Miami Lighthouse for the Blind

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind From their efforts the Florida Association of Workers for the Blind, which would later be called Miami Lighthouse, was born.
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Through education, training, research and vision enhancement, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides hope, confidence, and independence to people of all ages. πŸ’™ History of Miami Lighthouse

In the late 1920s blind activist Dolly Gamble enlisted the Miami Lions and Miami Rotary clubs to help the blind attain independence. Today we are Florida's largest and oldest nonprofit se

rving the needs of the blind and visually impaired. Through education, training, research and vision enhancement, Miami Lighthouse is a center for learning that provides hope, confidence, and independence to people of all ages, transforming the lives of over 90,000 blind and visually impaired people annually, from babies to seniors, and their families. Our programs’ impact is statewide, national, and international. The Florida Heiken Children's Vision Program, cited by the American Optometric Association as a national model other states should adopt, provides comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses for underserved schoolchildren throughout Florida using our fleet of five mobile eye care units. Our Lighthouse Learning Center’s innovative programs, such as our internationally recognized inclusion pre-kindergarten – from which we are developing a certificate program with a sister institution in Israel, new kindergarten, first grade and mothers’ play days for their blind toddlers, make a difference in the lives of children and their families. To read more about our history visit us at https://www.miamilighthouse.org/HistoryOfTheLighthouse.asp

β˜€οΈπŸŒ΄ The Miami Lighthouse Academy Early Intervention Summer Camp is a 7-week program for children ages 1-5* with a vision...
06/08/2026

β˜€οΈπŸŒ΄ The Miami Lighthouse Academy Early Intervention Summer Camp is a 7-week program for children ages 1-5* with a vision disability. Participants will enjoy weekly themes, water days, and in-house field trips!

Join in the fun! To learn more, call 786-362-7483.

When:
June 15- July 31
7:30AM-3:30PM

Location:
601 SW 8th Ave Miami, FL 33130

Free Transportation!

*Prerequisite for 4-5 year old participants: must have completed their PK4/VPK school year

This program is made possible with support from The Children's Trust πŸ’š.

Learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour here ➜ www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Our Academy is a fully accredited Gold Seal Quality Care Program provider, and is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education πŸ™

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

Miami Lighthouse Academy has accreditations from: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware & more!

A welcome visit! Fourth grade students from Posnack Hochberg Lower School East Campus visited our Senior Group Activitie...
06/08/2026

A welcome visit! Fourth grade students from Posnack Hochberg Lower School East Campus visited our Senior Group Activities (SGA) community. These bright students learned how to guide a person with visual impairment, witnessed a Wing Chun self-defense class in action, and joined in the fun, crafting, dancing, and making music together, before assisting with serving lunch to our clients. πŸ™Œ Thank you, students!

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight! πŸ’™ Hochberg Lower School - Posnack East

To learn more about our SGA Program, visit ➜ https://miamilighthouse.org/SGAActivitiesAndClasses.asp

Our SGA program is made possible with support from the Florida Division of Blind Services.

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Chief Program Officer Carol Brady-Simmons received the Cathy Holden Excellence in Manager...
06/05/2026

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind Chief Program Officer Carol Brady-Simmons received the Cathy Holden Excellence in Managerial Leadership Award at the VisionServe Alliance Envision 2026 Conference! Congratulations, Carol! πŸ†

Learn more, here https://visionservealliance.org/2026-annual-award-recipient-carol-brady-simmons/

Carol Brady-Simmons, VisionServe Alliance Cathy Holden Leadership Award with Lee Nasehi and Lauren Branch

With summer weather comes water play! With a special treat for students, thanks to Azucar Ice Cream Company, to celebrat...
06/05/2026

With summer weather comes water play! With a special treat for students, thanks to Azucar Ice Cream Company, to celebrate an amazing school year! 🍦

Our Miami Lighthouse Academy students had a blast splashing around on water day! We thank Azucar Ice Cream for stopping by to provide our little ones with delicious ice cream πŸ₯°.

