All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone’s personal space at all our sites.
The week's events
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Lighthouse Goes Rock Climbing (in-person)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Lighthouse Goes Rock Climbing (in-person)
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Nov 27Discover the sport of rock-climbing with the always fun and supportive volunteers of ParaCliffHangers. There is no better way to get moving and stay active, than hanging off the side of a rock wall. All ages and skill levels are welcome, and no prior experience is needed. Equipment can be rented upon arriving for $5.
We will be meeting at Lighthouse HQ at 11:00 am the day of and heading over on BART as a group. The event starts at noon.
The cost is $10.
Location: Pacific Pipe, 2140 Mandela Parkway, Oakland
RSVP to Andrew Martinez at AMartinez@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7642.
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Get Moving: Orientation and Mobility for Independent Travel (online)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Get Moving: Orientation and Mobility for Independent Travel (online)
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Nov 28This course is designed to offer foundational Orientation & Mobility knowledge, concepts, and skills in a friendly, small group atmosphere. It is intended for any individual who is new to blind and low vision skills training; waiting for 1:1 services; or would benefit from developing their existing skills with an in-depth O&M training refresher.
This course runs Mondays & Wednesdays November 21, 23, 28, & 30 and December 5, 7, 12 & 14, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
RSVP by November 11 to Robert Alminana at ralminana@lighthouse-sf.org 415-694-7375 or Jennifer Hey at jhuey@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7376.
The Business of Blindness: Coffee with Mike Cole (online)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
The Business of Blindness: Coffee with Mike Cole (online)
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Nov 28What does it really mean to be a person who is blind or who has low vision? Mike Cole, a veteran of all things blindness, will lead this call-in forum to discuss the many day-to-day ins and outs of blindness, from daily living in your home environment to navigating the vast expanse of bureaucracies. There's always a lively crowd sharing their own experiences, so make a cup of coffee (or tea), sit in your favorite chair, and call in to chat about the business of blindness.
RSVP to Andrew Martinez at AMartinez@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7642.
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Book Discussion: There Plant Eyes with author Leona Godin (online)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Book Discussion: There Plant Eyes with author Leona Godin (online)
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Nov 29The LightHouse will host author M. Leona Godin at our November 29th online discussion of Godin’s non-fiction book, There Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness
From Homer to Helen Keller, from Dune to Stevie Wonder, from the invention of Braille to the science of echolocation, M. Leona Godin explores the fascinating history of blindness, interweaving it with her own story of gradually losing her sight. There Plant Eyes probes the ways in which blindness has shaped our ocularcentric culture, challenging deeply ingrained ideas about what it means to be “blind.” For millennia, blindness has been used to signify such things as thoughtlessness (“blind faith”), irrationality (“blind rage”), and unconsciousness (“blind evolution”). But at the same time, blind people have been othered as the recipients of special powers as compensation for lost sight (from the poetic gifts of John Milton to the heightened senses of the comic book hero Daredevil). “[A] thought-provoking mixture of criticism, memoir, and advocacy.” —The New Yorker
Leona Godin is a writer, performer, and educator who is blind. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times; Playboy; O, The Oprah Magazine; and Catapult, where she writes the column, “A Blind Writer’s Notebook.” She was a 2019 Logan Nonfiction Fellow and has written and produced two theatrical productions: The Star of Happiness, based on Helen Keller’s time performing on vaudeville, and The Spectator & the Blind Man, about the invention of Braille.
RSVP to Sabrina Bolus at Sbolus@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7607.
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Get Moving: Orientation and Mobility for Independent Travel (online)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Get Moving: Orientation and Mobility for Independent Travel (online)
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Nov 30This course is designed to offer foundational Orientation & Mobility knowledge, concepts, and skills in a friendly, small group atmosphere. It is intended for any individual who is new to blind and low vision skills training; waiting for 1:1 services; or would benefit from developing their existing skills with an in-depth O&M training refresher.
This course runs Mondays & Wednesdays November 21, 23, 28, & 30 and December 5, 7, 12 & 14, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am
RSVP by November 11 to Robert Alminana at ralminana@lighthouse-sf.org 415-694-7375 or Jennifer Hey at jhuey@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7376.
