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Monday 9am - 3pm Tuesday 9am - 3pm Wednesday 9am - 3pm Thursday 9am - 3pm Friday 9am - 3pm

http://www.utahcounciloftheblind.org/

Utah Council of the Blind, PO Box 1415, Bountiful, UT (2026)

08/29/2026

Statewide Training Conference
September 11-12, 2026 – Statewide Training Conference, Logan
VISION BEYOND SIGHT: UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIAL
The Utah Council of the Blind is excited to announce its upcoming State Training Conference, scheduled for September 11–12 in Logan, Utah. This year's event will take place at the Beautiful Riverwoods Conference Center, 635 Riverwood Parkway Logan Utah.
What You Can Look Forward To:
The conference will include an informational update from the Utah State Library for the Blind, along with an entertaining author trivia game where attendees can compete for prizes.
If you choose to opt out of reserving a hotel room, good news we are offering van services both Friday and Saturday from the Blind Center to the conference. Friday's Vans will leave at 7am from the blind center. Friday's van will leave Logan at 5:30 pm returning to the blind center. Saturday's van will Leave the blind center at 7:30 am and return after the banquet leaving around 7-7:30 pm back to the blind center. The cost is $5.00 each way to help with funds.
Vision Beyond Sight: Unlocking Your Potential
Utah Council of the Blind
2026 State Training Conference
September 11–12, 2026
Riverwoods Conference Center
615 Riverwoods Parkway, Logan, Utah
The countdown is on! The Utah Council of the Blind is thrilled to invite you to our 2026 State Training Conference, where you'll discover new ideas, explore innovative technology, connect with friends old and new, and unlock new possibilities for independence and personal growth. Whether you're attending your first conference or you're a longtime member, this year's conference promises something for everyone.
Conference Highlights
Throughout the conference you'll enjoy a variety of educational, interactive, and inspiring presentations,
including:
An update from the Utah State Library for the Blind, featuring the latest programs and services available. As well as an author trivia game.
An update from the American Council of the Blind (ACB) to keep you informed about national advocacy efforts, resources, and exciting initiatives.
Blind Information Technology Solutions will demonstrate innovative technology and practical solutions designed to make everyday life easier and more accessible.
Guide Dogs for the Blind will share exciting news about their new campus and expanded orientation and mobility training opportunities. Guide dog users and those interested in learning more will also have time to ask questions and connect with one another.
Unlocking Your Potential Through Service, an inspiring presentation exploring how serving others can strengthen our communities while enriching our own lives.
Experience the power of music and movement during our Rhythmic Sensory Circle an engaging session designed to awaken the senses, encourage participation, and simply have fun.
Ogden Association of the Blind OAB Sponsored Resource and Technology Fair
Resources and technology continue to change the way we live, work, and connect. Visit our hands-on Resource and Technology Fair to meet vendors, explore the latest assistive technology, ask questions, and try out new devices firsthand.
Outdoor Adventure
We're excited to continue our partnership with Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, who will provide accessible outdoor experiences designed for everyone. Participants will have the opportunity to try accessible archery along with another exciting hands-on activity to be announced soon.
Wild Encounters
Get ready for an unforgettable presentation from Scales and Tails! This interactive reptile zoo will introduce fascinating animals in a safe, educational, and hands-on experience that's sure to be one of the conference favorites.
Friday Night Fun
Staying Friday evening? Don't miss one of the best parts of the weekend! Join us for accessible games, laughter, prizes, great friends, and – of course – plenty of ice cream.

