General Colorado Center Information

Our long-time art instructor and national leader in tactile access to art and science Ann Cunningham was in the artists’ make-a-space at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) in February. A group from the Colorado Center for the Blind visited DAM and Ann’s exhibit and art-making on February 9. The collaboration between DAM and Ann caught the attention of others, resulting in this episode of the popular podcast, “Eyes on Success” – an interview by podcasters Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey of Ann and folks at DAM.

Listen to the episode here: www.EyesOnSuccess.net

Since January, fans attending Colorado Avalanche games have been treated to between-periods video of the Try Blind Hockey Day on January 17. Over 50 blind Coloradans went out on the ice that day, some for the first time, others with a stick in their hand for the first time. Fans are impressed by the video, but it is little more than an historical artifact now.

Whirling overhead at all times are stars, planets – whole galaxies. Humans have always wondered at them and about them. Blindness is no impediment to curiosity, including in the area of astronomy, nor is there any reason blind people can’t learn much in this field, often thought to be too visual. Some have even become astronomers themselves.

So, with the help of Arapahoe Community College Astronomy Coordinator and Instructor Jennifer Jones, this month’s FAST (Fun Activities and Skills Training) Friday program for blind youth will teach about the stars with tactile graphics of constellations, 3D printings of telescopes, and, finally, a trip outside to see what is in Friday night’s sky. Members of ACC’s Astronomy Club will be helping out too. We’ll also learn a little about the science of sonification as it applies to studying various astronomical phenomena.

2nd Annual Career and College Seminar

sponsored by
Colorado Center for the Blind,
2233 W. Shepperd Avenue
Littleton, Colorado 80120

Tuesday April 17, 2018

9:00 am registration 10:00 am program begins
Lunch will be provided

To reserve your spot, register at the link below or call Monique Melton, Employment Specialist, at 303-778-1130 extension 221.

Morning Sessions:

Keynote Speakers:
Dianne Primavera, CEO of Susan G. Komen, former state legislator, Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation supervisor/counselor and much more.
Judy Mares-Dixon, owner of Mares-Dixon & Associates, has worked in the conflict resolution field since 1986.

Employment Panel:
Scott Labarre, attorney
Petr Kucheryavyy, manager, Charter Communications
Marcus Sands, wood worker and furniture builder

Afternoon Breakout Sessions:

Each participant will choose two sessions to attend from these options:

Back in January the Colorado Avalanche hosted a “Try Hockey” event for prospective blind hockey players. It featured several blind hockey players from across Canada and the United States and was coordinated by USA Hockey and the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association. Forty-two blind participants, including youth and some, like me, who were much older, took to the ice that day. About half of those participants came from CCB.

You can read more about it in this article, Try-Blind-Hockey Day Another Example of How Hockey is for Everyone.

Rebecca’s birthday was Tuesday and she received a special birthday delivery from her mom. It was surely especially welcome since Rebecca has been at CCB for about a month. But really, what mom could forget her daughter’s birthday? The entire center was excited about Rebecca’s birthday. Naturally we sang “Happy Birthday” at announcements, along with “The Dirge”, which only insiders will recognize, but the delivery included mini-cupcakes enough for almost everyone!

On Tuesday both Melissa and J.D. learned at announcements that they were going on their support drops. And happily they made it back in time to get cupcakes!.

We’re delighted this week to have Kirsten Mau here under sleepshades, taking all the usual classes. Kirsten is the new Marketing Director for the National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, but she lives in the Denver area. Typically a telecommuter, she’s been using offices at CCB off and on during home remodeling. This week, however, she commutes to the Center – drives herself – and then dons her sleepshades and grabs her cane.

The purpose of sleepshade training for sighted staff is to give them the sense of how blind people successfully travel, manage information and live the lives we want every day. Kirsten has taken to her training like a champ. She knows our message and believes in blind people.

she’s worked with the NFB in consulting capacities going back several years. A marketing and social media pro, she couldn’t resist a little jab.

After spending much of the day in their chairs, giving their best in various Braille skills as part of the

Braille Challenge, participants in the Metro area competition found goal ball the perfect way to unwind.

It’s the third year we’ve hosted the event for Metro-area kids, which is organized in Colorado by the

Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. Students scores on reading, writing and more are collected regionally and given rankings, then compared to scores across the country. Eventually, the Braille Institute in Los Angeles will bring the most competitive students there for a final competition.

In the meantime, there’s a little goal ball, some local and regional prizes and pizza for lunch!

Cathy Kudlick, Julie Deden and Anahit LaBarre reunited for dinner last Thursday. Cathy and Anahit, who works in our Senior Services Dept., were students together in 2000 to 2001.

It has been nearly 18 years since Catherine Kudlick first arrived in Littleton as a student at CCB, but the lessons of her training have endured, as she told staff and students in Philosophy Class last Thursday.

Cathy’s blindness is due to Nystagmus and she had never used a cane before she came for training. Still, she counted her travel training as one of the most important classes for her. She told students in frank terms about her internal struggles in that class under sleepshades.