Stress Reduction & Meditation (online)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Stress Reduction & Meditation (online)
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Nov 30Each Wednesday morning we offer a series of short, meditation-based practices for relaxation and stress reduction. The group is appropriate for both beginners and advanced practitioners and instruction is provided in all aspects of the practice. Instructor Jeffrey Schneider has more than 40 years of meditation and teaching experience. It is a virtual class using the Zoom platform—everyone is welcome as little or often as they like. Dial in, find a comfortable position, breathe deeply, clear your head, and de-stress.
RSVP to Sabrina Bolus at Sbolus@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7607.
Holiday Celebration with the Elks (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Holiday Celebration with the Elks (in-person)
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Nov 30The weather is cooling down while holiday cheer is warming up. The Elks have cordially invited Lighthouse students to attend a festive holiday luncheon in their 3rd floor Ballroom at the Kensington Park Hotel, at 450 Post St. located near Union Square and the Powell St. Station in San Francisco. The doors open at 11:30 am with an offering of refreshment and lunch served at noon. After your delicious meal, dial up the cheer by singing along to holiday favorites at their piano or contributing jokes or stories during open mic.
Please plan to go directly to the Kensington and let the good times roll.
RSVP to Sabrina Bolus at Sbolus@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7607. Space is limited.
Gratitude Vibes (online)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Gratitude Vibes (online)
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Nov 30Gratitude-VIBES are Visually Impaired Blind Energizing Sessions. Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. In this solutions-based support, gather online and share what you feel grateful for in a safe and welcoming space. Hear what others share as well. These mid-week sessions can help you feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve your health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.
Previous sessions included demonstrations of poetry, music, drumming, visualization, Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, self-care, and forgiveness. These are followed by individual check-ins.
RSVP to Sabrina Bolus at Sbolus@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7607.
Goalball with BORP (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Goalball with BORP (in-person)
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Nov 30Bay Area Outreach Recreational Programs is once again hosting BORP Goalball Practice every Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The gym is located at 2100 Browning St. Berkeley. Practice is open to all, no experience necessary. Whether you’re a goalball pro or new to the game, you now have the chance to get exercise and meet new people.
Created in 1946 as a way to help blind and low vision veterans rehabilitate, participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball that has bells embedded in it into the opponents' goal. If anyone playing the game has some level of vision, they wear a blindfold.
The practice is designed for all ages and experience levels and is free of charge. If you do not have your own goalball equipment, you’ll be provided with elbow pads, knee pads, and eyeshades.
For more details, please contact Brandon Young at brandon@borp.org. Please note: Proof of full vaccination is required and will be checked for new participants.
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Little Learners Playgroup (online)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Little Learners Playgroup (online)
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Dec 1Bring your giggles and wiggles to Little Learners weekly Zoom Playgroup, Thursdays from 9:30am - 10:15am. Enjoy fun activities with your little one, ages 0-6, while learning strategies to support your child's visual, sensory, motor and concept development. Connect with other families who understand and share your experience raising a child who is blind, has low vision, or Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). Weekly activities are designed to be accessible for all, and to build upon monthly themes that you can integrate into your family routines. All are welcome!
For more information or to register, please email Jacqueline Barden at littlelearners@lighthouse-sf.org or call (415) 694-7657. Meet you in the Zoom Room!
Meditative Movement (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Meditative Movement (in-person)
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Dec 1Join us in the fitness room for a merging of meditative processes, breath work, modified yoga, sounding, mantra and structured improvisation prompts to create a gentle body wisdom practice suitable for every body whether you choose to practice from a chair, on a cushion, mat or standing. Wear something comfortable. Shoes are optional.
RSVP to Maia Scott at MScott@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-290-6242.
Create In Community Art Making (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Create In Community Art Making (in-person)
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Dec 1Let's gather together in the 11th floor art space to explore a different art process, style or media each moth wile connecting with fellow creatives. These are exploratory, process-oriented classes that invite you invite you to work at whatever level you are, be it first timer to expert. It's December. Need a last-minute holiday card? Drop in to create a variety of card options including Braille blind, pop-up cards and more. Take them home complete with an envelope ready for giving.