State Training Conference Agenda
Friday, September 11
8:00 am – Registration
9:00 am – Welcome
9:15 am – Key Note: The Key to Growth – Speaker Corrina Tanner PhD RN
10:00 am – Break
10:15 am – Common Ground Archery Session 1 Departure (by reservation)
10:15 am – The Journey of the Cane: Unlocking Your Mobility Freedom – Feng Yang, Mobility Specialist
11:00 am – Partners in Possibilities: How Guide Dogs for the Blind Unlock Independence – Brad Badger – Report from Guide Dogs for the Blind
12:00 pm – Lunch
12:30 pm – Common Ground Archery Session 2 Departure (by reservation)
1:00 pm – Unlock Your Imagination Through Accessible Books – Lisa Nelson, Utah State Library for the Blind – Report and Trivia
1:45 pm – Unlocking Collaboration – American Council of the Blind Update
2:30 pm – Unlocking Your Potential Through Service – Community Service Panel
3:00 pm – Break
3:15 pm – Unlocking Tomorrow's Technology Today – Kimberly Cline, Stirling Adaptive
4:00 pm – Beyond Sight, Beyond Limits: Technology That Empowers – Jeff Bishop, President of BITS (Blind Information Technology Solutions)
8:00 pm-10:00 pm – Unlocking Your Strategy or Just Embracing Your Luck – Appearance by Unicorn Soda Design Studio, Don't Break the Budget, and Accessible Game night
Saturday, September 12
9:00 am – Welcome
9:15 am-10:45 am – Unlock Your Adventure – Common Ground Guided Experience choose from Tandem Bike Riding, or a Guided River Nature Walk (weather permitted) or a service project.
11:00 am-1:45 pm – Small Group Experiences (Groups Assigned at Registration)
(1) Unlocking the Power of AI – Karl Smith – Meta Glasses Demonstration
(2) Beyond Sight, Discovering the Wild Through Touch – Scales and Tails Presentation and Hands-On Exploration
(3) Unlocking Potential Through Rhythm – Rhythmic Sensory Experience
12:30 pm – Lunch Break
2:00 pm-4:00 pm – Ogden Association of the Blind Sponsored Resource and Technology Fair
5:00 pm – Vision Beyond Sight: Unlocking Your Potential – Reflection and Wrap-Up – Formal Banquet
Image Shown: The UCB Statewide Training Conference ad banner with a Blind man walking a path towards a keyhole with a Key above the keyhole, and caption, -Vision Beyond Sight - Unlocking Your Potential, Utah Council of the Blind.

08/29/2026

Sign up for our newsletter:
The UCB Buzz.
(image shown: the UCB logo and Buzzy Bee with caption, -sign up for our newsletter).
https://utahblind.org/chimp.html

08/29/2026

Become a member of the UCB
(Image Shown: Anna Jeffery holding a full moon lighting up the night with caption -Let Your Light Shine So Others Can See -UCB.)
https://utahblind.org/membership.html

08/28/2026

Legally Blind Woman Hiking National Parks, Makes Stop in Acadia
Aug 11, 2026
Image: Ab Banner with Caption, -Legally Blind Woman Hiking National Parks, Makes Stop in Acadia.

Acadia National Park, Maine -- An Ohio woman who is legally blind is traveling across the nation's parks with her best friend, her guide dog.

Jackie Schiemann is on a mission to visit all the national parks. On Tuesday, she made it to Acadia National Park, something she never dreamed of doing a few years ago.

Right beside her every step of the way is her guide dog Tyrus. Schiemann is legally blind. She was born with achromatopsia, a rare eye condition leaving her unable to see any color, with no depth perception, and suffering from day blindness.

"When its bright and sunny, I see shadows, I don't see much of anything, I wouldn't recognize my Mom about ten feet away from me," said Schiemann.

Schiemann says that before Tyrus, she spent most of her time focused on steps and curbs.

"I literally have spent my whole life staring down at my feet, and with tyrus now I can hold my head up high and take in the world as much as I can see of it," she said.

She got Tyrus in 2023, after she applied to Dogs Inc. She says he came to her at the perfect time.

"Honestly it was the best experience of my life, getting him, happiest day of my life. It was over my birthday that I was able to get him. So it was the best birthday present I ever could have asked for," Schiemann said.

Since she has had Tyrus they have visited 8 national parks, and Schiemann says he has allowed her to experience nature freely.

"Its beautiful out here, we are actually doing the sunrise tomorrow at cadillac mountain. So I'm super excited about that. Because I don't see color really, but during sunrise and sunset I can tell that its kind of red-ish orange, and to me thats just beautiful," she said.

Schiemann, who is finally getting to live her dream of traveling, says that she is proof that there are no boundaries to what people can do.

