Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

10/14/2026

White Cane Awareness Day is tomorrow, October 15th, and VABVI has events planned around the state for the 15th and 16th. The special day raises awareness about white cane use, white cane laws, and vision impairment. Here in Vermont, White Cane Day also raises awareness of the statewide services provided by the VABVI. It is a great day to show your support of VABVI with a donation to our Second Century Campaign that will fully fund the SMART Device Training Program. Right now, thanks to generous supporters, any donation to VABVI for the Second Century Campaign will initially be matched 100%, and that matched amount will again be matched by 50%. So, a $50 donation becomes $150 to support the program. Make your charitable giving go further!
Donating is easy through our online donation portal:
https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E11610&id=1

10/09/2026

Please join us in Bellows Falls on October 15th for White Cane Awareness Day!

Celebrating VABVI’s 100th anniversary!
WHITE CANE SAFETY AWARENESS DAY
Community Awareness Walk
followed by talk/light refreshments.

Thursday, October 15 from 10-noon
Rockingham Free Public Library
65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls

Sponsored by DBVI and VABVI
For more info, call 802-254-8761

10/09/2026

The Vermont Division for the Blind & Visually Impaired and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired invite you to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of White Cane Safety Awareness Day on Wednesday, October 15th in Barre.

The white cane is a symbol of strength and independence for blind and visually impaired people. To celebrate, we will gather at the meeting room of the Barre Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington Street in Barre to discuss the history and importance of the holiday, a brief overview of the Human Guide Technique, and a voluntary walk around the park traveling with a human guide. Guide Dog Ambassador "Luna" will also be in attendance to greet attendees and raise awareness of the role dog guides play in supporting independence. Pizza and soda will be provided.

All members of the public are welcome. The event is in partnership with the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI), The State Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI), Barre Public Aldrich Library, and others.

Details:
Location: Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington Street, Barre VT
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 15, 11 am – 1pm

10/08/2026

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/07/gene-therapy-can-partly-restore-sight-in-blind-people-researchers-reveal

Optogenetic therapy, based on Nobel prize-winning science, involves turning nerve cells on and off using light

10/07/2026

Researchers at the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) led the discovery of an unexpected connection between inherited blindness and a gene known for causing a rare metabolic disorder.

10/05/2026

Get your META glasses on and join VABVI Executive Director Dan Norris as he walks you through this powerful tool.

https://youtu.be/SnwB_gVMHko?si=JmbntneHT10LNPib

https://youtu.be/qldXPYFzS34?si=1vGzdYfDn5PsmkWX

https://youtu.be/1aWJfeHrjSM?si=nL1U73XexAY6V5am

https://youtu.be/znl8vRlVrDg?si=g7FeNAOeGUpJ4Ri8

VABVI Executive Director Dan Norris introduces you to META glasses

10/05/2026

Join us at 200 Pearl Street on Oct. 16th, White Cane Awareness Day, in Burlington to commemorate Anne Connelly's walk to City Hall.

10/02/2026

Happy Friday and weekend ahead! This big group of happy people are at the Lawson's Siposium held each year for non-profits that Lawson's has generously supported. Lawson's Finest Liquids, is an incredibly generous, community-supporting, positive-vibes promoting business led by wonderful people who make Vermont a better place! Thank you, Lawsons!❤

10/02/2026

Check out our latest video on Decluttering and Home Organization with Vision Loss, a webinar discussion with Lora Gerard MPA of Dartmouth Health's Aging Resource Center, and Melinda Underwood and Sharon Willes-Padnos from VABVI.

09/28/2026

On October 16, 2026, the Department of the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) will celebrate White Cane Awareness Day in Burlington by honoring Anne Connelly’s pioneering walk with her guide dog, Betty. Anne, the Vermont Association for the Blind’s first field representative and early teacher, brought Vermont its first trained guide dog in 1930 and its first white cane in 1931. Both were cutting edge assistive technology tools of that time. On January 6, 1930, Anne stepped out of her home on Pearl Street and walked to her VAB office at City Hall with Betty guiding her. It was the first time Anne had traveled in Vermont without another person’s assistance—and the first time Vermonters had seen a trained guide dog. Though such a sight may seem ordinary today, it was new and remarkable to the crowd that followed Anne and Betty. Their short walk through Burlington helped demonstrate that people with disabilities can live and work independently as equal members of society. It was a short walk but one that had a lasting impact on every person living with a disability in Vermont. Anne’s lived experience with blindness shaped the statewide program that developed over a century and is now delivered through DBVI and VABVI’s century-long partnership. Please join us at 10 a.m. on October 16 at 200 Pearl Street (across the street from the Ronald McDonald House) for a commemorative walk to City Hall. The walk is a ¼ mile. If you choose not to walk, arrive at the Sharon Bushor room in City Hall at 10. When the walkers arrive, a program about the forthcoming Burlington History and Culture Center will follow with light refreshments. [WCD events in other locations will be announced separately]

Please RSVP for the Burlington event here: https://resourcevt.typeform.com/to/G49vJjd5