Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group

10/17/2026

White cane safety tip:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CfG8D8AN5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/15/2026

Today (October 15) is White Cane Safety Day.

Nearly a third of Wisconsin residents are nondrivers, and thousands of state residents who are blind or low vision use a white cane or guide dog to get around. Their safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Wisconsin’s White Cane Law requires drivers to stop at least 10 feet from any pedestrian who is using a white cane or a guide dog.

Please share this information with others to improve the safety of the blind and visually impaired pedestrians in your community.

10/12/2026

Pedestrian Safety Month was established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2021.

We’re urging leaders to put in place a variety of measures to improve pedestrian safety, including accessible pedestrian signals, bump outs, and curb ramps at all intersections.

SIGNALS
• Accessible pedestrian signals at signalized intersections provide audible information that includes the street name and whether or not it is safe to begin crossing.

SIDEWALKS
• Roadways without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as locations with sidewalks on both sides.
• Sidewalks should be present on both sides of the street.
• Sidewalks connect people and places, providing safer pedestrian routes to the most common destinations.

CURB RAMPS
• Curb ramps provide a safe transition from the sidewalk into the street when crossing while helping align the pedestrian with the crosswalk.
• Effective curb ramps contrast in color to the sidewalk and street and contain tactile warning fields to provide tactile feedback.
• Ramps should be in place at all corners of the intersection.

10/09/2026

🚗WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY is October 15th! 🚙

White Cane Safety Day was proclaimed in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson as a way to raise awareness of statewide White Cane Laws.
Wisconsin’s White Cane Law requires drivers to stop at least 10 feet from any pedestrian who is using a white cane or a guide dog. But it does more than that. By promoting greater driver awareness, the White Cane Law enhances the safety of all pedestrians.

10/06/2026

Vision Connection
Sept 2026 Newsletter

Attendees: Bernie, Adam Leonhart, Austin, Amy, Sharon, Dorothea, Rick, Dee, Pam Meulemans, Nancy, Jane, Nancy, Marsha, Judy, Phil, Linda, Cindy, Marion, Tom, Sandy Mottl, Warren, Dawn, Marilyn

Happy Birthday Austin!

Cindy Mueller presented her career and dreams to work in the outdoors: Natural Resource Program at Tech, worked at Fallen Timbers in Black Creek, and her Grandfather worked at the lime plant at High Cliff. Cindy started working at High Cliff in 1995 as a Resource Educator doing different tasks that kept her outside such as field trips for school kids, programs on the weekends for the public, doing trail maintenance and design. Signage is expected on trails, so for visually impaired people they are developing an audio program for the trails. She attended programs in other areas to enable folks to learn here. Wolves in Wisconsin is a big one. Cindy is involved with our Timberwolf Recovery program. What was happening in Wisconsin was wolves would migrate from Canada to Minnesota then to Wisconsin. Volunteer program teams would tour different areas in Wis. Then they would howl to try to count the numbers of wolves by listening for the wolves to howl back. They would also track footprints in the snow. Cindy has done this for over 35 years. Losing her vision has impacted her life to really limit what she can do. Cindy has a can do attitude and volunteers for as many events that she can. Thank you to everyone that attended the slow walk on the Butterfly trail recently.

We have been invited to the Appleton City Hall, on 10/15/2026 to join the mayor for his proclamation of White Cane Safety Day and Pedestrian Safety Month. Austin is going to take part in the Menasha City Council meeting where the mayor will proclaim White Cane Safety Day.

As the year comes to a close, October will be the group anniversary potluck. During our November meeting Jean Kenevan from the Office for the Blind will answer any questions around vision loss. Our December meeting will be our annual holiday potluck.

For our Anniversary Potluck, please bring a dish to pass and whatever you want to drink with you. Plates, cups, plastic ware and napkins will be furnished.

We will hold officer elections in November. The new officers will start in January and will hold two year terms. Please consider running for an officer position.

Annual dues of $5 per person are paid to Marilyn in January.

Adjusting to Vision Loss: 5 Tips for Family Members
https://viplunch.wordpress.com/adjusting-to-vision-loss-5-tips-for-family-members/

If anyone has feedback they want to share about our monthly meetings, please communicate your feedback with Rod at [email protected] or 920-585-7443.

Next Meeting
The Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group will meet on Tuesday Oct. 13th at 12.30 -2.30 p.m. in the meeting room at 425 N Linwood Ave. Appleton.

If you need transportation to any of our meetings, please contact Rod Maccoux @ 920-585-7443 or via email: [email protected].

Look us up on our page and/or our website.
page: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Website: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Email: [email protected]

10/06/2026

October is Pedestrian Safety Month! Throughout the month, we will be promoting safer and more welcoming communities for all. While many communities across Wisconsin are in the process of implementing good pedestrian infrastructure, unfortunately the number of pedestrian accidents has not been declining. Drivers can play big role in reducing accidents involving pedestrians by remaining attentive and avoiding distractions while driving.

One of the most important things drivers can do to keep pedestrians safe is to slow down. Research has shown that even at 30 mph, the pedestrian involved in an accident has a 40% chance of fatality or severe injury. Slowing down could save a pedestrian's life while adding only a few minutes to the driver’s trip. Distractions also play a huge role in vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Drivers should put their phone away and leave the radio alone while driving.

We wrote more about how drivers can help protect pedestrians in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at https://wcblind.org/2026/10/pedestrian-safety-month-reminds-drivers-to-stay-alert/.

Thank you to Associated Bank for sponsoring this years campaign.

Image: A Wausau Metro bus with a large ad on the side reading Intersections are for Everyone along with the Council logo and a graphic of a diverse group of people crossing a street in a crosswalk.

10/01/2026

🚶October is Pedestrian Safety Month! ⚠️
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CFx7xByNm/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/24/2026

Are you ready to vote?🗳️

With voting season here, we're bringing back this helpful episode. Vision loss can make voting a little trickier, so we look at different ways to cast your ballot and find an option that works for you.

09/16/2026

It’s White Cane Wednesday!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eim1nMgz8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/10/2026

A big thanks to one of our newest members. Cindy shared her experiences throughout her career as a naturalist. She spoke of dealing with vision loss while finding ways to continue the work she loves.

👀 Check the comments below for a video of her demonstrating part of her work.👇