Aurora of CNY, Inc

06/23/2026

🫶 Support groups are an essential tool for anyone experiencing blindness or visual impairment. From sharing practical tips to social bonding, these groups ultimately support independence for the blind/visually impaired!
🙌 AURORA of CNY proudly runs a multitude of support group options across the three-county region we serve (Onondaga, Oswego, and Cayuga Counties).
🔗 Learn how you can get involved in our support groups, including upcoming dates, times, and locations here: https://bit.ly/AURORAVisionLossSupportGroups

06/22/2026

We are so incredibly grateful for your support, Acadia Insurance! Your donation is especially meaningful given our work with Chelsea and her daughter. Thank you! 🙏

Acadia recently made a charitable donation to Aurora of CNY, Inc, an organization making a meaningful impact in our community. Aurora of Central New York, Inc. provides vital support to individuals who are deaf, blind, visually impaired, or hard of hearing, helping people of all ages live more independently and confidently.

This donation is especially meaningful to our colleague Chelsea Wilkinson, who shared:
“Aurora’s mission is very personal to me. My 8-year-old daughter is deaf, and their support has made a real difference in helping her communicate, connect, and feel included. Organizations like Aurora help ensure kids like my daughter have every opportunity to thrive.”

We’re honored to support their mission and contribute to building a more inclusive, accessible community for all.

06/19/2026

🌭 What's summertime living without a good cookout! It's always a fun time at our annual Onondaga County Blind/Visually Impaired Support Group Summer Party.
🍔 Earlier this week AURORA staff, alongside Lions from the Syracuse Host Lions Club and Solvay-Geddes-Camillus chapter, served up (and participated in!) some tasty summer fare and lively conversation.
🤝 Blind/Visually Impaired support groups like ours are a vital piece of the vision rehabilitation puzzle for those experiencing vision loss. By combatting isolation, providing a space for members to share real world practical tips, and more; they ultimately promote independence for those we serve.
👋 Visit our website to learn more about how we support Central New Yorkers with vision and hearing loss https://www.auroraofcny.org/

06/17/2026

🎥 ICYMI, our very own Susan Gray and David DeFrancis were featured on this great WCNY "Cycle of Health" episode last week!
🦯 Susan and David joined Ophthalmologist Justin Dexter and host Dr. Rich O'Neill in an engaging discussion of eye health, vision loss, and the nexus between eye health professionals and the services AURORA of CNY provides.
🔗 Check it out now: https://video.wcny.org/video/healthy-vision-8umqhu/

CC: PBS

06/15/2026

👏 We're kicking this week off with a serious dose of gratitude! Last week, Chelsea Wilkinson and Patrick Miller from Acadia Insurance visited our office to make a generous $5,000 donation supporting our work with those experiencing hearing and vision loss. Chelsea has personal family experience with AURORA which drove her desire to nominate us for consideration of Acadia's benevolent gifting:
🗨️ "My daughter is 8 years old and deaf, and we’ve had the opportunity to use AURORA's services in the past. Having access to their resources and support has made a meaningful difference in helping her communicate, connect, and feel included ... Supporting their work is something I truly believe in, both because of the impact I’ve seen firsthand and the difference they continue to make for families like ours in the community."
🙏 Thank you to Chelsea, Patrick, and the entire Acadia team for supporting our life-changing work!
🧷 Learn more about AURORA's services here: https://www.auroraofcny.org/

06/12/2026

🏃‍➡️ Whoa - our 2nd Annual Strides for Sight 5k Run/Walk is barely two weeks away on Saturday, June 27th!
📍 Willow Bay at Onondaga Lake Park
⏱️ 9:00 AM start
🧑‍🦯‍➡️ Inclusive, family-friendly Kids Activity Zone - free of charge!
🙏 Proceeds directly support AURORA's life-changing work with our Central New York neighbors experiencing vision or hearing loss!
🔗 Sign up now: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Liverpool/StridesForSight5k10k

06/11/2026

📺 We have some appointment viewing for you this evening! Our partners over at WCNY did a great "Cycle of Health" episode with our very own Susan Gray and David DeFrancis, talking all things vision loss with Dr. Rich O'Neill.

⏰ Set that alarm on your phone right now to catch them on WCNY-TV at 8:30 pm. WCNY-TV is our local PBS station which can be found over the air at 24.1, or check your TV provider's guide to find WCNY-TV.

🤓 Watch a short preview of the episode here: https://www.pbs.org/video/preview-healthy-vision-gzlhol/

06/11/2026

🔦 Vision Rehabilitation week rolls on today, and we'll take a moment to shine a spotlight on quite frankly the biggest goal of our work in this area: developing independent living skills.

💁 At AURORA, we proudly provide individualized vision rehabilitation support, instruction, and equipment to maximize functional vision and daily independence.

💪 From cooking, to navigating your home, to managing your medications, and more; we promote independence for our blind and visually impaired community of Central New York.

🧡 If you or a loved one has experienced vision loss - regardless of your stage - please contact us to start or continue your vision rehabilitation journey! Most of our services are provided at no cost to the consumer.

🔗 Learn more, including hearing a powerful testimonial: https://www.auroraofcny.org/vision-services

06/10/2026

🧑‍🦯 We're halfway through Vision Rehabilitation week, meant to raise awareness about services that can dramatically increase confidence, safety, and independence for those who are blind or visually impaired.

🙋 At AURORA of CNY, we proudly provide a wide range of Vision Rehabilitation services to support Central New Yorkers at all stages of vision loss.

🧐 Learn more about all the ways we can help you or your loved one on our Vision Services page here: https://www.auroraofcny.org/vision-services

06/09/2026

📈 It's certainly no secret our region is poised for massive growth in the coming years.

🧑‍🦯‍➡️ With that population increase comes an increased demand for specialized services, such as Orientation & Mobility (O&M) for our neighbors who are blind or visually impaired. This means the time to invest in those specialized services to support that growth is now!

👏 AURORA of CNY is proud to welcome Mark Moniello to our team, a highly sought, certified full-time O&M Specialist dedicated to teaching individuals who are blind or visually impaired how to travel safely, confidently, and independently in their homes, schools, and our community.

📜 Read more in our latest press release: https://www.auroraofcny.org/news