RSVP to Maia Scott at Mscott@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7608
Introduction To Accessible Wayfinding (online)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Introduction To Accessible Wayfinding (online)
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Dec 1Take your travel to the next level with Introduction To Accessible Wayfinding. Join Kacie Cappello and Fernando Macias from the Access Technology department, and O&M Specialist extraordinaire, Katt Jones, to explore the tools and techniques for navigating safely and confidently through our opening, changing world. We’ll discuss how native iPhone functionality like Siri and the Compass app can help you orient to your surroundings. You will learn route-planning strategies using Apple Maps and Google Maps, and how to get public transportation information from apps like Moovit and LiveBart. You will hear accessible apps like Microsoft Soundscape in action, and try features out for yourself. Whether you’re rediscovering your favorite coffeeshop, or preparing for your next great adventure, you’ll be ready to boldly go where you’ve always wanted to go!
When:
Thursday, 11/10/2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Thursday, 11/17/2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Thursday, 12/01/2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Thursday, 12/08/2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Thursday, 12/15/2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.Where:
This is a virtual class to be attended via the Zoom platform. Please, if possible, attend the Zoom meeting on a separate device than your iPhone, so the phone can be used for in-class activities.
Course Prerequisites
To participate and fully benefit from this class, students must:
- Live in San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin or Humboldt county.
- Have an iPhone with up-to-date software and the ability to download apps.
- Be comfortable independently exploring new iPhone apps.
- Be comfortable using your phone and its accessibility features, (VoiceOver, Zoom, etc), to access information on the screen.
- Be comfortable using your phone in different environments and in all lighting conditions.
- Be comfortable listening to and processing multiple sources of audio feedback.
- Be comfortable using the phone outdoors to obtain information about your environment while traveling.
Note: After RSVP-ing, one of the class instructors will be in touch with a brief pre-course screener call. This step is required prior to enrollment.
RSVP: please email Julie Koh at JKoh@lighthouse-sf.org or call Julie on 415-694-7684. Space is limited and registrations close on November 7.
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Enchanted Hills Camp Virtual Campfire (online)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Enchanted Hills Camp Virtual Campfire (online)
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Dec 2Join a fun-filled evening that will consist of all your favorite real campfire traditions, including camp’s traditional opening campfire ceremony rituals, special guest performances, and singalongs. Campfire attendees will also be informed of rebuild updates and all other camp related program offerings.
To register for the event and get the Zoom link for the virtual campfire, please contact Andrew Martinez at AMartinez@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7642.
Friday Salon Creatives' Share Space (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Friday Salon Creatives' Share Space (in-person)
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Dec 2Artists, Makers, Creatives and thinkers; do we have the perfect Friday Night for you. Join together with other artists, writers, musicians, artisans and anyone who enjoys creative process to share works in progress and completed creations in a laid back and friendly vibe. Give and receive feedback about shared work if it's desired and support our community as they press forward to complete projects for festivals, shows or personal growth. Whatever you're making, bring it!
RSVP to Maia Scott at Mscott@lighthosue-sf.org or 415-694-7608.
Reel Escape Audio Description Club: Friday Evening Daredevils (online)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Reel Escape Audio Description Club: Friday Evening Daredevils (online)
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Dec 2We all need an escape at times, and with the Real Escape Audio Description Club you can do just that with your blind and low vision friends. With the success of the first two seasons of Daredevil, we thought it would only be wise to continue the Marvel series with season three. Daredevil is at TV series about a blind attorney by day and vigilante by night. There will be time to watch each week’s episode and connect with your EHC and LightHouse friends.
Parents Please Note: The Daredevil TV Series has adult content and is rated TV-MA and contains the following: crude indecent language (L), explicit sexual activity (S), and graphic violence (V). Read a Parental Guide for Daredevil. If any youth under the age of 18 wish to join this program, they must have a parent or guardian contact a LightHouse youth team member with written permission for their child to participate.
RSVP to Jamey Gump at JGump@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7372.
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Inventor for a day with the creator of Bop It! (in-person)
All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Inventor for a day with the creator of Bop It! (in-person)
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Dec 3Bop It! Twist It! Pull It and Pass it! For 25 years, this simple and sassy game has brought joy and connections for so many in the LightHouse community through simple audible prompts. It’s a gateway to making friends while playing a game that does not rely on having sight.
