Calendar

The week's events

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Oct 11
Oct 12(1 event)

7:00 pm: Monthly Mentor Mondays: Your Virtual Technology Toolbox


Oct 12

Second Monday of the month: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

This fall, LightHouse’s Youth Program is excited to offer a new series for our youth that are blind or have low vision. In this new monthly series, Lighthouse staff will lead the panel of young blind leaders through a conversation about topics important to the success of youth. Each month will have new mentors sharing their thoughts, stories and advice about that month’s topic. Students that attend will also have ample time to ask questions to that month’s mentors. Topics of our monthly panel will include subjects such as advocacy, career exploration, social interaction, self-determination, accessible technology and recreation and leisure, with a focus on the additional challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has given all of us.

Upcoming Topics

October 12 - Your Virtual Technology Toolbox

For our October Monthly Mentor Monday, youth will learn about all sorts of high and low-tech gear that that other blind and low vision youth use to be successful.  Whether it’s a simple slate and stylus or a quick note, the latest braille display, or software that can help you access for class materials or things in other aspects of life.

November 9: Making connections as a blind or low vision student
December 14: TBD

If you have any questions or would like to RSVP to Monthly Mentor Mondays, please contact, Jamey Gump at jgump@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7372. RSVP by 5:00 p.m. the Friday before each event.

Oct 13(4 events)

10:00 am: Get Moving: O&M for Independent Travel - a 6-week remote course


Oct 13

Tuesday and Thursdays, October 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 & 29 and November 3, 5, 10, 12, 17 & 19 from 10:00 a.m. to noon   

This is a comprehensive 6-week 14-class course using Zoom to introduce consumers to foundational Orientation & Mobility concepts, skills, and current technologies for safe, independent travel and for gaining or retaining employment. It’s taught by Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists, Robert Alminana and Jennifer Huey. Participants will meet twice a week for a total instruction time of 28 hours. This total includes two hours of individual pre-class assessment and Zoom procedures, and two hours of individual outside class support.

  • To participate students must have solid internet access and be able to access Zoom via phone and/or video and have computer skills to receive and read articles, watch videos and listen to podcasts. All students should expect weekly homework to be completed prior to class.
  • The 12 essential O&M lessons cover: the benefits of O&M training for travel and employment; overview of sensory, spatial & environmental awareness; orientation strategies and skills; tactile graphics; human guide; protective techniques; long cane basics; outdoor travel; street crossing sequence; intersection analysis; public transportation & trip planning; and introduction to electronic travel devices, GPS & wayfinding technologies.

Who will benefit from the course?

  • Consumers who are blind or low vision who have little or no familiarity with O&M or have had recent vision loss or vision change.
  • Consumers who self-report that they have lost or have not used their O&M skills or are not confident using their learned O&M skills.
  • Consumers who would gain from developing their existing skills with an in-depth O&M training refresher.

How will participants benefit from the course?

  • Participants will acquire strong foundational skills that are critical for safe, independent travel and that a person needs to gain or retain employment.
  • Participants will receive structured, organized instruction that will prepare them for subsequent individualized training with a certified O&M specialist.

How does the course fit in with consumer’s overall O&M training program?

  • This will be the first of two parts in a combined O&M training curriculum.
  • The second part will be an individualized, face-to-face, hands-on learning and practice instruction program.
  • Specific workshops and additional topical classes for in-depth learning and practical application are also available.

This class is frequently sponsored by the California Department of Rehabilitation. Please work with your counselor to arrange for enrollment.  However, if you wish to pay for the class privately, the total fee for this 6-week 14-class course with materials is $1,302.60.

What are the required materials will be needed for the course?  

Students will receive teaching materials at the start of class:

  • Intersection Map Set: $125.00
  • Mixed Bump Dots: $7.60 ($7.00 + 8.50 SF sales tax)
  • Shipping and handling: $15.00
  • Complimentary materials supplied by LightHouse for the Blind: signature guide and hands-free organizing bag called Kanga-Pak

What information should DOR authorizations contain?

