Blanche Fischer Foundation

10/09/2026

Durable Medical Equipment Reference List - Mobility Aids

10/09/2026

White Cane Tips and uses.

10/09/2026

A series of in-person and virtual events to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

10/08/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) — a time to recognize the value, talent, and contributions people with disabilities bring to workplaces and communities across Oregon.

Employment is one important part of full participation in community life — and participation requires access.

The State of Oregon has put together resources and a series of upcoming webinars throughout October focused on disability employment, ableism in the workplace, inclusive hiring, and assistive technology.

Take a look and learn more. https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/pages/celebrating-ndeam.aspx

A series of in-person and virtual events to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

10/08/2026

GETTING THERE IS PART OF PARTICIPATING.

Before someone can participate, they have to get there.

Work.
School.
Medical appointments.
Volunteer activities.
Community events.
Friends and family.

For many people with permanent physical disabilities, transportation is not a separate issue from participation. It is the gateway to it.

That may mean accessible public transportation. It may mean a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. It may mean hand controls, a wheelchair locking system, or another vehicle modification.

Blanche has helped Oregonians purchase several kinds of adaptive driving and vehicle equipment because mobility between places can directly affect a person’s choices about where they go and what they do.

Access beyond the front door matters.

10/05/2026

Education and training are forms of participation. So is creativity.

During our recent visit to Portland Fashion Institute, we saw the newly installed accessibility lift that now provides access to the Institute’s second-floor classrooms and instructional spaces.

Much of PFI’s hands-on programming happens upstairs: including sewing, garment construction, pattern making, textile skills, technology, and other forms of fashion-industry training.

The Blanche Fischer Foundation contributed $1,500 toward the accessibility lift because participation in education and workforce training requires being able to reach the place where learning happens.

We’ll be returning to Portland Fashion Institute for the ribbon cutting in November and next time, we plan to get some pictures and video of the lift in action.

Stay tuned.

10/01/2026

Participation can mean a lot of things.
- Going to work. - Taking a class. - Volunteering.
- Meeting with a support group. - Creating something.
- Attending a community event. - Serving on a board.
- Visiting friends. - Being part of everyday life.

For people with permanent physical disabilities, the desire to participate may be there while the access is not.

A staircase. Transportation. Fatigue. Broken equipment. An inaccessible entrance. Technology that is out of reach financially.

Sometimes one barrier is enough to change whether someone can participate at all.

Throughout October, we’re looking at what participation really requires and the practical role accessibility plays in making it possible.

Follow the Blanche Fischer Foundation.

09/30/2026

A year ago, we were just beginning to intentionally build the Blanche Fischer Foundation’s social media presence.

In August 2025, when we first formally recorded our Facebook metrics, 41 people were following our page.

Today, there are 166 of you. 💙

That growth means more to us than a number.

Every new connection helps more people learn that the Blanche Fischer Foundation exists; including Oregonians with permanent physical disabilities, families, advocates, service providers, and organizations helping people find the resources they need.

Over the past year, we’ve been steadily rebuilding our statewide presence, sharing disability-related resources, highlighting partnerships, increasing awareness of our individual grant program, and connecting with communities across Oregon.

Thank you for following along, sharing our work, and helping more people find us.

And we’re just getting started.

09/30/2026

For someone who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, a broken chair isn’t simply broken equipment.

It can mean not being able to get to work, leave home, attend an appointment, participate in the community, or move through everyday life independently.

During our September visit to Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, Blanche Fischer Foundation Board President Patricia Ryder and Executive Director Kristin Fay Venus had the opportunity to spend time with OSCIC founder and Executive Director West Livaudais tour the wheelchair repair workshop, and learn more about the work happening there.

We had a great visit with West and came away with an even deeper understanding of how individualized wheelchair repair can be. Seating may need to be rebuilt or modified. Parts may need to be replaced. A seemingly small adjustment can make the difference between a chair that causes pain, over exertion, or bruising to one that works properly for the person using it.

That is why the Blanche Fischer Foundation is helping purchase parts for OSCIC’s wheelchair repair workshops and pop-up events across Oregon.

Access isn’t only about obtaining equipment in the first place.

It’s also about keeping that equipment working.