Now, middle and high school LightHouse students have the chance to meet Dan Klitsner, the inventor of Bop It, for a guided tour of his studio to experience where and how the magic happens. Included in our tour is a hands-on history lesson of Bop It, time to play with the new Bop It Button and compete with each other on the giant one-of-a-kind Bop It game that lives in Dan’s studio. Students who sign up for this unique experience will get a rare chance to learn from an inventor about what it takes to take an idea and create something from it. As well as all this fun and interaction, there will be pizza!! We can’t wait, can you?
This tour is limited to eight people. In addition to the opportunities during the tour, students who sign up for this outing will also get the chance to practice or learn about using public transit with experienced blind and low vision mentors leading the way on the short Muni ride from LightHouse headquarters to the Bop It studio near the Montgomery BART Station.
RSVP to Jamey Gump at JGump@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7372 by Friday, December 2.
The Art of Listening (virtual)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
The Art of Listening (virtual)
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Dec 3Join blind poet and memoirist Stephen Kuusisto as he talks about what it means to be a “literary listener.” Kuusisto writes: “Starting in the 1920’s creative writers turned to the image as the means for conveying immediacy in literature. The idea was to be as clear as news photos. These talks will instead focus on sound as a tool of the imagination. Igor Stravinsky said: “Hearing has no merit. A duck hears also.” Our goal is to explore the art of active listening. “ We’ll explore opera arias, steamboat whistles, the chance music of what happens around us, conversations overheard, the sound of a baseball cracking off a bat, water coursing, Chet Baker’s trumpet, Beethoven’s old piano—in short talk about stretching our ears. The aim is to promote great listening, literary invention, and yes, fun.
December 3 (Session One): “Who Are the Great Literary Listeners?”
Kuusisto talks about literary listening: why is it different from just hearing things? From John Keats to Tillie Olson, from Hemingway to Toni Morrison the best writers have had a true felicity for deep listening and have conveyed it in their work. One outcome is that you’ll appreciate the auditory imagination when reading.
December 10 (Session Two): The Practice of Active Listening”
Kuusisto provides exercises (many drawn from his own life of blind travel) that will sharpen the skills of anyone who wants to not only listen with attention, but also put that experience into writing.
RSVP the Friday before each session to Sabrina Bolus at Sbolus@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7607.
Music Makes a Village - CANCELLEDAll students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
Music Makes a Village - CANCELLED
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Dec 3It is with deep regret that, due to unforeseen weather conditions, we must cancel Saturday, December 3’s Flying High Music Makes a Village event at Enchanted Hills Camp. When it is safe (and dry) to reschedule, we look forward to welcoming you all back to camp for a day of fun, food and music. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused for our festivalgoers.
College Spaces from Different Places: Winter Celebration (in-person)All students, customers, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask indoors in gatherings of 25 people or more, or if asked to do so in someone's personal space at all our sites.
College Spaces from Different Places: Winter Celebration (in-person)
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Dec 3Not only is the winter season a time of celebrating for many, but it is also the anniversary of the launch of College Spaces. From an abundance of new and returning members, getting to incorporate in-person outings for the group for the first time, to all of the exciting things yet to come, there is certainly much to celebrate. We invite all current College Spaces members to join us this December 3 for an evening of food, friends, and plenty of coffee and cocoa to go around.
We’re inviting everyone to bring a gift to exchange under $15. If cost is a barrier, please reach out – we want to ensure all of our College Spaces members can join!
College Spaces from Different Places is a peer led student organization which cultivates connections and community for all undergraduate college students. College Spaces from Different Places is a group designed by and for low vision and blind students to have fun, build community, and share in our struggles and accomplishments. Many undergrads are currently missing out on forming social connections on their own college campus. Therefore, joining College Spaces from Different Places will give you an opportunity to come together with others from across the state. Leave your books and syllabi behind and join us!
If you have any questions or would like to be part of future College Spaces from Different Places gatherings, contact Daisy Soto DSoto@lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-694-7328To learn more. Please RSVP by December 2, 2022.
The events for the upcoming week are read aloud on our event hotline every Friday, which can be accessed by calling 415-694-7325. For more information about visiting the Adaptations Store, head to our shop page.
The LightHouse is scent-free. Please abstain from wearing colognes, perfumes, or other scented products. Additionally, coffee must be securely lidded at all times and citrus should not be peeled on the premises. Thanks for supporting our efforts to respect chemical sensitivities!