VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Nancy D. Miller is the CEO of VISIONS (and might we say, a wonderful boss). She was recently part of an interview with Fuzia about her journey as an entrepreneur. She quotes, When I became the Executive Director/CEO of VISIONS at age 36, it was less common for a woman to hold that position. For many years I was one of the only women in the room where executives of social service agencies were meeting. I did not have a business or legal degree like many other CEO’s, and that ...was an added challenge. I had to supervise many people that were older than me and had more experience, so it took me many years to gain the confidence and humility to be good at the job. Click the link below to read the full interview! https://buff.ly/3pkMiHV #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB Image description: A headshot of VISIONS CEO Nancy D. Miller standing in front of a light brown wall.

We're inviting anyone with a visual impairment and their family to join our next FREE Virtual VCB sessions! There'll be games, discussion groups, health activities, and talent shows! Our next session is on December 22nd. Hurry, space is limited! https://buff.ly/32DxcVS #SeeWhatIsPossible

Our #WeekOfPossible highlight goes to Donna! Here is a sneak peak of her story. The community of seniors at Selis Manor are committed to staying connected and helping people like me deal with my new reality, and above all, having some fun! Although we await the time when we can finally meet face to face, I feel less isolated even during these trying times." For the full story visit https://www.visionsvcb.org/visions-stories/ Donate to VISIONS so we may continue providing s...ervices. . . . Photo Description: Donna standing in front of a home as she smiles in a cyan colored shirt. See more

Continuing our #WeekOfPossible, we want to give a special shoutout to our Staten Island Borough Coordinator Holly Bonner. Holly works hard helping to promote and advocate for VISIONS programs and services all over Staten Island. To read more about what Holly has done recently, visit https://buff.ly/3nwb3QX #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB Image description: Holly, wearing a colorful scarf stands outside next to her light brown dog guide.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) may be over, but learning to be a more inclusive company can happen all year long! Check out the article below to learn about ways companies can tailor their communications to be more inclusive to those with disabilities while undoing and unlearning more ableist practices. #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB

Let it snow! Last night, VISIONS Staten Island Advisory Board hosted its online awards ceremony, Holiday Voices for Visions! Hosted by Gary Axelbank, the event featured 4 volunteer performers: Anthony Nardulli, Evan Harden, Nicole Sutherland, and Thomas Folderauer! Their beautiful voices helped us all get into the holiday spirit as we recognized 8 deserving honorees! Thank you to the Staten Island Advance for their wonderful coverage of this amazing event! http://bit.ly/2Wp0Qdn #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #HolidayVoicesForVISIONS #statenisland

VISIONS would like to thank our guest speaker, Russell Shaffer, Senior Director Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Walmart Inc., for sharing his insight about disability hiring during our virtual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) event. We would also like to congratulate our NDEAM employer award winners, Northwell Health and Amazon.com for being truly inclusive of people with disabilities in their workplaces. #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #NDEAM

TWO DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER Join VISIONS in celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month by attending our virtual networking event and fireside chat, featuring Russell Shaffer, Senior Director Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Walmart Inc. Russell Shaffer is the Senior Director - Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Walmart, and reports directly to the Chief Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Officer. He and his team have responsibility ...for visual and messaging strategy; executive and enterprise communication; and strategic relationships related to the company’s global culture, diversity and inclusion initiatives. He rejoined Walmart in 2006 and has held roles managing global internal communications and benefits communications. In a previous role as Senior Manager Constituent Relations, Russell managed Walmart’s corporate strategy and stakeholder outreach for the people with disabilities and aging constituencies. To learn more and register (space is limited), visit https://buff.ly/2HpvG19 #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #NDEAM

VISIONS would like to thank NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson for another delicious meal donation to the blind tenants of Selis Manor. VISIONS staff facilitated the delivery and made sure the meals were distributed to the tenants in a safe manner. Image descriptions: 1: Many individually packed meals sit on a large white table inside of Selis Manor.... 2. Two older adults wearing masks (left), stand as one of VISIONS staff members wearing a mask (right) places items in a white bag 3: A VISIONS staff member wearing a mask (left), hands an older adult wearing a mask (right) a small brown food box #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB

VISIONS is pleased to invite all of our supporters to our first virtual celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) on October 29th at 12:00PM! 2020 has been a very difficult year for many of our participants and the businesses we work with, and it is with pleasure that we are able to shine a light on the great things still happening in employment within the disability community, on the 75th anniversary of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the 30th anniversary of the ADA. Our featured speaker will be Russell Shaffer, Senior Director Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Walmart Learn more and register here: https://buff.ly/2HpvG19 #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #NDEAM

Did you know a majority of NYC crosswalks are inaccessible to people with visual impairments? Our own Khadija Bari spoke with PIX 11 News to share her experiences, as the city faces a lawsuit by the American Council for the Blind for not having enough accessible crosswalks. Watch the video here: https://buff.ly/31vS0gX #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB

The VISIONS Intergenerational Program is back in session! We are looking to recruit student volunteers who are 14 years of age and older, to assist with our senior virtual programs this fall. Volunteers will help facilitate virtual classes, assist with technology-related inquiries, and perform weekly check-in calls with our older participants. This is a great opportunity to add volunteer experience to your resume! If interested please apply here https://buff.ly/34cSBpg and email Jose Gill at [email protected] with further questions. Knowledge of video platforms is required. #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB

October 15th is #WhiteCaneAwarenessDay! For our participants with visual impairments, the white cane is crucial to helping them navigate their environment, as well as maintain their #independence. To learn more about the importance a white cane plays in the lives of people with visual impairments, visit https://buff.ly/2l5rZCX Image description: An older woman (left) holds her cane, and the arm of a younger volunteer (right), as they walk down a concrete path at VISIONS Center on Blindness. #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB

Did you know you can support VISIONS when you shop on #Amazon Prime Day! Just click the link below, and a portion of your purchases will be donated automatically! http://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-1624210 #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #PrimeDay

Staff at VISIONS host several talent showcases a year at Selis Manor, and this year was no exception, even with a pandemic. We are thrilled that many of our older participants are singers and wonderful storytellers who make our days brighter just by expressing themselves. Our Senior Show last Friday over Zoom featured a rendition of "Islands in the Stream" by a participant and his wife, a melody of hits by Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, and some originals from participants in different locations all over the tri-state area. Uplifting and safe community events are something we all could use. . Photo taken from the archives #throwback

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, where we celebrate people who don’t let sight loss stop them from being successful in the workplace, and employers who work to provide employment opportunities and support to people who are blind or visually impaired. #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #NDEAM

CALLING ALL VOTING AGE READERS! Please join Disability Rights of New York and the League of Women Voters of New York today at 11am for a special presentation, "Ways To Vote In New York State, Best Practices And How To Report Accessibility Barriers". We at VISIONS want voters who are blind or visually impaired to have the tools and resources needed to cast their ballot this election year. Your vote counts! To watch the event, visit https://buff.ly/3jfjUo2... #SeeWhatIsPossible #VISIONSVCB #Election2020

Please join us in congratulating the participants of our 2020 Employment Readiness and Pre-ETS Program!