"Find a way to live your dream and live your life before your life is over, because we only get one life," said Schiemann

Here the interview: See Link

https://www.foxbangor.com/news/legally-blind-woman-hiking-national-parks-makes-stop-in-acadia/article_67c9588d-d677-404c-8316-6fa5a16eeae0.html

08/28/2026

Blind Man Says, ‘I’m not letting anything stop me’: Meet the blind Brixton boxer
13 August 2026 Tiah Shepherd
Athletic in build and kitted out in mismatched sports gear, Andre Adom appears no different from the other amateur boxers warming up for Afewee Boxing Club’s 7am ‘Box Blast’ class.

Gloves on, Andre bounces lightly on the balls of his feet, firing punches into the battered bag.

He grunts through rounds of skipping, then moves into pad work, slipping and weaving as the class’s coach, Dennis, calls out the next move.

When the session at Brixton Recreation Centre ends an hour later, Andre reaches for a pair of dark glasses resting beside his kit bag – and unfolds a white cane.

The moment takes Dennis back to the first day Andre walked through the club’s doors.

“Sara, one of the committee members, and I were doing some pad work when she saw him at the front door,” recalls Dennis.

“She came back and said, ‘This is Andre. He wants to learn to box. There’s just one problem: he’s blind.'”

“We’ll give it a try,” he told Andre.

A week later, Andre, 41, from Clapham, returned to the club, which fittingly takes its name from the Jamaican patois ‘a fi wi’, meaning ‘for us’.

Arriving 15 minutes before the end of class for his first one-to-one session, the pair began by mastering the basics: how to stand like a boxer, move like a boxer, punch like a boxer.

Look like a boxer.

Andre, who is registered as severely sight impaired (blind), can only make out the shadow or outline of shapes and objects that are very close to him.

With little room for demonstration, Andre relied on Dennis’s verbal cues and commands for learning foot drills, balance, movement patterns and timing.

“It’s what got me feeling comfortable,” Andre says. “Dennis was always encouraging me and trying to trying to take me to the next level.”

And despite it being a different coaching style for Dennis, this did not stop Andre from progressing rapidly.

Within a matter of weeks, Dennis was guiding Andre through pad work combinations, putting him through heavy bag drills and refining his defensive technique.

But it wasn’t just Andre’s technical ability which stood out to the coach.

“I saw confidence in Andre,” Dennis says.

“There are a lot of people who are not in his position but are afraid to even step into a boxing gym. He tried everything – he had no fears about doing anything.”

Body sparring was no exception, with Andre making his way into the ring just a few months after joining the club.

Andre Odom spars with a club member at Afewee Boxing Club.
Andre spars with another member of the Afewee Boxing Club.
Each round begins with a gentle tap on Andre’s gloves – a small but important signal that his opponent is ready.

What happens next is down to each fighter.

“It’s mostly just about me using my acute senses, looking out for the movement of the shadows that may be in front of me, using my own intuition, timing, and all the things that Dennis has taught me,” Andre explains.

“I just put it all together.”

But outside of the ring, Andre often faces a very different kind of challenge: other people’s assumptions.

“When I tell people I do boxing, I get questions such as: ‘What, do you do actual boxing? Or, you don’t actually hit anyone, do you?’” Andre says.

“I don’t mind it. It makes me want to do it even more to show that it is possible.”

That attitude was shaped long before Andre discovered boxing.

In December 2022, after a year of tests and scans, Andre was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour.

Following major surgery to remove part of the tumour, Andre spent two weeks recovering in hospital where he was told his sight was unlikely to return.

“Where’s my life going to go from here?” Andre, who then worked as a youth facilitator and victim support worker, remembers asking himself.

“There are so many things I haven’t done, so many places I haven’t visited yet, so many experiences I haven’t had. I haven’t really achieved everything I wanted to by this point and now I’ve lost my vision.”

However, once discharged, Andre began to find opportunity in the loss he had suffered.

“I looked at it as if I’d been given a second chance at life and I thought, ‘Why not do the things that maybe weren’t that important to you before, but will really benefit your life now?’”

