December 2025

Working here, we get to witness the moment when our students stop asking “what if” and start asking “what’s next.”

That’s what your Colorado Gives Day donation supports.

Not just programs. Not just services.

People. Blind People rewriting their own stories- finding confidence, community, and the freedom to build the lives they want.

Support the Colorado Center for the Blind this Colorado Gives Day. Between now and Tuesday, December 9, your donation is also matched by a generous $25,000 challenge from the Bob Bell family. So, double your support and help someone discover that they can still pursue their dreams!

Doug believes in himself as a blind teacher, and a future educator of blind kids. And you know what? He’ll pass that belief in himself and his students on to them, just by being Doug. Because kids love Doug!

- "The training and mentoring I received from blind instructors at the Colorado Center for the Blind has been invaluable,” says Doug. “It gave me the skills and confidence to believe in my abilities and embark on a new career path."

We believe in blind people like Doug. You can support the Colorado Center for the Blind’s positive impact rooted in that belief. Donate to Colorado Gives Day between now and December 9.

And the $25,000 match is still active, so giving now doubles your impact!

Waiting to receive his Freedom Bell, Doug (right) grins at something Director Julie Deden says about him during his graduation in July, 2025. He was about to start a new job with Littleton Public Schools and a graduate program at the University of Northern Colorado.

When a parent finds out that their child is blind, it can be devastating and easy for them to believe that their child will not be able to be happy or to really experience their life. It’s understandable – how many of us really know first-hand about blindness, or even know a blind person?

At the Colorado Center for the Blind, we work with parents and their kids so that they realize that being blind is not a tragedy at all and that their kids will live rich fulfilling busy lives. The key to this message is our community of confident, successful blind people who believe that blind and low vision kids can do anything with their lives!

In November, we came together with blind youth and their families (and some teachers) for our annual Thanksgiving youth event. We put blind and low vision youth in the kitchen with capable blind role models to do some baking. The blind kids loved deciding if they wanted to bake apple pie or snickerdoodle cookies. One five-year-old loved every minute of this baking time, and she insisted on using the hand mixer.

Confident blind role models are key for youth to develop positive attitudes about their own blindness. With ingredients and utensils laid out on the counter, Ciara provides direction as Matthew stirs eggs in a mixing bowl and Jacob anxiously waits for his turn to mix. The recipe was Pumpkin Spiced Snickerdoodle and both boys took a bag of cookies to share at home.