Miami Lighthouse for the Blind

08/31/2026

What's inside the Florida Heiken Children's Vision Program mobile eye care unit? Let's find out! 🐆🚚👁️

In this video, Marino Santos, Florida Heiken Optometric Technician and driver gives us a tour, with Angela Vazquez, Florida Heiken Director, standing by!

With a mission to prevent blindness, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's Florida Heiken Children's Vision Program provides free eye exams and eyeglasses where prescribed, to financially disadvantaged students in Pre-K through 12th grade, across the State of Florida.

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!™ 💙👓

To learn about our Florida Heiken sponsors, and how to bring these services to your child's school, visit FloridaHeiken.org

08/28/2026

This week, we celebrated National Dog Day! 🦮🐾

For those who are blind, a guide dog is a life companion that makes mobility possible. There's one dog in particular who means the world to us at Miami Lighthouse: Sama! Sama is our President & CEO Virginia Jacko's guide dog.

Over the past 25 years, Virginia has received 5 expertly trained guide dogs from Guiding Eyes for the Blind. We extend our gratitude to Guiding Eyes for the Blind and puppy raiser Jane Santy for their continued support in providing excellent guide dogs!

Guiding Eyes uses selective breeding for their guide dogs, providing them with a minimum of 2 years of training before matching them with a guide dog candidate. Before a candidate for a guide dog is assigned their companion, Guiding Eyes takes into account their gait, lifestyle, and temperament, to ensure an ideal match.

Before being accepted into an accredited guide dog program, the candidate who is visually impaired must have completed Orientation and Mobility training, a service we offer here at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. To learn more, visit- https://www.miamilighthouse.org/Adult_Services_Classes.asp

These are some of our favorite photos of Virginia with Sama, networking and creating community! Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight! 💙🦯 Guiding Eyes for the Blind - Puppy Program

08/26/2026

Don't forget to sign up! The USABA Level One Blind Soccer Virtual Coaching Clinic is TOMORROW! ⚽ 📅

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes - USABA | USA Blind Soccer | Florida International University | BarryU President Mike Allen | Barry University

Now registering: The USABA Level One Blind Soccer Virtual Coaching Clinic ⚽ 📅 Join us online Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at 7pm, live on Zoom, free to attend!

Attention! 📣 Coaches, physical education teachers, recreation staff and volunteers can learn the fundamentals of blind soccer 5-a-side football in a free online clinic taught by USA Blind Soccer National Team Head Coach Jorge Polanco and former National Team Coach Ryan Lazaroe, hosted alongside Miami Lighthouse for the Blind!

In this clinic, participants focus on the fundamentals of blind soccer and how the game differs from able-bodied soccer. It focuses on best practices in coaching and working with individuals who are blind or low vision, as well as a broad overview of classification.

⚽ Who This Is For:
- Youth, high school, and club soccer coaches
- Adapted physical education teachers and PE staff
- Teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and orientation and mobility specialists
- Parks and recreation program staff
- Volunteers and parents starting a program in their community
- Anyone considering a blind soccer session at their school, club or center!

To register for this virtual clinic, visit → https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/KeoEBN7/CoachingClinic2026

08/24/2026

The Lions Clubs International District 35-N Governor's Annual Meeting, led by District Governor Gaston E. Correa and District Secretary Luis Olarte, focused on the mission to "Lead with unity, serve with passion".

It gathered Lions from Port St. Lucie all the way to the Caribbean, and brought them together at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind in the Wildflower Gallery, both in-person and online.

This impactful meeting was coordinated by Lion Gustavo Gundler, and Lion Virginia Jacko, President & CEO of Miami Lighthouse, inspired attendees as a special guest speaker.

Lions Clubs International was founded in 1917.

In 1930, they helped found Miami Lighthouse, calling it “Florida Workers for the Blind” at the time.

Today, Lions continue to support our mission; Lions Clubs provide vision screenings in collaboration with our Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program, and the Miami Cuban Lions are implementing a new initiative called “Lions Quest” with our teen students, giving them the tools needed to be emotionally strong in response to bullying, especially cyber bulling. 💙

We are grateful to be in community with Lions Clubs International! Together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 🤝

Lions Clubs International Foundation
Miami Cuban Lions Club
Miami Five Stars Lions Club
Lions Club of Hialeah Pan American Inc.

08/24/2026

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08/24/2026

Thank you for stopping by, Keiser University Miami! 💙

Our Keiser University Miami OTA students enjoyed a wonderful visit to Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, gaining valuable insight into how occupational therapy supports independence and quality of life for individuals with visual impairments.

