and transitioned to an English school where she was integrated with her sighted peers.

“I was so freaked out, but I was also so happy,” she says. “I was scared because I didn’t know how to interact with sighted people because I was so shut in when I was a kid. I didn’t know how they’d treat me, but I was happy because I finally got to go to real school.”

But the teachers taught mainly by writing characters on the chalkboard—so Kit asked the girl sitting next to her to read what was on the board to her while she took notes with a slate and stylus.

“I learned to write really fast in braille because you have to catch up with the sighted people,” she says. “She’d whisper to me and I couldn’t ask her to repeat because the teacher keeps going and I don’t want to stop her. So I learned how to write fast, not because I’m talented, but out of necessity.”

After moving to the US, Kit got a degree in psychology at a community college and worked in social security, but found it wasn’t for her. She wanted something more. So took her entrant exam and started school at UC Berkeley, where she got a four year Computer Science degree. But even with a prestigious degree, Kit found it extremely difficult to find a job. After months of interviews she took matters into her own hands.

She approached the civilian division at the Alameda Military Base, and said “I’m going to volunteer to be a computer programmer for one to three months, if you don’t like it I’ll leave. If I do a good job, you hire me.”

They hired her after a month. The job kickstarted her career in computer programming and she moved on to Pacific Bell (now AT&T) and then the US forest service where she worked until taking early retirement in 2005.

And all along, Kit has been a vibrant and friendly fixture in the LightHouse community, as well as a generous donor.

“I like to meet new friends and especially happy friends,” she says, with an infectious laugh. “The LightHouse is very good for the community. They have good programs and kind people.”

Her only wish? That more of the National Fitness Challenge participants would come to the group runs and get in the competitive community spirit before the NFC ends in November:

“I think getting out and moving with a big crowd gives you a sense of excitement,” she says about why she keeps attending NFC events. “It’s different than doing it yourself. I would like to ask, all you young kids to come meet this energetic lady, because I can challenge you to walk faster than me. I want to shake your hand, give each other encouragement and we can work as a group so we can do more steps, and meet as a big family.”

Learn more about the National Fitness Challenge and our fitness offerings at the LightHouse, and contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316 to join Kit in getting involved with our upcoming fitness events.

Featured, Resources in the Community

LightHouse Life Hacks: 7 Ways the Bump Dot Can Make Your Life Easier

07/26/2017 Megan Borella 1 Comment

Ever wonder how someone with low or no eyesight turns their washing machine to the perfect setting? Yes, there’s an app for that, but as it turns out, the answer is way simpler: this week we’d like to tell you about the small but mighty sticker called the Bump Dot.

Bump dots are a low-profile, low-cost way to strategically make your home or office space more accessible and increase your effectiveness and independence. What is a bump dot, you ask? These small, raised dots come in all shapes, sizes and textures and can be put on everything from home appliances to school work. It may seem simple, but it’ll save you from selecting the wrong wash cycle or always playing the squint-and-guess game, so you can spend more time and energy on the important stuff.

To help you get started with Bump Dots, we put together seven highly effective use cases, and hope you’ll come by the Adaptations Store during business hours to pick up a handful of these handy little stickers soon.

Accessorize your home appliances

You can stick bump dots on microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers, ovens and more to mark buttons or setting you use most often. They can help make sense of a touch stovetop so you can stop avoiding the kitchen and get back to cooking your grandma’s recipes or the latest recipe from the LightHouse kitchen.

Enhance your classroom experience

Bump dots can also create a representation of a figure on board or can be employed to plot points on a graph.

3. Stick ‘em on a computer keyboard

When first learning the layout of a keyboard without sight, sticking a bump dot on a specific key so it is easy to find it.

Identify different colors

Now and then, it may be important for a blind person to be able to identify different colored objects, perhaps for class or work. This daunting task can be accomplished through the combination of different types or numbers of bump dots.

Increase the accessibility of your electronics

Maybe your home phone has no tactile way of identifying the numbers or other buttons, or your cell phone has an inaccessible touch screen. Adding a bump dot will solve that problem in no time.

Label bottles or other containers

The strategic placement of some bump dots on bottles in the medicine cabinet or shower can save you from a load of trouble — so you can stop accidentally using the conditioner as body wash or make sure you’re taking the right daily supplement or prescription medicine without any guess work.

Use different sizes and colors to suit your changing vision

For totally blind individuals, clear dots may work great if you are marking a device that may be used by someone with sight, whereas people with low vision can used brightly colored dots to provide a contrast.

Bump Dot packages range in price from $2 to $10 at the LightHouse’s Adaptations store. Pick some up next time you’re here!

Visit the Adaptations Store.

Adaptations Store Hours

Monday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursdays: 10 am – 5 p.m.

Fridays: 10 am – 5 p.m.

LightHouse News

Moving at the Speed of Light: LightHouse is in a NASCAR Race This Weekend

06/22/2017 LightHouse Staff

There’s plenty of hubbub happening this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, and LightHouse will be right there in the thick of it as an associate sponsor on board the No. 23 EarthWater Limited Toyota Camry of Alon Day, thanks to the generous support of NASCAR’s BK Racing team.

