CCB COVID-19 Response
Hunkered Down and Hanging In
Founded in 1988, the Colorado Center for the Blind is a world-renowned training center located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Littleton, Colorado, about 13 miles south of Denver.
Grounded in the National Federation of the Blind’s positive philosophy of blindness, the Colorado Center for the Blind provides innovative teaching techniques, daily challenges and self-confidence that are the building blocks of independence, opportunity and success. Day after day, year after year, blind students leave the Colorado Center for the Blind’s training program as living examples of the NFB’s motto: “With effective training and opportunity, blind people can compete on terms of equality with their sighted peers.”
Young woman wearing sleepshades focuses on reading Braille
Masson learns how to put power in forward knee strikes while Rachael holds the pad. Maggie waits her turn to give it a try
Ty and Chloe ride the Light Rail
Ashley looks at a Great Horned Owl in Birding by Ear Class
Senior Using an iPhone for Taking Notes
Shawn grinding a knife blade in Shop Class
Cristian and Charis Hike along the Clear Creek Trail
A dramatic profile view of Peter climbing up a rock face
A trim man with dish towel over his shoulder pours a thick white mixture from a bowl to a pan
Marcus’ meal featured ribs and cheesecake. Here he’s pouring the mixture for his dessert into a pan.
Matt at CCB reading a Braille book
Matt Wallace
Martin workis with an Orbit Braille Display and his phone
Loren listens to the news on his phone while waiting on a train
Vika and Martin walk along a shaded sidewalk toward Littleton Downtown Station
Paul harvested a Poblano pepper and some chives from the CCB garden to cook with some eggs
Vika shreading chicken in a crock pot for her grad meal – Celia with a tray of cookies
Summer students Mary and Cheyenne each mount a tandem bike with EyeCycle Volunteers while Christina waits her turn
Mikayla plugs a Refreshable Braille Display into the Computer
Trevor talks to J.D. while he works with some wire and the Helping Hands Clips
Two women arranging their hands on a page of Braille
Corey decides when it is clear to go and starts the street crossing
Summer Youth working together learning to write code using Swift Playgrounds on the iPad
A group of students about to board the Light Rail
Russel reading a Braille book
Trevor gets ready to make a cut on the Chop Saw
Rebecca out on Travel near the Greenway entry on Prince Street
Deya and Alma ready to dissect their Shark
Laurie uses a pencil grip on her cane and takes her first step down the stairs – Petr instructing
Russel at his apartment pouring pasta from a box into a boiling pot
Amanda crossing a bridge near the Light Rail Station
Suzi in Tech Lab learning to use the computer with a screen reader
Chris P. reading Braille at her desk
Carina reading Braille in the Senior Program with Sam and Sue for Spanish Language Group
Five people wearing snow shoes on a wintery forested path with snow covered branches.
Dan, Anthony and Showe with two guides on the snowshoe trail at Lake Eldora. Four inches of fresh, albeit wet, snow flell the night before.
Amanda reading Braille in Jen’s class
Lisa makes turns in her chair in the gym to find various destinations – Duncan instructing
Four rafts head toward white water
Summer staff and students white water rafting on Clear Creek on a hot July, 2017 day.
Large group of CCB staff and students walk along the curve of the sidewalk toward the Art Gallery building
Julie and Lexi Reading Braille
Outdoor Braille Class on the Picnic Table during Confidence Camp
a smiling woman with a cart full of groceries outside the store
Lyne did her mini-meal shopping at the Walmart Neighborhood Market in early 2017. She planned, shopped, prepared and served for 15 people.
staff and students on the front patio grilling and enjoying the day
Everybody was out front today on the grills, making the most of the first day of spring. Delfina, Lyne, Kyra and Libby checking on brats.
Wayne works with Judy under sleepshades outside the front of the Center showing her how to hold the cane and get good feedback from the edge of the sidewalk and the grassy area
J.D. in the big raft with Mason, Lesse and Lexy
Judy shows two pillows she made
Holly, Cody and Lia paddle a green canoe at Bear Creek Lake
David K. walks through the snow on a winter morning
Brittany throws Travis flat on his back on the mats
A delighted Logan making the letter L in Braille with whiffle balls and an egg carton
Holly Hiking along a raging Clear Creek
Stephannie writes using a full page slate
Stephannie and Mark work together using a color identifier to match the correct wire colors to re-wire a light fixture in Home Maintenance Class
Amanda, Rocky and Christina at the Light Rail Station just as the train arrives
Paul headed out from the Center with his cane
Trevor uses a Click Rule to measure out pieces for a model of a Light Rail Station he is building in Wood Shop
Seniors out for a hike along one of the Greenway trails
Abdi writes Braille using a full page slate
Warren Waiting on the Bus during his Independent Drop
Janet relaxing and reading Braille
Rudy Rock Climbing
David D. Skiing down the slopes through falling snow
Rocky and Christina doing a street crossing
Amanda getting on the train
Loren in front of the Littleton Downtown Station Mural
Lauren walking down the sidewalk and talking on the phone
Allie Blanca C.G Dan andMike walkingaround the pond at Sterne Park during Birding Class
Jerad uses a click rule to measure for a cut out around an electrical light fixture at the top of a wall
Shaun, Davina, Loren, Mikayla and Dan cross at Church and Prince on the way to ACC
Lauren out on the sidewalk standing on the skateboard she made
Beth at the coffee machine behind the counter at Dirt Coffee
Blind Senior in a red hat marches in the Parade with a group from the Colorado Center for the Blind
Eileen, 92, is flanked by Senior Services Director Duncan Larsen and Senior Outreach Specialist Chris Kinney during the Littleton Western Welcome Week Parade. In front of them is Ashley and behind them are Martin and Brad.