  • Only one authorization for both the course and materials will be needed
  • Itemize the cost of the class and materials separately
  • For Course: “Orientation and Mobility Class (Get Moving Course): 14 @ $82.50 = $1,155.00”
  • For Materials: “Materials: $147.60”
  • Total amount: $1,302.60

To register, please have your Department of Rehabilitation Counselor send authorizations to 1Referral@lighthouse-sf.org no later than Friday, October 2

Space is limited to ten students. If you have more questions regarding this course, would like an electronic copy of the full curriculum, or if you are unsure if your Consumer is ready for this course, please contact Robert Alminana at RAlminana@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7375, or Jennifer Huey at JHuey@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7376.

2:00 pm: Tech Together Online: What’s New in iOS 14


Oct 13

Join the LightHouse Access Technology team for a series of informal conversations on technology topics relevant to these current times. Tech Together is a chance to share your knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other blind technology users. LightHouse Access Technology staff share tips and resources on each week’s topic. Then there is time for LightHouse students and friends to add to the conversation, as we all learn from each other.

Topics are decided on a rolling basis as our community’s needs evolve during shelter in place.

October 6: The Wonder of Web Browsers
Web browsers are the software your computer and phone use to access web pages. Does it matter which web browser you use? What features of web browsers are important for those of us using access technology? What web browser features can help keep our information private when we go online? We’ll answer these questions and more.

October 13: What’s New in iOS 14
We’ll highlight what is new and what has changed in Apple’s latest operating system for iPhone users.

October 20: Victor Voyages
The Humanware Victor Stream and Victor Trek are popular tools for reading, recording, and accessing information. We’ll take a deep dive in to the features of these devices. If you have a Victor or are just wondering why that name is so often mentioned, this Tech Together is for you.

October 27: Siri Says
To round out our recent coverage of voice assistants, we’ll discuss the many things Siri can do, on both the iPhone and the Home Pod speaker

Join us for one or all these conversations. RSVP to ADecker@lighthouse-sf.org or leave a voicemail at 415-694-7343.

6:00 pm: National Federation of the Blind San Francisco Chapter Meeting (online)


Oct 13

The National Federation of the Blind is a nationwide community of members that believe blind people can live the lives they want. We meet online via Zoom with the following schedule:

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Connections, a semi-structured time to get to know chapter members
6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Virtual Happy (Half) Hour
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Chapter Meeting

To RSVP, contact Christina Daniels at ms.christina.daniels@gmail.com.

*Please note, this group is not afflicted with LightHouse.

Read more: National Federation of the Blind San Francisco Chapter Meeting (online)

7:00 pm: Not So Bored Game Night (online)


Oct 13

Each week students from the Lighthouse Youth Program gather for our virtual Not So Bored Game Night. A weekly evening of fun and games for Blind and low vision youth from all over. Games start at 7:00 pm on Tuesday evenings and will include trivia contests, scavenger hunts and other interactive games that will have youth making friends. In addition, the LightHouse staff each week’s games will be led by a guest mentor that will also share insight into their education, career and life as a person who is blind or has low vision.

Who: students under 18 that are blind or have low vision
What: weekly game night and guest mentor spotlight via zoom When: Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Where: Anywhere you can access a Zoom meeting
RSVP: Zoom meeting information will be shared with those that RSVP by 5:00 pm of the day before the program
Parents & Guardians: we’d love your help getting your children connected to our virtual program, however, once they have joined, we ask that you please give them the space to participate individually.

If you are interested in signing up for the Not So Bored Game Night, please contact Jamey Gump by email at youth@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-694-7372.

Oct 14
Oct 15(3 events)

10:00 am: Get Moving: O&M for Independent Travel - a 6-week remote course


Oct 15

Tuesday and Thursdays, October 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 & 29 and November 3, 5, 10, 12, 17 & 19 from 10:00 a.m. to noon   

This is a comprehensive 6-week 14-class course using Zoom to introduce consumers to foundational Orientation & Mobility concepts, skills, and current technologies for safe, independent travel and for gaining or retaining employment. It’s taught by Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists, Robert Alminana and Jennifer Huey. Participants will meet twice a week for a total instruction time of 28 hours. This total includes two hours of individual pre-class assessment and Zoom procedures, and two hours of individual outside class support.