Just three months after the operation, Andre took up Wing Chun, a Southern Chinese martial art and form of Kung Fu centred on close-quarters self-defence.

By the time summer approached, Andre was regularly working out at the gym, attending yoga and spin classes, and working toward his red belt in Wing Chun.

Eager for another sporting venture, Andre added boxing to his fitness regime at the beginning of 2025 and has since discovered more than just the sport’s physical benefits.

Coach Dennis works with Andre Odom during a 'Box Fit' class.
Coach Dennis, a former amateur champion, has worked with Andre since he first arrived at Afewee.
“It has taught me to be patient and not just look for instant gratification because when you first start learning a new skill or a new activity, you’re not going to be very good at it,” Andre says.

“Results usually come with patience and consistency.”

In many ways, it is a lesson Andre knows well having spent the last four years adjusting to a reality he could never have imagined.

“I’ve had to learn a whole new way of life,” Andre says, likening the experience of losing his sight to “becoming a child again”.

A combination of intensive rehabilitation, white cane training, braille and technology classes has allowed Andre to rebuild an independent life, one in which his condition neither limits nor defines him.

“When I’m doing sports with sighted people, it makes me feel like I’m just part of the community,” Andre says.

“I’m not just living life as a visually impaired person. I’m doing all the things that I want to do, that sighted people do, and I’m doing it to a certain standard.”

For Andre, Afewee Boxing Club has been integral to that experience.

“They’ve never made me feel any different,” Andre says.

“All of the members have included me into the group – there is a real community feel here.”

Founded in 1997 by Steadman Scott BEM and Tony Goldring, Afewee Training Centre began as a grassroots football project providing local young people with access to sport.

After the 2011 London riots, the organisation expanded its work into boxing, with classes beginning in 2014.

Today, Afewee is an affiliated amateur boxing club and multi-sport charity, supporting people from recreational to elite level, including Premier League footballer Nathaniel Clyne and Team GB boxer and Elite National Champion Vivien Parsons.

“People have been with us for years and a lot of them say it’s because we’re not set up to be a commercial gym,” said Bobby Miltiadous, head coach and manager at Afewee Boxing Club.

“We are a community gym, and there’s a purpose.”

Miltiadous, who is also an England Boxing national coach, believes this ethos has been key to Andre’s development.

“I’ve seen Andre’s confidence slowly grow over the last year because Dennis and the other members have helped create the right environment and that has to be there for anyone to thrive,” Miltiadous says.

“I’m just so glad that he is still here, he’s happy and he feels like has a place at Afewee.”

Members of the Afewee Boxing Club practice their combinations.
Members of the Afewee Boxing Club practise their combinations during a ‘Box Blast’ class.
Andre has no plans to slow down in his fitness journey, having recently taken up blind tennis and blind football.

And regardless of what assumptions others may have about his life, Andre remains optimistic about what lies ahead.

“I’ve said to people, life is still pretty decent, believe it or not,” Andre says.

“I’m more fit and active than I’ve been before, I’ve taken up new activities and hobbies I’ve never done before. I’ve traveled to places that I hadn’t previously. I’m learning new skills and meeting new people. The world is still my oyster.

Featured Image Credit: Tiah Shepherd

https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/13082026-meet-the-blind-brixton-boxer

08/28/2026

CloverNote S: A Powerful All-in-One Video Magnifier For Low Vision From Irie-AT
Aug 15, 2026
In this video, I take a close look at the CloverNote S from Irie-AT, a portable 12.5-inch video magnifier packed with useful features for people with low vision. I demonstrate its external distance camera, magnification options, full-page OCR, and more. Could this be the ultimate all-in-one portable video magnifier? Watch my full review to find out!