Water play, under the guidance of our instructors and TVI, is a fun and refreshing tactile activity for our students with visual impairment. πŸ‘“πŸ’¦

Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
βœ“ APPLE accredited free VPK for children who are sighted
βœ“ inclusive preschool for students with visual impairments
βœ“ Kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th Grade for students who are visually impaired
βœ“ Included transportation and therapies for students

Learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour here ➜ www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Our Academy is a fully accredited Gold Seal Quality Care Program provider, and is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education
πŸ™

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

Miami Lighthouse Academy has accreditations from: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, & more!

Last Night, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind President & CEO Virginia Jacko joined community leaders at the Griffin Cataly...
06/05/2026

Last Night, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind President & CEO Virginia Jacko joined community leaders at the Griffin Catalyst VIP Dinner, hosted by the FIFA World Cup 2026ℒ Miami Host Committee FWC26Miami, accompanied by Nova Southeastern University Professor and Chair François Sainfort, PhD.

The FIFA World Cup 2026β„’ Miami Host Committee supports our Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer program, which first launched in 2025 with funding from a Children's Trust Innovation Grant. With the support of our community, we started with the first and only blind soccer curriculum for early learners ages 1 to 4, and kept growing! Today, we celebrate teaching the skills of blind soccer to over 100 children and young adults. πŸ‘βš½

At our recent grant activation event hosted by the FIFA World Cup 2026β„’ Miami Host Committee, which took place at Miami Lighthouse's on-campus mini-pitch, our community came together to celebrate this awesome inclusive sport, with community leaders such as Rodney Barreto and other members of the Host Committee along with Miami Lighthouse Board Chair Scott Richey, The Children's Trust President and CEO James R. Haj, Thomas Anthony AbrahamAbraham of the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, and Commissioner Rolando Escalona, to support our venerable mission.

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

To learn more about FIFA's support of Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer by US Soccer Parent, visit ➜ https://ussoccerparent.com/fifa-foundation-funds-blind-soccer-miami/

To learn more and to contribute to Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer, visit ➜ https://secure.miamilighthouse.org/Support-Blind-Soccer-at-Miami-Lighthouse.asp

At the Miami Lighthouse Academy Elementary Award Assembly, students from Kindergarten to 3rd grade were recognized for t...
06/04/2026

At the Miami Lighthouse Academy Elementary Award Assembly, students from Kindergarten to 3rd grade were recognized for their successful school year, with reports of over 90% of students showing major academic gains! πŸŽ“πŸ‘

10 years ago, Miami Lighthouse Academy was founded in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and now we are pleased to announce the expansion of Miami Lighthouse Academy to 4th grade!

πŸ“Έ: Instructors Natali Timothee, Kisses Cabuquit, Mary Camacho, TVI Michael Berger, TA Yasmin Fundora, and Academy Director Mara Gonzalez

Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
βœ“ APPLE accredited free VPK for children who are sighted
βœ“ inclusive preschool for students with visual impairments
βœ“ Kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th Grade for students who are visually impaired
βœ“ Included transportation and therapies for students

Learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour here ➜ www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

Our Academy is a fully accredited Gold Seal Quality Care Program provider, and is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education πŸ™

Miami Lighthouse Academy has accreditations from: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, & more!

06/04/2026

Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer launched in 2025 with funding from a Children's Trust Innovation Grant to create the first and only blind soccer curriculum for early learners ages 1 to 4. Today, we are proud to have taught the skills of blind soccer to over 100 children and young adults! πŸ‘βš½

Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer is a community effort, supported by the Children’s Trust, community leaders, and most recently, the FIFA World Cup 2026β„’ Miami Host Committee FWC26Miami.

At the One Game, One Future Clinic hosted by the FIFA World Cup 2026β„’ Miami Host Committee at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's on-campus mini-pitch, our community came together to celebrate this awesome inclusive sport, with community leaders such as Rodney Barreto, Scott Richey, James R. Haj, Thomas Abraham, and Commissioner Rolando Escalona present to support our venerable mission.