They also had the special opportunity to connect with Keiser University Miami alum Rachel, who has been working as a COTA at Miami Lighthouse! 💙 We love seeing our Seahawks out in the community making a difference and inspiring our future graduates.

Thank you to Miami Lighthouse for welcoming our students and providing such a meaningful learning experience!

08/21/2026

Commissioner Trina Wilborn stopped by to witness firsthand the incredible programs for individuals who are blind and visually impaired that we offer at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. 🙏

📸 We invited Commissioner Wilborn to tour our inclusive classrooms at Miami Lighthouse Academy, where precious early learners were enjoying music class with Miami Lighthouse music instructor Oman Pedreira, as well as the Senior Group Activities (SGA) art class, where SGA artists Grisel Diaz and Victor Mercado, seniors with visual impairment, were meticulously working on their next artistic masterpieces for an upcoming exhibition.

Angela Vazquez, the Director of our Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program, invited Commissioner Wilborn to check out our Florida Heiken mobile eye care unit!

Florida Heiken is a statewide program providing students with free comprehensive eye exams and eyeglasses when prescribed, and we look forward to bringing our mobile eye care unit to students at Florida City Elementary to provide these no-cost services on September 29th. 👁️👓

We are grateful for the support of Commissioner Trina Wilborn and the City of Florida City Government, together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 💙

While it's one thing to read about the life-changing work we do here for the blind and visually impaired, to experience it in-person means to feel the excitement, commitment, and love that each person at Miami Lighthouse contributes to our venerable mission. To schedule a tour of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, email [email protected].

To learn more about our Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program, visit FloridaHeiken.org.

08/21/2026

𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒏 🦅🖼️🎨

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and the Coral Gables Museum partner to present an exhibition exclusively featuring artworks created by Miami Lighthouse for the Blind program participants: individuals with visual impairment of all ages, from babies to seniors.

This patriotic-themed exhibition is a nod to America250, the national initiative established by Congress to mark our country's 250th anniversary. 💙

At the World Sight Day gallery reception, the Miami Lighthouse Band and Miami Lighthouse United Voices Choir will perform live as part of a special presentation highlighting the incredible talent of Miami Lighthouse program participants.

𝑱𝒐𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒔 to witness our motto in action: Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!™ 👁️

𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅, 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒏
Exhibition Dates: September 17 – November 1, 2026
Location: Abraham Gallery inside the Coral Gables Museum

World Sight Day reception: October 8, 2026, 5-7pm

To learn more about this exhibition, visit: https://coralgablesmuseum.org/project/america-touched-america-seen

This exhibition sponsored in part by the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the State of Florida, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

08/20/2026

Now registering: The USABA Level One Blind Soccer Virtual Coaching Clinic ⚽ 📅 Join us online Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at 7pm, live on Zoom, free to attend!

Attention! 📣 Coaches, physical education teachers, recreation staff and volunteers can learn the fundamentals of blind soccer 5-a-side football in a free online clinic taught by USA Blind Soccer National Team Head Coach Jorge Polanco and former National Team Coach Ryan Lazaroe, hosted alongside Miami Lighthouse for the Blind!

In this clinic, participants focus on the fundamentals of blind soccer and how the game differs from able-bodied soccer. It focuses on best practices in coaching and working with individuals who are blind or low vision, as well as a broad overview of classification.

⚽ Who This Is For:
- Youth, high school, and club soccer coaches
- Adapted physical education teachers and PE staff
- Teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and orientation and mobility specialists
- Parks and recreation program staff
- Volunteers and parents starting a program in their community
- Anyone considering a blind soccer session at their school, club or center!

To register for this virtual clinic, visit → https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/KeoEBN7/CoachingClinic2026

08/20/2026

A truly impactful partnership! We thank Elandis for supporting our students! Through experiences like this field trip, these talented teens with visual impairment learn just how accessible the world can be for them, and how it is possible to "see" without sight. 💙

Last month, our corporate team had the pleasure of once again partnering with Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's Mentorship Program for high school students and recent graduates.

As an annual event we look forward to each year, it provides an opportunity for team members across our organization to share insights into the many career paths available within the multifamily industry, including Marketing, Portfolio Leadership, Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, and more.

While we're grateful for the chance to share our experiences, it's the students who truly make this event so impactful. Their thoughtful questions, active participation, curiosity, and enthusiasm make for meaningful conversations and remind us why mentorship matters. We continue to be inspired by their ambition, determination, and eagerness to learn about the opportunities that lie ahead.

Thank you to The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind for the important work you do and for allowing us to be a part of these students' journeys year after year. We are proud to support programs that foster growth, confidence, and opportunity for the next generation of professionals.