https://youtu.be/etAodF5MVsA

08/28/2026

UCB Personal Braille Program
We have added new brf files to download. Check it out.
We promote Braille literacy as a major component of leading independent and fulfilling lives for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Image Shown: Hands reading Braille dots with fingers on the page with the UCB logo and caption, -Personal Braille Program, Free to any resident of Utah who is blind or visually impaired.
Realizing that the high cost of Braille transcription makes it impractical for many people to have documents of personal importance transcribed, the UCB created the Personal Braille Program to provide Braille readers with easy access to personal items such as legal documents, medical instructions, materials for meetings, instruction manuals, crochet and knitting patterns, recipe books, and more. Individuals can also request that materials already available in Braille be purchased for them to own.
To request transcription of an item, you may call UCB's business office at 801-245-9264 or e-mail: [email protected]
This program is free to any resident of Utah who is blind or visually impaired and reads Braille. It is, however, solely supported by grants and donations and is very costly; therefore. requests for transcription services may be prioritized by the Braille Committee for production.
We are also, at this time, making available here on the website, our collection of documents in Braille ready format, (.brf), for your convenience to download and utilize on your electronic devices.
Go To this Link:
https://www.utahblind.org/brailletranscription.html

08/28/2026

The UCB Skill Development Program that provides in-home training in blindness skills by teams of a blind and sighted individual. These teams are available to you in Logan, Ogden, Davis County, Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, Provo area, Manti area, Price area and Kanab and surrounding towns. These teams visit homes and bring information and help with skills such as cane travel, braille, safety in the kitchen, organization and more. They can connect you with other services, such as the Library for the Blind, senior services, Meals on Wheels, Medicaid, DSBVI, and other community services. Many of them can help you find adaptive technology to assist you be more independent. These teams also teach basic Orientation and Mobility skills which provides necessary training to use a white cane and orientation to and around your neighborhood. For those with hearing and sight loss, there are special programs which offer support service providers to help you access your community as well as special adaptive technology to assist with both sensory losses. They can also connect you with transportation resources and help people with the UCB programs which provide special services for members. For more details, click the link below:
(image shown: an Independent Living Skills team is showing a blind woman how to chop vegetables using a cutting guide)
https://www.utahblind.org/teachertrainer.html

08/28/2026

Utah State Fair
The Utah State fair is putting on a disability day where a blind person and their guide may enter the Utah State Fair and enjoy all that it has to offer for one dollar per person. You may choose to attend on Monday, September 14, at 5 pm or Wednesday, September 16, at 9:30 am. Please RSVP at 801-245-9264. It is required that we meet and enter as a group at the discounted rate. For those meeting on Monday, please come to the north State Fair parking lot. Meet at the ticket booth which is east of the DMV office building. For those coming on Wednesday, please enter the north parking lot and head towards the stadium ticket booth west of the parking lot.
Image Shown: The Utah State Fair Logo.

08/27/2026

Helen Keller Ruined it for Us
08/12/2026
Why the public still treats one extraordinary woman as the standard for an entire spectrum of people.

I'm livid right now.

I cannot believe how stupid and judgmental the online world is right now. What frustrates me most is not the skepticism itself. Skepticism is healthy. The problem is how people choose to use it.

The internet is completely backward. Millions of people will look at a melted, totally fake AI video and instantly believe it – like the "Hollywood Disaster" behind-the-scenes video that got over 500 million views in two days. Yet, those same people will look at a real video of Dr. Alexandra Adams, MBBCh, MA, the UK's first DeafBlind doctor, and confidently call what she's doing impossible.

I've seen enough comments on several videos to know that this isn't simply ignorance. I can deal with a few people not understanding disability and willing to post explanations, but a huge number of people refusing to believe what's right in front of their fu***ng faces and not even thinking "oh, I should look into how they do it".

All because it doesn't fit their version of disability.

This is pure stupidity and deep ableism. Viewers will use their imagination to justify how an ai slop video "makes sense", but refuse to learn how adaptive technology lets a disabled person save lives. They prefer to be fooled by a machine than accept a real human achievement that challenges their narrow mindset.

It proves that online audiences would rather believe a lie than respect a disabled person's hard work.

Deafblindness is a Spectrum
As soon as people see "DeafBlind," they automatically assume totally deaf and totally blind. This is actually a really rare combination, in the United States, the estimated number of totally deaf and totally blind adults is roughly 450 to 500 individuals out of the 40,000 to 50,000 individuals who call themselves DeafBlind. (This doesn't count senior citizens experiencing age-related loss.)