Day’s Toyota Camry will be repping the LightHouse logo on the right and left back quarter panels, complete with the “L” and “H” braille dots that will no doubt turn heads both on television and from the stands as the 200-mile per hour vehicle pulls in to refuel. Thanks to BK Racing, we’ll also have a few NASCAR enthusiasts from the LightHouse community behind the scenes for VIP pre-race garage and pit tours, as well as a meet and greet with Alon Day. They’ll also be sitting with his crew chief atop the pit box during the race, so whether you’re watching from the grandstands or the ESPN telecast, look out for those white canes.

“Blind people aspire to participate in all aspects of culture, including NASCAR,” says LightHouse CEO Bryan Bashin. “We love the drive, energy and daring along lines of excellence and our community is thrilled to be a part of it as a sponsor for Alon Day’s debut.”

“I’m very proud to have a great organization like Lighthouse for the Blind on the car for my Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,” says Day. “The work that they do for blind individuals in California and around the world is truly inspiring.”

“I am excited to have Lighthouse for the Blind on our car this weekend,” said Team Owner, Ron Devine. “The work they do is special, and it’s an honor to have them join us for the race. If you’d like to donate, you can visit their donate page at lighthouse-sf.org/donate/form/.”

About BK Racing

BK Racing is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Racing team headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team was founded in 2012 after owners Ron Devine and Wayne Press acquired Red Bull Racing. BK Racing’s staff of highly skilled mechanics and engineers fields the No. 23 & 83 entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as a Toyota Racing team. The 2017 season will be BK Racing’s 6th consecutive full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Follow us on Twitter @BKRacing_2383, Facebook, and Instagram @bkracing_2383. Visit us at BKRacingTeam.com.

And speaking of cars…

Are you looking for potential write-offs to reduce your tax burden for 2017? One way to get a tax write-off is to donate a vehicle to benefit the LightHouse. Donating your car, truck, van, SUV, boat, motorcycle, ATV, RV, trailer or airplane is as simple as can be, with the help of our trusted partner CARS (Charitable Adult Rides and Services). CARS has been serving the LightHouse as our car donation processor for many years and you can count on them to handle your car donation with ease, we also suggest to read the traders policy of one of the best insurance we recommend to have.

If you have any questions about the donation process or you are ready to donate a vehicle to benefit LightHouse programs and services, call CARS toll-free at 844-740-4483, seven days a week. Thank you from the LightHouse!

Uncategorized

Ride with Art Peterson

I’m riding with Rob!

When was your first Cycle for Sight? My first Cycle 4 Sight was 2016.

Why do you love riding in Cycle for Sight? I like the ride because it gives me the chance to do some serious miles again since losing my sight.

What’s your best cycling memory? My favorite cycling memory is tough to decide, having had so many over the course of 40,000 miles of bike touring, but I would have to pick my 1976 ride up the 142-mile Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. The scenery was incredible, and the weather was perfect. It was the highlight of my 1900-mile Bicentennial tour of the Canadian Rockies and vicinity.

What’s your favorite quote? “Good judgement is the result of experience, and experience is the result of bad judgement.”

Partner up with Art:

If you would like to ride with Art, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Donate to Art’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.

Uncategorized

Ride with Tommaso Boggia

2 Comments

I’m riding with Jacob!

When was your first Cycle for Sight? It’s my first time.

Why do you love riding in Cycle for Sight? Riding my bike in traffic to get to work just doesn’t cut it. I can’t wait to be riding for a great cause, in the countryside, surrounded by great people, smelling vineyard, and sharing stories with my tandem-buddy.

What’s your best cycling memory? I learned to ride my bike pretty late compared to my friends. When I did it opened up my world and I spent my days exploring my neighborhood and rolling down hills.

What’s your favorite quote? “Don’t hang up your dancing slippers.” – Wernher von Braun, NASA rocket scientist

Partner up with Tommaso:

If you would like to ride with Tommaso, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Donate to Tommaso’s Ride

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.

Sign Up to Ride

You can sign up to ride at Cycle4Sight.com. We are aware that the website has some accessibility issues, so if you’d like us to sign you up, email afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.

Uncategorized

Ride with Will Butler

1 Comment

I’m riding with Sam Offenberg!

When was your first Cycle for Sight? Never! I’m fresh as the morning dew.

Why do you love riding in Cycle for Sight? As Communications Director at LightHouse, I made this promo video, and it was so convincing that I actually convinced myself! I loved riding bikes as a kid but have not ridden since I became legally blind, and now I’m realizing there’s no reason for me to stop! I am a little nervous about learning tandem though.

What’s your best cycling memory? Riding the river paths between Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, where I grew up. I also loved just riding around the neighborhood with my friends as a kid.

What’s your favorite quote? “There’s got to be more to life than having everything.”

Accessorize your home appliances

Enhance your classroom experience

3. Stick ‘em on a computer keyboard

Identify different colors

Increase the accessibility of your electronics

Label bottles or other containers

Use different sizes and colors to suit your changing vision

Adaptations Store Hours

I’m riding with Rob!

Partner up with Art:

Donate to Art’s Ride

Sign Up to Ride

I’m riding with Jacob!

Partner up with Tommaso:

Donate to Tommaso’s Ride

Sign Up to Ride

I’m riding with Sam Offenberg!

You can support his ride across Napa by donating here.