League for the Blind and Disabled

10/10/2026

If you are planning to attend, please make note of the details provided in the post below.

Alt text:
Yellow and white graphic announcing “Rally to Protect Community Living — November 17.” Below, illustrated protest signs read: “Save HCBS — Our home. Our choice. Our lives.”, “Disability rights are community rights.”, “Home. Community. Choice.”, “Community not institutions.”, and “Protect HCBS, protect lives.” Blue and gold text emphasizes advocacy for disability and community living rights.

📣 The Indiana Disability Alliance is actively finalizing day-of logistics, but now is the time to start making your plans to join disability advocates, individuals, families, and supporters from across the state to make our voices heard.

Want to know more about what to expect and how to prepare? An informational virtual meeting will be held on October 27 at 7 p.m. ET to share important details and help attendees prepare for the rally. ➡️Register here: https://bit.ly/IDA_Virtual_Meeting

🔗 Event details: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BRPJvo7sj/ or visit https://indianadisabilityalliance.org/rally-2026/

Stay tuned for more information, and help us spread the word! 🧡

10/09/2026

Congratulations to The League's own Cassidy Cwiertnia, our DeafLink ink Case Coordinator, on earning her Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA).

This assessment evaluates an interpreter’s ability to support students in K–12 classrooms, and Cassidy’s score officially qualifies her as an educational interpreter in the state of Indiana. She shared that earning her EIPA affirms her ability to provide students with the appropriate level of language they need in order to learn, something she considers a big deal, and we couldn’t agree more.

Even more impressive, Cassidy is using this achievement as a launching point as she begins preparing for her national certification exam early next year.

Cassidy, we are incredibly proud of your dedication, your commitment to excellence, and the impact you make every day. Your work strengthens access, communication, and opportunity for the students and consumers you serve.

10/09/2026

An exciting and inclusive community opportunity presented by Pearl Arts! Check it out.

👀Community Crescendo is here! 🎶

Hosted in partnership with local community nonprofits and a board-certified music therapist, this engaging program is designed for individuals with disabilities, their families, friends, and community members. No prior music experience is required. All are welcome to attend!

This class is taught by Ali Dencklau, MMt, MT-BC
📅Thursdays from 12:30 – 1:15 pm
🤩7 Weeks, October 15th until December 10th (No Class October 29th and November 26th)
💰Cost: $25

Register Here! https://pearlarts.org/calendar/community-crescendo/

You won't want to miss this exciting community group!

10/08/2026

Just one week to go!
On White Cane Safety & Awareness Day, we’re teaming up with Raising Cane's e’s to spotlight safe mobility and support vital programs at The League.

Stop by October 15, 5–9 PM, mention The League, or use RCFUND96 online. Cane’s will donate 15% of net sales to empower independence in our community.

Because on White Cane Day, we’re raising more than canes — we’re raising support

10/08/2026

World Sight Day | October 8

Vision matters. Eye care matters. And access to the support and services people need when vision changes matters, too.

World Sight Day is led globally by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), bringing organizations together to champion eye health for all.

World Sight Day is an opportunity to recognize the importance of eye health while also remembering that millions of people around the world live with vision loss or face barriers to accessible, affordable eye care.

At The League, we know that vision loss does not define a person’s ability to live a full, independent, and meaningful life. With the right resources, technology, advocacy, and support, people can continue to work, learn, connect, participate, and pursue the things that matter most to them.

Today, we join the global movement and encourage everyone to prioritize their eye health, share their stories, and help build communities where accessible eye care and opportunities are available to everyone.

Because sight matters. Access matters. And every person matters.

10/07/2026

Ready to take the next step in your financial journey?
This Thursday, October 8, we’re diving into Investing and Planning for Retirement, a practical, easy‑to‑understand workshop led in partnership with 1st Source Bank.

📅 Oct. 8 | 5:30–7 PM
📍 WindSwell Foundation
5323 W. Jefferson Blvd.,
Fort Wayne

Come learn, connect, and build confidence in your financial future.
RSVP to Lanette Robinson at [email protected].

We’re grateful to 1st Source Bank for partnering with us to make this free community series possible and to Relay Indiana for being our generous Food Sponsor.

10/06/2026

World Cerebral Palsy Day | October 6

“Access.”

That was Hale Zukas’s answer when he was asked what the Americans with Disabilities Act meant to him.

For Hale, access was more than a word. It was the work of his life.

Born with cerebral palsy, Hale Zukas became one of the influential voices of the disability rights and independent living movement. After studying mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, he helped establish Berkeley’s Center for Independent Living and became a powerful advocate for accessible transportation and barrier-free communities.

Among his many contributions, Hale helped develop curb-ramp designs that transformed how people with disabilities could navigate Berkeley. His work reflected a cross-disability approach to accessibility, considering not only wheelchair users but also the needs of blind pedestrians.

He also advocated for accessible public transportation, participated in the historic 1977 Section 504 sit-in, and helped shape disability-access policies at the national level.

Hale’s story reminds us that accessibility does not happen by accident. It happens because people recognize barriers, speak up, create solutions, and insist that everyone deserves the opportunity to participate fully in their communities.

This World Cerebral Palsy Day, we celebrate Hale Zukas and the countless people with cerebral palsy whose voices, experiences, ideas, and advocacy continue to move us toward a more accessible and inclusive world.

50 million people. 50 million voices. 50 million reasons for change.

What change do you want to see?

10/05/2026

OUR ROOTS ARE IN VISION LOSS. OUR FUTURE IS IN OPPORTUNITY.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”
— Helen Keller

October is Blindness Awareness Month, and for The League, this month carries a special significance.

Our story began more than 75 years ago with a simple but important belief: people who are blind or have low vision should have access to the services, resources, and opportunities they need to live fully engaged lives.

In 1949, Helen Keller came to Fort Wayne at the invitation of local leaders who were working to establish an organization dedicated to serving people who were blind. She challenged our community to recognize the needs of its neighbors with vision loss and helped raise the funds needed to establish what would become the Allen County League for the Blind.

The organization was incorporated in 1950 and began providing services in 1951. What began with a focus on blindness and vision loss grew over the decades, eventually becoming a Center for Independent Living and expanding its mission to serve people with all disabilities.

Today, we know that organization as The League.

While our mission has grown, our roots have never changed.

Vision loss is where our story began. It is part of who we are and an important part of the work we continue to do every day.

Today, The League connects individuals who are blind or have low vision with vital resources, services, advocacy, adaptive technology, independent living support, and opportunities that empower them to participate fully in their communities and in all aspects of life.

The League serves people with disabilities throughout Northeast Indiana, including Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley counties. In addition, or Senior Blind Services also serve Elkhart, , LaPorte, Marshall, and St. Joseph Counties.

After 75 years, the vision that helped establish The League in Fort Wayne continues to guide us:

Everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently, participate fully, and pursue the life they envision.

This Blindness Awareness Month, we honor those who helped build the foundation of The League, the people with vision loss who have shaped our organization, and the individuals we have the privilege of serving today.

If you are blind or have low vision and live in Northeast Indiana, we invite you to connect with The League. Our team is here to help you find resources, build confidence, explore adaptive tools, and pursue greater independence.

Contact The League to learn more about available services and how we can empower you.

Our history began with blindness.

Our mission continues with opportunity.




Image description:
Helen Keller sits at a table with an open Braille book, her left hand resting on the book’s pages. She holds a flower, which she appears to be smelling. She wears a light blouse with a high collar and bow.