We thank The Children's Trust, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes - USABA, FWC26Miami, Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, as well as Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Florida Department of Education, for supporting our blind soccer program. πŸ™

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

πŸ—žοΈ To learn more about FIFA's support of Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer, in U.S. Soccer Parent, visit ➜ https://ussoccerparent.com/fifa-foundation-funds-blind-soccer-miami/

πŸ•ΆοΈ To learn more and to contribute to Miami Lighthouse Blind Soccer, visit ➜ https://secure.miamilighthouse.org/Support-Blind-Soccer-at-Miami-Lighthouse.asp

06/04/2026

Miami Lighthouse Academy Pre-K Graduation πŸŽ“ Some of these students will commence to their local community schools, and those with a vision disability will move forward to our Miami Lighthouse Academy Kindergarten this fall. We are so proud of these shining stars! 🌟

πŸ“Έ: Karla Richey | Caterina Camaiani | Natalie Tappert | Virginia Jacko | Mara Gonzalez | Richard Fernandez

πŸ—žοΈ 10 years ago, Miami Lighthouse Academy was founded in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and today, we celebrate the expansion of Miami Lighthouse Academy to 4th grade!

Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
β€’ APPLE accredited free VPK for children who are sighted
β€’ inclusive preschool for students with visual impairments
β€’ Kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th Grade for students who are visually impaired
β€’ Included transportation and therapies for students

Learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour here ➜ http://MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Our Academy is a fully accredited Gold Seal Quality Care Program provider, and is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education, Miami Kids πŸ™

Miami Lighthouse Academy has accreditations from: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, & more.

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

Check out this adorable footage of our Miami Lighthouse Academy Pre-k students graduating! πŸŽ“Yesterday a group of 7 stude...
06/03/2026

Check out this adorable footage of our Miami Lighthouse Academy Pre-k students graduating! πŸŽ“

Yesterday a group of 7 students graduated from Pre-K, some will commence to their local community schools, and those with a vision disability will move forward to our Miami Lighthouse Academy Kindergarten this fall.

We are so proud of these shining stars! 🌟

As Miami Lighthouse Academy celebrates its 10-year anniversary, founded in 2016 in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, we are proud to announce the expansion of our Academy to 4th grade!

Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
🍎 APPLE accredited free VPK for children who are sighted
πŸ‘“ inclusive preschool for students with visual impairments
✏️ Kindergarten and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th Grade for students who are visually impaired

πŸ† Our Academy is a fully accredited Gold Seal Quality Care Program provider, in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Transportation and therapies provided!

Learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour here ➜ www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!β„’ πŸ’™

Our Academy is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education πŸ™

Miami Lighthouse Academy has accreditations from: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, & more!

πŸ‘οΈ Today, a team of the best in the industry from the Miami Lighthouse CVI Collaborative Center presented the findings ...
05/29/2026

πŸ‘οΈ Today, a team of the best in the industry from the Miami Lighthouse CVI Collaborative Center presented the findings of their ongoing, first-of-its-kind research at the Envision and VisionServe Alliance 2026 Conference in Columbus, Ohio.πŸ‘

Presenters:

β€’ Virginia Jacko, President & CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind
β€’ Professor Carlos Mendoza-Santiesteban, MD PhD, Neuro-Ophthalmologist and Surgeon, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami
β€’ Michael Berger, TVI, Miami Lighthouse Academy
‒ François Sainfort, MD PhD FACHE Chair and Professor, Nova Southeastern University

ο»Ώο»ΏDuring the past two years, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has collaborated with the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Nova Southeastern University , and Nicklaus Children's Hospital to address the number one cause of bilateral visual impairment in children in the developed world, Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI).

🧠 Also referred to as Cerebral Visual Impairment, CVI is a vision disorder resulting from damage to the brain central visual pathways and/or the cortex involved in visual processing.

CVI accounts for 18% of childhood blindness in the United States.

This research is crucial; less than 20% of patients with CVI are receiving an accurate diagnosis!

Learn more in our article in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, here ➜ https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X261439126

To learn more about our CVI Collaborative Center, visit ➜ https://miamilighthouse.org/CVICenter.asp

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sightβ„’! πŸ’™

Address

601 SW 8th Avenue
Miami, FL
33130

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13058562288

Website

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