Christina getting on the bus
Christina getting on the train
Smiling young man prepares to board the RTD bus
Thomas boards a bus during travel class last summer.
Rocky and Christina crossing the tracks
Loice and Kirk outside enjoying huge snowflakes coming down
Natalia, Celia, and Steve walking along a snowy icy sidewalk
Stephannie and Eliza take advantage of the warm weather and study Braille outside
Corey and David talk about traffic sounds before making a street crossing
A small blind woman laughs as her hands rest on a Braille copy of the New York Times Weekly.
Though she retired 20 years ago, CCB founder Diane McGeorge volunteers with our Senior Program every week, teaching Braille and helping lead discussions in support groups.
Kameron chopping Bell Peppers for part of his Grad Meal
Amanda coming down the steps at the Light Rail Station
Loice in her first snow catching snowflakes on her toung
Monique reading Braille at her desk in her office at work
Chris Parsons instructs Trevor in Tech Class
Kyra and Trevor walking to the pond for Birding by Ear Class
Christina and Rocky about to get on the Light Rail
Petr and Diane H. returning from travel in the rain
Laura in sleepshades tends chicken on the grill
Group hike at Bear Creek Lake Park
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CCB Programs in Action! Click for a larger view.
Be a Part of Our Story!
Be a Part of Our Positive Philosophy about Blindness!
“I learned I don’t have to stay in my room anymore!” That was Alice’s story after attending our intensive five-day Seniors in Charge program. “(When I lost my vision) I was just going to stay in my room and never leave unless someone came to take me somewhere. Now I’m not going to stay in there anymore!” and in the years since Alice said that, she’s been true to those words. She is still living an active, independent life as a blind senior.
Alice
Senior Programs
“They will help provide me with the confidence and resources I need to successfully get through Middle School, High School, and hopefully College and Medical School,” she says. “I like to talk with people who get it.“
Chloe
Youth Programs
Get Involved!
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Two women pass a large ball with perforations back and forth in the gym
Two visitors test out the goal ball at our 2016 tour.
At the Tactile Art Show, Alysa and Penny each look at casts of different emotional expressions
Laura looks at tactile art made using various types of screws
A young woman hits the zip ball
Blind Senior in a red hat marches in the Parade with a group from the Colorado Center for the Blind
Eileen, 92, is flanked by Senior Services Director Duncan Larsen and Senior Outreach Specialist Chris Kinney during the Littleton Western Welcome Week Parade. In front of them is Ashley and behind them are Martin and Brad.
Julie at bat with the ball in mid air after the pitch
Julie takes a swing at the Beep Baseball at the NF Challenge Olympic Day 2017
Ravi flashes a huge smile from inside her hockey helmet and mask
A student in sleepshades prepares to make a throw iwht the goal ball
Katy holds up her daughter Zoey who is wearing sleepshades so she can touch ta tactile art piece of the mountains
Workers with shoels, rakes and brooms in the snow and rain
More than 60 Comcast employees turned out on April’ 30s Concast Cares Day to take on a big landscaping project for the Center.
A group of CCB students sit on a bench and put on hockey gear
Group shot Making Connections Employment Seminar 2018
Shelby passes out Braille cards to a large group of young people at Western Welcome Week Open House
Richie, Chandler and a group of CCB students start up the escalator at Union Station
CCB students take turns exploring numerous tactile art pieces on the walls
David looking at a box frame with tactile art
Ann explores tactile art with a group of blind students at the Denver Art Museum
Alexandra Hall gives the Keynote address at the Career and College Seminar
Martin demonstrates how to play Goal Ball at Western Welcome Week
Tactile art at the Denver Art Museum
Hands explore a tactile image at the Denver Art Museum. A sign reads: OK to Touch
Three smartly-dressed women chat in a large, busy gym
Employment Specialist Monique Melton talks with Courtney and Libby at Making Connections 2017.
