Oklahoma Council of the Blind

10/06/2026

Blindness does not always mean seeing nothing. Some people can detect light, shapes, or movement; others cannot. A person may use a white cane and still read enlarged text or notice something nearby. Avoid making assumptions based on one moment. Listening to someone’s own experience is a better place to start. Save this reminder or share it with someone who wants to learn.

A minimalist graphic with a solid pastel green background. At the center, bold dark green text reads: “BLINDNESS IS A SPECTRUM. Every person’s experience is different.” Surrounding the text are clean, dark green line-art illustrations depicting different facets of visual impairment: a white cane, a hand reading a sheet of braille, an stylized eye, a guide dog wearing a harness, and a hand using an assistive digital device.

10/02/2026

Last week, we held our 2026 state convention. It was a full weekend of fun and fellowship. The sessions were packed full of great infomation ranging from recreation, smart phones, everyday items to make life easier, and other resources that are out there for the blind and visually impaired. We had the honor and priviledge of hosting the Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind, Scott Thornhill, as our keynote speaker. He was a great speaker and had a wealt]h of knowledge for us. Scott is someone that everyone was able to connect with and truly was a delight to spend time with. He challenged our members to set goals, then strive towards those goals instead of just standing still in life and encouraged us that we can do anything that we set our minds to. Thank you Scott, for coming and being a part of our convention this year. It is our hope that you were just as blessed by us and we were by you. Hope to have you visit again in the future. Until then, keep up the good work and we are proud to have you as our national director. And if there is ever anything we can do for you or ACB, don't hesitate to reach out!

10/02/2026

The last thing Jake Olson ever saw was a USC football practice.

He picked it.

Olson was born with retinal cancer. They took his left eye when he was 10 months old. He grew up seeing out of one.

Then in 2009, when he was 12, the doctors told him the other one had to come out too. There was a date on the calendar for the end of his sight.

Pete Carroll was the head coach at USC then, and somebody told him about a kid in Orange County who loved the Trojans and was about to go blind.

So Carroll brought him in. Team meetings. Practices. The sideline on Saturdays. Not a photo op, an actual membership.

And when the day came, the last day Jake Olson would ever see anything, he chose how to spend it.

He went to USC football practice.

Then they took his eye and the lights went out, and he was 12 years old.

Here is what he did with the next six years.

He learned to snap a football. Blind. By feel, counting steps, listening.

In 2015 he walked on at USC as a long snapper. Not an honorary one. A player on the roster.

And on September 2, 2017, against Western Michigan, USC lined up for an extra point and sent Jake Olson onto the field to snap it.

He got it back clean. The kick was good.

He is the only completely blind player ever to appear in a Division I football game.

Pete Carroll was in Seattle by then, coaching the Seahawks. He watched it on television.

"I couldn't stop crying. It was thrilling."

Olson wrote this afterward.

"If you hadn't made me a member of the Trojan Family when I was 12, I don't know where my life would be."

Now here is the part almost nobody knows.

On January 17, 2025, Jake Olson and his wife Audrey had a son. They named him Rowan.

Rowan was born with retinoblastoma. In both eyes. The same cancer that took his father's sight.

He went through chemotherapy as an infant.

Last September it ended. His doctor says Rowan has excellent vision and appears to be cancer free.

The family went to the Coliseum. They put the baby down on the field where his dad snapped that football.

"Watching Rowan crawl around out there on that grass, it was emotional in a way I didn't expect."

Now the honest part. Appears cancer free is careful language, and that kid will be getting his eyes checked for a long time. Nobody is spiking a ball yet.

But a coach once gave a 12 year old boy one good day before the dark, and that boy grew up and played football for him, and now his son can see.

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09/30/2026

This is a photo of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Council of the Blind for the next year. They were voted in on Sunday September 27th, 2026 during the organization's annual state convention. There is one board member missing of the photo due to a situation that didn't allow them to attend the convention. The board is as followed.
President Elaine Boykin
First Vice-President Dana Young
Second Vice-President Pam Holloway
Secretary Vicky Golightly
Treasurer Frances Pointdexter
Public Relations Director Joseph Bundy
Board Member at Large Julie Brantley
Board Member at Large Joyce Southerland

09/29/2026

ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill was honored to attend the 2026 Oklahoma Council of the Blind (OCB) Convention in Tulsa this past weekend! This year’s theme was “Kick Up Your Boots,” and Scott joined in the fun by wearing a western-themed shirt and belt buckle, along with a pair of boots.

Scott shared updates on ACB initiatives and learned about the great work OCB is doing to encourage, empower, educate, and enhance the lives of Oklahomans who are blind or have low vision. A big thanks to OCB for being such wonderful hosts!

Pictured (left to right) are OCB Board Secretary Vickie Golightly; OCB First Vice President and Convention Co-Chair Dana Young; OCB Convention Co-Chair Marilyn Sanders; and OCB President Elaine Boykin. Scott Thornhill is standing behind them, wearing a classic red-and-black checkered cowboy shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots.

09/29/2026

We’re proud to announce that ACB has been selected to receive the 2026 Navigator Award from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH)!

The Navigator Award recognizes collaborative efforts to remove barriers and create opportunities for people who are blind. APH is honoring ACB for its longstanding advocacy for audio description and its work to make this important access feature more widely available across entertainment and educational programming.

From advocating for legislative and regulatory action beginning in the early 1990s to helping advance audio description requirements in the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, ACB has worked for decades to expand access to described programming. APH also recognized ACB’s role in providing information about described programs, advancing the quality of audio description, and recognizing leaders in the field.

ACB will accept the award during APH’s Annual Meeting in October.

We’re honored to receive this recognition and grateful to APH for highlighting the importance of audio description and the work that has helped make it an increasingly common part of accessible entertainment and education.

We also want to thank APH for the important work it does every day to expand access to information and educational opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision. APH has been a valued partner of ACB, and we’re grateful for our shared commitment to creating greater access and opportunity.

Pictured is the APH Navigator Award from 2025, presented to VisionServe Alliance. The award is a clear glass trophy with a curved, teardrop-like shape with a broad base. Three stylized human figures, each represented by a clear glass sphere for a head and curved geometric shapes for the body, ascend upward together along the curved shape of the award. Near the center of the trophy is a circular APH logo. Below the logo, engraved text reads “Navigator Award, presented to VisionServe Alliance, 2025. The glass trophy sits on a rectangular gold-colored base with Braille lettering across its front.

09/29/2026

09/04/2026

This is just a friendly reminder that the OCB convention is coming up from September 25-27 at the Doubletree Downtown in Tulsa. You only have a couple days left to register. It will be a convention full of helpful infomation and lots of time to fellowship with other members. To learn more or register visit

KICK UP YOUR BOOTS WITH OCB! Howdy partners! Dust off your boots and get ready for a rootin’ tootin’ good…