(Editor’s Note:  Executive Director Julie Deden sent The letter below to the 117 donors to the Colorado Center for the Blind on Colorado Gives Day. That number doesn’t count the twenty or so students, staff, and especially seniors who contributed cash totaling $284. Nor would it include all of our supporters who give in ways that are not monetary. These of course include our volunteers, board members, and many other members in our Littleton community and National Federation of the Blind community whose support we cannot overvalue! So, as 2023 winds to its end and we prepare to hit the ground running in 2024, we want to share this letter with all of you and express our gratitude. And of course, our best to you in the New Year!)

When Fitz came to the center as a student, he really didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, simply because he had no idea what he could do.

As an Independence Training Program (ITP) student, Fitz has been finding his own identity as a blind person. With what he thought of as a lot of residual vision, Fitz nonetheless was one, like many of us, caught in between the myth that blindness means absolute “blackness” and the hard reality of being stuck because we can’t actually see enough, and we don’t have the skills that many totally blind people use effortlessly every day. It takes a toll on self-confidence and undermines our ability to live the life we each want for ourselves.

The Colorado Center for the Blind is presenting a dynamic career and college seminar on September 28. We’re sure to have something for everyone, whether you are looking for information about jobs and careers, planning for education and opportunities, or seeking inspiration from the journeys of successful blind people.

But the deadline to register is only days away, so please reserve your spot (and a lunch) right away. It’s all free!

Register online HERE by Sept. 25!

Date:

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Time:

10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Register by:

Monday, September 25, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

Location:

Earlier in May a group of our older blind folks went off to Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que & Bowling on South Broadway for a morning of active fun. These photos attest to the truth that there’s more than one way to get the ball down the lane!

The guys arrived very early so the breakfast would be ready to serve right after announcements. In all more than 20 female students enjoyed the meal. Left to right, the cooks are Noah, Ernest, Florentino, Shane, Dave, and Mason.

Julie Deden holds her mock mimosa in a fluted glass.

Yes Star Wars fans, it’s May the Fourth Be with You today. And in honor of this day, Jedi Tech Instructor Charlie Acheson came in his Jedi robe and with his light saber. Here he’s shown with his hood up and sweeping a blue arc with it. Not hard to imagine him saying, “use the force, students! Use the force!”

Tonight, he can greet CCB’s Board of Directors at our gathering of staff and board. Board members are arriving from across the country today and will meet with staff and students, as well as the management team through Saturday evening. It’s the first in-person board meeting since 2019.

By the way, students are preparing an amazing lentil stew from scratch for tonight’s meal. Worthy of any Jedi knight!

The following message is from the National Federation of the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, and the Colorado Center for the Blind.

It has been a difficult year of loss for the circle of friendship we share in our movement. We regretfully share the devastating loss of Scott LaBarre, who passed away surrounded by his family on Saturday, December 10. Most recently serving as our national general council, Scott has been a longtime Federationist, a fierce leader in our movement, and a great friend to so many of us. The outpouring of love from the Federation family was deeply felt by Scott, but his challenging medical condition could not be overcome. More details about services for this extraordinary individual, along with information about how we can support his wife, Anahit, and children, Alex and Carter, will be coming soon.

Support Us Today

As we come to you for support for Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 6, we want to share with you some of our excitement and pride in the growth and accomplishments of our students this past year. Blindness finds us in different ways and at different times of our lives. But what all of our students strive for is independence. That’s true whether it is a young person going out on their own for the first time or someone who has already established their lives, jobs, even families and now must learn blindness skills and come to believe in themselves as blind people. We all want to be independent. Obviously, employment and careers—just feeling like we are productive—are among the most critical factors in achieving personal independence. This is no small achievement since estimates of unemployment for blind, working-age adults range between 65 and 80 percent. Here are what some of this year’s Independence Training Program students are pursuing after graduation.