A view down the table as Fast Saturday kids get hands on experience making simple circuits
CCB students go out on the ice in their hockey gear
Julie Deden at the podium in a main session at the Career and College Seminar
A large gathering along the tables at the exhibit hall at the Career and College Seminar
Alexandra Hall gives the Keynote address at the Career and College Seminar
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Upcoming Events
- April 15, 2020, All day: Application deadline for the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado (NFBCO) Scholarship
- May 31, 2020, All day: 3rd annual NFBCO 6 Dot Dash 5K
- June 3, 2020, 10:30 am: CSDB Mentoring Program
- June 5, 2020, All day: No Limits to Learning Summer Program
- June 5, 2020, All day: World of Work Summer Program
Latest News …
Be Counted: An Update in Light of COVID-19 #DoingMyPart
(Editor’s Note: We will soon post a video demonstrating How blind folks can complete the 2020 Census, featuring our own Martin Becerra-Miranda and Dan Burke. It’s great YouTube viewing, but we don’t have a trailer. In the meantime then, we’re posting some of that information here to complement the video.)So, let’s talk about the 2020 Census. We first posted about this on March 11, the week that Census notices started going out to every residence. We’re working with our friends and colleagues at the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) to ensure that all Coloradans with disabilities respond to the 2020 Census. We want every one of us to be counted! But our lives have been dramatically disrupted by COVID-19 since that earlier post. All of Colorado is under a “Stay at Home” order now. So, for obvious reasons, we won’t be able to provide a reader to anyone who is blind to complete their Census. But the Census is still going ahead. The Denver Post on Sunday, March 29 reported that 30 percent of Americans have already responded to the Census! That’s a great start on things. For better or worse, many of us have the time right now, and if we have an Internet connection at home we can finish this up in a matter of minutes at My 2020 Census. Or we can call (844)330-2020.
Get ready Before You Start
Collect the names, birth dates, sex and racial/ethnic background information for every person living in your residence as of April 1 and have it at your fingertips when you go online or call. You won’t be asked any questions about your disability. You won’t be asked for your Social Security Number, and none of your information will be shared with other agencies, immigration officials, or law enforcement. you received a 12-digit Census ID number in your mailing. That code is linked to your street address, and if you put it in it will pull up your address on the survey. But it might be as much work for a blind person to accurately get that number from the Census Bureau’s letter as it would be to just type your address in. Well, that’s an option. on the page that asks for your Census ID, just keep going down the page to find the link that says “If you do not have a Census ID, click here.” Once you’ve clicked on that, you’ll be asked to put in your address.my2020census.gov works great with screen readers
- At the top of the page it says best to use the latest versions of Internet Explorer and JAWS. I guess that’s what they tested it with. So we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it works fine with that combination of tools.
- It works great on your iPhone using Voice Over and Safari. That’s how martin did his survey!
- NVDA is the most-used screen reader nowadays in the Windows environment, and Dan tested the Census survey pages with both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. No problems at all!
Telephone
But maybe you don’t have a computer or an Internet connection. Just call. The phones are open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Eastern Time. (That means in Colorado you can call and complete the Census between 5 a.m. and midnight every day.) There are different numbers for fourteen languages, and two numbers specific to Puerto Rico. Here are English and Spanish:-
- English: 844-330-2020
- Spanish: 844-468-2020
The Census Contact page has the list of other languages.That’s it! This post has been sponsored by the number “8,” because Colorado might be awarded an eighth member of the U.S. House of Representatives. It all depends on the final count of the 2020 Census!
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Our Programs
Independence Training Program for Adults
Independence Training Program Video
Our Independence Training Program (ITP) is designed for blind adults (18 years of age and older). Typically students complete the program in six to nine months while residing in nearby McGeorge Mountain Terrace apartments, which are owned by the Center. Participants not only build the skills that they need to be independent, but also focus on gaining confidence and belief in themselves as blind people
Program Areas
Additional Rotating Classes
- Art
- College Prep
- Career Exploration
- Gardening
- Resume Writing
- Martial Arts
- Sewing
- Yoga
Youth Programs
Youth Programs Video
Year-round Youth Programs
FAST stands for Fun Activities and Skills Training. This program will meet the second Saturday of each month throughout the school year. Some Saturdays we will simply focus on having fun as we develop skills. Other Saturdays we will participate in a variety of challenge recreation activities.
Senior Programs
Senior Programs Video
The Colorado Center for the Blind works to change the experience of older blind and visually impaired persons from frustration to independence. With education and training seniors can and do obtain the skills and confidence necessary to stay in their own homes and continue be contributing members of their communities.
Program Areas
Training for Professionals on Blindness
Kenny chopping apples
Christie walking with her cane in front of the CCB street sign
Scott and Christie walking with canes and sleepshades in front of the CCB building
Scott, Christie and Brent walking down Sycamore st. with canes and sleepshades
Christie going down the stairs for the 1st time with a cane and wearing sleepshades
Brent instructing Scott and Christie how to follow the sidewalk in front of the Center
Brent instructing Christie walking outside with a cane
Christie , Scott and Brent in front of the CCB building for the 1st time with canes and sleepshades listening to environmental sounds
Kenny (forground) Arron (background) peeling apples
Scott walking with his cane in front of the CCB street sign
Scott walking with a cane through the front lobby
Scott going down the stairs for the 1st time with a cane and wearing sleepshades
A woman in sleepshades slides a batch of cookies into the oven
Aaron mixing ingredients in the kitchen
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Our Professional Training Seminars include information about causes of blindness, alternative techniques used successfully by blind people, an introduction to sleepshades and their use with a white cane or in preparing lunch, and we spend time talking about the myths of blindness as well.