Deafblindness is actually a spectrum, with people experiencing varying degrees of hearing and vision loss, ranging from low vision and hard of hearing to blindness and deafness.

Let's look at my experience for example. I call myself DeafBlind, it's a label I like. I am "deaf" but I can hear environmental sounds and voices. I just can't comprehend speech. I can pick out a few words here and there but not enough to get the gist of the conversation.

Yes I have a cochlear impant that works, before you jump to that arument.

I'm legally blind, I have almost no peripheral vision and my glasses can only correct me to 20/100, if that. So there's no "you can't be blind, you have glasses!" argument either.

Surprise, surprise CIs and glasses are tools, not freaking miracle cures.

We Have Tools for That
Many people assume that DeafBlind people either need someone with them 24/7, akin to Helen Keller's Anne Sullivan, or that we walk around waving our arms wildly, again like the movie The Miracle Worker about Helen Keller.

People forget there are a multitude of adaptive tools available for disabled people to use to interact with our surroundings, communicate, and just live our lives.

DeafBlind people use a variety of equipment that matchs their individual level of hearing and vision loss. Different tools include white canes, refreshable braille keyboards, computer screen readers with either with braille or voice output, and tactile alerts for phone, door, and smoke alarms. These alerts can come through a a pager-like device worn on their belt or connected to their watch. There is a whole bunch more, and we can mix and match these tools depending on what works best for us.

In the case of Dr. Adams, she uses a specialized stethoscope that bluetooths sound directly to her hearing aids. This allows her to hear the sounds she needs to do her job as a doctor.

We're Not Sitting Around Waiting for Help
When The Odessey movie came out recently, John Leguizamo, who played the blind character Eumaeus, talked about his experience in an Entertainment Tonight interview. He described how difficult it was to spend 12 - 14 hours a day wearing vision-blocking contact lenses during filming. He described being unable to read, check his phone, or make calls. He needed production assistants to physically guide him to the bathroom and help him get food. He said he was left alone with nothing to dobut sit with his own thoughts. Without access to the usual things he would see to occupy himself, he felt completely isolated and trapped in his own head.

I can understand why that would be frustrating. Spending an entire workday without access to your usual vision would be an incredibly difficult experience, especially when you're not accustomed to navigating the world that way.

But the sarcastic part of me is going "Oh Boo-boo", with a very condescending pat on the hand.

Here's the problem: he was experiencing a temporary simulation of a disability. He was suddenly deprived of his usual abilities without having the tools, technology, or adaptations that we use every day.

That's a very different experience from actually living with a disability and figuring out how to navigate the world around us.

The Helen Keller Model
I think part of the problem is that when most people hear "DeafBlind" they immediately picture Helen Keller.

Many people have seen The Miracle Worker, which emphasized her isolation, inability to communicate, and dependence on Anne Sullivan. And there was a wild food fight scene in the dining room, to boot, showing her as being "untrainable".

So, people think of all that instead of newer examples like Haben Girma, The Smithdas, John Lee Clark, Elsa Sjunneson, or Alan Constable.

Helen Keller was DeafBlind. She was not the definition of Deafblindness.

Stop Expecting Helen Keller
DeafBlind people are not a single experience, we have different types of vision and hearing loss.

We have a variety of tools that enable us to travel, work, communicate, and live happy, productive lives. Yet, y'all are shocked and automatically assume we're faking it. Independence and reliance on others do not prove or disprove a disability.

Helen Keller should not be the litmus test for the rest of us!

Now back to all those doubtful and hateful comments about Dr. Adams. Google is free. Fu***ng use it!

Instead of letting your ableist doubts and skepticism be your first instinct, try Googling:

How does she do that?

What tools does she use?

Wow, she's pretty determined to work on passing all those tough exams while fighting barriers and doubt throughout medical school.

Yeah, that last one never fu***ng occurred to you did it??

Y'know for people who can see and hear perfectly, y'all are pretty dumb.
Image Shown: a person with a bah over his head because he is so embarrassed.

https://vocal.media/fyi/helen-keller-ruined-it-for-us

Utah Council of the Blind

08/29/2026

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