Thanks to each of you for your donations to The Colorado Center for the blind during this Colorado Gives season! We believe blind people can do anything and we infuse this belief system in to our youth, adult and older adult programs. Our students pick up on this and gain belief in themselves. Our positive philosophy about blindness sets us apart from other blindness training programs. This  is the key to the accomplishments  of our students and their success is our success!

We want to again thank the Bob Bell family for providing us with a $25,000 match. This match  propelled us to a total of $64,526 in Colorado Gives Day donations - the most we have ever received!

And so, as we wind down 2025, we want to express our deep and humble gratitude for your generosity. Your support helps us ensure that we can provide the highest quality blindness training possible and that our students will live the meaningful lives they want!

We wish each of you a happy holiday season!

Julie Deden

Executive director 

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.

Brandon never imagined he would be painting a wall as part of his blindness training program.

“I’ve done so many things for the first time,” he often says of his first five months at the Center. These include camping out at the Great sand Dunes and climbing to the top of the dunes with a small but intrepid group of fellow students. That same night, he made his first s’mores over the fire. He’s been sailing and was on the Colorado Center for the Blind’s Western welcome Week Parade float in August.

“I loved the cheering from the sidelines,” he recalls with a chuckle.

Another of Brandon’s firsts has been serving on the Student Association Board for the past two months. He describes himself as having been a shy kid with a speech impediment who did his best to keep to himself, so serving on the student board is a big first.

I like to do my part,’ he says. “Whatever I can do to help others out”

Challenge is the key to developing confidence for our students, and we challenge them because we believe that blind people can do anything! We challenge students both in and out of the core classes of Technology, Braille, Cane Travel and Home Management. For example, students also take a Home Maintenance class. They learn how to do simple wiring and plumbing tasks, change a faucet, hang pictures, and much more – including the counterintuitive idea of blind people painting a wall!

“I’m painting a wall for the first time,” Brandon says in a short video, “and I think I’m doing a pretty good job …” Then he laughs and corrects himself. “ No, I know I’m doing a good job!”

Challenge builds confidence – it’s working for Brandon!

Colorado Gives Day is December 9, but you can give early to support our programs and students like Brandon!

Would giving a small monthly amount help you give as much as you'd like to the Colorado Center for the Blind?

You can do that! Just pick your monthly amount, then check the box that says "Recurring."

And if you do, your first month's contribution will be matched by the Colorado Gives Foundation! Colorado Gives has dedicated $250,000 to encourage donors to set up recurring contributions.

The Colorado Center for the Blind receive $280.00 per month from 9 separate donors this year - thank you all! That's a total of $3360.00 over the year.

Isn't it great how that adds up? And now we have a new recurring donor whose first month's contribution of $50.00 was matched by the Colorado Gives Foundation! So, please consider whether a recurring donation will make it easier for you to give what you'd really like to give toward our life-changing programs for blind people.

Make a recurring donation for Colorado Gives 2025!

“A pivotal moment for George came after a medical appointment,” says Stefanie. “Instead of calling for a ride home as he would have in the past, he located the nearest bus stop and took the bus on his own. On the way, he even stopped at a store to pick up a few items—navigating the route, the environment, and the return trip independently. He was so proud when he told me the story the next time I saw him. We had a celebration!

Colorado Gives Day is December 9, but you can give early to celebrate our Older Blind Program!

We would like to introduce our new Director of Youth programs, Tiffany Moon.