  • To participate students must have solid internet access and be able to access Zoom via phone and/or video and have computer skills to receive and read articles, watch videos and listen to podcasts. All students should expect weekly homework to be completed prior to class.
  • The 12 essential O&M lessons cover: the benefits of O&M training for travel and employment; overview of sensory, spatial & environmental awareness; orientation strategies and skills; tactile graphics; human guide; protective techniques; long cane basics; outdoor travel; street crossing sequence; intersection analysis; public transportation & trip planning; and introduction to electronic travel devices, GPS & wayfinding technologies.

Who will benefit from the course?

  • Consumers who are blind or low vision who have little or no familiarity with O&M or have had recent vision loss or vision change.
  • Consumers who self-report that they have lost or have not used their O&M skills or are not confident using their learned O&M skills.
  • Consumers who would gain from developing their existing skills with an in-depth O&M training refresher.

How will participants benefit from the course?

  • Participants will acquire strong foundational skills that are critical for safe, independent travel and that a person needs to gain or retain employment.
  • Participants will receive structured, organized instruction that will prepare them for subsequent individualized training with a certified O&M specialist.

How does the course fit in with consumer’s overall O&M training program?

  • This will be the first of two parts in a combined O&M training curriculum.
  • The second part will be an individualized, face-to-face, hands-on learning and practice instruction program.
  • Specific workshops and additional topical classes for in-depth learning and practical application are also available.

This class is frequently sponsored by the California Department of Rehabilitation. Please work with your counselor to arrange for enrollment.  However, if you wish to pay for the class privately, the total fee for this 6-week 14-class course with materials is $1,302.60.

What are the required materials will be needed for the course?  

Students will receive teaching materials at the start of class:

  • Intersection Map Set: $125.00
  • Mixed Bump Dots: $7.60 ($7.00 + 8.50 SF sales tax)
  • Shipping and handling: $15.00
  • Complimentary materials supplied by LightHouse for the Blind: signature guide and hands-free organizing bag called Kanga-Pak

What information should DOR authorizations contain?

  • Only one authorization for both the course and materials will be needed
  • Itemize the cost of the class and materials separately
  • For Course: “Orientation and Mobility Class (Get Moving Course): 14 @ $82.50 = $1,155.00”
  • For Materials: “Materials: $147.60”
  • Total amount: $1,302.60

To register, please have your Department of Rehabilitation Counselor send authorizations to 1Referral@lighthouse-sf.org no later than Friday, October 2

Space is limited to ten students. If you have more questions regarding this course, would like an electronic copy of the full curriculum, or if you are unsure if your Consumer is ready for this course, please contact Robert Alminana at RAlminana@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7375, or Jennifer Huey at JHuey@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7376.

4:00 pm: Reel Escape Audio Description Movie Club (Hocus Pocus)


Oct 15

To help you break up the routine and escape for some fun, join your friends for our weekly Reel Escape Audio Description Movie Club. This weekly remote social gathering of blind and low vision youth takes place over zoom on Thursday afternoons at 4:00 pm. Films will be family-friendly and have audio descriptions enabled. Join us each week to help choose future films. Past films have included: Toy Story, Frozen, Inside out, Minions, Lion King and many other classics.

October 15's movie is: Hocus Pocus

Who: Students under 18 that are Blind or have Low Vision
What: Audio Description Movie Club via Zoom
When: Thursday afternoons @ 4:00 pm Where: anywhere you can access a zoom meeting
RSVP: Zoom meeting information will be shared with those that RSVP by 5:00 pm of the day before the program

Parents & Guardians, we’d love your help getting your children connected to our virtual program, however, once they have joined, we ask that you please give them the space to participate individually.

If you are interested in signing up for the Reel Escape Audio Description Movie Club, please contact Jamey Gump by email at JGump@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-694-7372.

