Blanche Fischer Foundation

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Blanche Fischer Foundation

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Advancing independence for Oregonians with permanent physical disabilities through direct giving that improves mobility, access, participation, and independent living.

10/29/2026

Participation does not look the same for everyone.

For one person, it may mean returning to work.
For another, taking a class.
Driving independently.
Joining a support group.
Going outside more often.
Serving on a board.
Making art.
Volunteering.
Attending a community event.
Getting to an appointment without depending on someone else’s schedule.
Or simply having more choices about how to spend the day.

That is why accessibility cannot be reduced to one solution.

People have different bodies, different environments, different goals, and different definitions of independence.

The Blanche Fischer Foundation helps eligible Oregonians with permanent physical disabilities address practical barriers through equipment, modifications, and other direct support.

Because access is not the end goal. Participation is.

10/27/2026

Independence does not mean doing everything alone.
Sometimes greater independence comes from knowing who to call.
A social worker.
An independent living specialist.
A mobility vendor.
A peer.
A medical provider.
A disability organization.
A community partner.
A friend.

One of the things Blanche has learned through our outreach across Oregon is how important those connections can be.

Our work with organizations such as Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, mobility providers, healthcare professionals, and disability advocates helps build a stronger network around the people we serve.

No one organization has every answer.

But together the strong relationships we build will make it more likely that someone can find the right resource when they need it.

Connection is part of access too.

10/23/2026

🌟 Growing Our Board, Strengthening Our Foundation!

Last Friday, the Blanche Fischer Foundation enjoyed a wonderful gathering at Soko Coffee in Eugene's Oakway neighborhood.

Board President Patricia Ryder, Vice President Kim Davidson-Ruby, and Executive Director Kristin Fay Venus met with Shannon Cary and Kathleen O'Gieblyn, two wonderful women interested in joining our Board of Directors!

It was a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and talk about the Foundation's future and our commitment to improving access and independence for Oregonians with permanent physical disabilities.

We're excited about the experience, perspectives, and energy Shannon and Kathleen could bring to the Foundation's leadership.

Building a strong, engaged board is an important part of building a strong Foundation, and we're looking forward to what comes next!

💙 Here's to new connections, shared purpose, and continued growth!

10/22/2026

A space can technically be called accessible and still be difficult to use.

A ramp may be too steep.

A doorway may meet the required width but still be difficult to navigate.

An accessible entrance may be around the back of the building.

A classroom may be accessible while the equipment inside it is not.

A blind person may enter a restaurant and find no accessible signage or menu, no clear wayfinding, and no staff member available to greet them or provide information. Tables, chairs, displays, and other obstacles may make the space unnecessarily difficult to navigate.

Transportation may exist but not run when someone needs it.

A program or business may say everyone is welcome while the physical environment tells a different story.

Real access asks a more practical question:

Can the person actually participate?

That is the measure that matters.

Accessibility works best when it is designed around how people actually enter, navigate, communicate, interact, and use a space not simply whether a box has been checked.

10/21/2026

🎉 We Did It! More Than 200 Followers! 🎉

The Blanche Fischer Foundation has reached 206 Facebook followers, and we're celebrating!

Every new follower helps us expand our reach, share valuable resources, and connect more Oregonians with information about adaptive equipment, accessibility, and opportunities for greater independence.

We're grateful to everyone who has followed our page, shared our posts, and helped spread the word about the Foundation's work.

Our community is growing, and we're excited about what's ahead!

💙 Thank you for being part of this journey!

10/19/2026

During Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living’s first visit from an international guest, disability awareness consultant Andrew Garza of Canada toured EOCIL’s Ontario site in his power wheelchair, helping identify ways the space could become more accessible for power chair users. He also shared his expertise with the broader community during a local Pride event.

Pictured with him is Blanche Fischer Foundation Board Member Kirt Toombs, whose own work in disability leadership reflects another form of participation: serving, advocating, sharing expertise, and helping shape more accessible communities.

People contribute in many ways. They serve on boards, volunteer, mentor, advocate, support peers, organize events, help neighbors, participate in community and faith organizations, and bring lived experience and expertise into spaces that need it.

Not every contribution comes with a paycheck.

When we talk about disability inclusion, access has to be broad enough to support all of these forms of participation; access to places, transportation, equipment, communication, and opportunities to contribute.

Community gets stronger when more people can take part.

10/15/2026

Adaptive equipment is sometimes described in terms of the task it performs.

A wheelchair moves.
A ramp provides entry.
A magnifier enlarges print.
Hand controls operate a vehicle.

But the impact can be much bigger than the equipment itself.

The right equipment can affect whether someone can go to the store independently.

Attend an event.
Spend time outside.
Take a class.
Visit someone.
Volunteer.
Work.
Participate in community life.

That is why Blanche looks not only at the item someone is requesting, but at the limitation it addresses and how that equipment may increase independence and participation.

Sometimes the tool is small.

What it makes possible is not.

10/14/2026

A beautiful day in Cottage Grove ☀️
Today, members of the Blanche Fischer Foundation traveled to Cottage Grove to reconnect with two former Foundation board members, David and Sue Ann.
We started with a wonderful lunch at Jack Sprats, then spent the afternoon at David and Sue Ann’s home, where they shared some of the thoughtful accessibility modifications they’ve made over the years to support daily life and independence.
And David made us some seriously delicious coffee. ☕️
More than anything, it was simply a joyful afternoon — good conversation, lots of laughter, beautiful weather, and the chance to reconnect with people who have been an important part of the Blanche Fischer Foundation’s history.
We are so grateful for David and Sue Ann’s past service to the Foundation and very happy to be reconnecting with them. 💛

10/12/2026

Being able to enter a space does not necessarily mean participating there is easy.

Consider everything that can happen before the activity even begins:
Navigating transportation.
Transferring in and out of a vehicle.
Moving across uneven terrain.
Traveling long distances in a manual wheelchair.
Managing pain.
Carrying equipment.
Finding an accessible route.
All of that takes energy.

For some people with permanent physical disabilities, adaptive equipment can reduce the physical effort required just to get through the day.

A power-assist device, mobility attachment, appropriate wheelchair seating, or other adaptive equipment can help conserve energy for the things a person actually wants to do.

Access is not about expecting people to push through unnecessary barriers.
It is about reducing barriers so more energy can go toward living.

10/09/2026

Durable Medical Equipment Reference List - Mobility Aids

Address

PO Box 22411
Eugene, OR
97402

Telephone

+15038589320

Website

http://www.bff.org/, https://www.bff.org/grant-opportunities.html

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