4:00 pm: Reel Escape: Audio-Described Movie Club


Oct 15

To help you break up the routine and escape for some fun, join your friends for our weekly Reel Escape Audio Description Movie Club. This weekly remote social gathering of blind and low vision youth takes place over zoom on Thursday afternoons at 4:00 pm. Films will be family-friendly and have audio descriptions enabled. Join us each week to help choose future films. Past films have included: Toy Story, Frozen, Inside out, Minions, Lion King and many other classics.

Who: Students under 18 that are Blind or have Low Vision
What: Audio Description Movie Club via Zoom
When: Thursday afternoons @ 4:00 pm Where: anywhere you can access a zoom meeting
RSVP: Zoom meeting information will be shared with those that RSVP by 5:00 pm of the day before the program

Parents & Guardians, we’d love your help getting your children connected to our virtual program, however, once they have joined, we ask that you please give them the space to participate individually.

If you are interested in signing up for the Reel Escape Audio Description Movie Club, please contact Jamey Gump by email at youth@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-694-7372.

Oct 16(1 event)

4:00 pm: ACCESS Success - Accessing Advocacy: Creativity, Improvisation, and Acting


Oct 16

ACCESS Success! (Attaining College or Careers to Explore Skills and Strengths) - October 16-17, 2020

Friday, October 16 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and
Saturday, October 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Accessing Advocacy: Creativity, Improvisation, and Acting

In observance of blindness awareness and employment activities in October, this month’s 2-day ACCESS Success session will emphasize the important concept of advocacy and inform choice. You will hear from a panel of peer advocates as well as speak with professionals working in the advocacy space. We  will explore all thing advocacy from speaking up for yourself to broad actions such as accessible voting. Do not miss the perfect opportunity for you to get all things advocacy related answered! In addition, you will also apply advocacy concepts in interactive improvisation scenarios. The cohort experience allows transitional age youth to support one another as you explore your strengths, identify interests, discover resources, and  develop your identities to cultivate informed choice around attainment of post-secondary outcomes.

The ACCESS Success  (Attaining College or Careers to Explore Skills and Strengths) workshops provide a platform for transition-age youth (ages 14-24)  to investigate employment and post-secondary topics in-depth both as a cohort experience and with individualized support. The ACCESS Workshops provide a platform for you to further explore a specific independent living, post-secondary, or employment topic in-depth from Friday-Saturday as well as meet new friends, blind/low vision mentors, and stay connected! The ACCESS Success pre-employment transition skills curricula and learning outcomes are intentionally designed to focus on the five (5) required pre-employment transition skills activities (DOR student services) under the national Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  You can join using your phone, tablet, or computer. The entire weekend module is 8 hours in length and held on Friday evening and Saturday

Learning Objectives:

  1. Youth will receive job exploration counseling and be aware of different careers which incorporates advocacy as a key component of the job role.
  2. Participants will practice critical  work-readiness training to develop soft skills including advocacy, communication, collaboration and public speaking as students work with one another during interactive activities.
  3. Students will receive instruction in self-advocacy refinement and increase connection to positive blind and low vision mentors during Mentor Spotlight sessions.
  4. Youth will learn and about various ways to discover and identify their voice from self-advocacy to accessible voting.
  5. The interactive and group-based structure nature of the ACCESS Success workshop provide opportunities for students to refine their workplace readiness soft skills including effective social and professional communication and emotional well-being all while building community with their blind and low vision peers.
  6. Youth will continue to refine and receive support around critical Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) concepts including assistive technology use and independent living skills throughout the ACCESS Success sessions.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining us for ACCESS Success, please:

  1. Contact your Department of Rehabilitation counselor to discuss workshop attendance and authorization.
  2. Confirm attendance with Ann Wai-Yee Kwong, Transition Program Specialist, by email at youth@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-484-8377.

If you have any questions or would like to join the workshop, please contact youth@lighthouse-sf.org.  NOTE, workshop attendance must be confirmed one week prior and Zoom information will be sent out before the session.

Oct 17

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!

SDS safety dataClick here for our cleaning product safety data sheets (SDS) and ingredient information.

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