Insights Newsletter
May, 2025
VISIONS Participants and Staff Were Invited to Test the All-New OneCourt Device at Barclays Center
VISIONS participants and staff were among the first to experience basketball games using the all-new OneCourt device at Barclays Center.
The OneCourt device uses a combination of vibrations and audio cues to help blind fans follow where the ball is located, and keep up with important stats during the games, all in real time. During the games our participants attended, they were impressed by the device’s speed and accuracy tracking the ball, and how its audio cues helped bridge the accessibility gap when it came to more visual moments, like knowing if shots scored or missed, if a player shot a foul ball, and if a player hit a 2-point or 3-point shot.
Mike Cush, Chief Program Officer at VISIONS stated, “So many blind and low vision sports fans choose to not attend live games because they feel that they are missing out on the live visual experience that is happening. With OneCourt, blind and low vision patrons can “feel” what is happening on the court, and not have to rely on sighted assistance to know what is going on during a game. As a blind basketball fan myself, I found OneCourt to be a “game changer” in how I experience a live game. Kudos to the Nets for incorporating this technology and giving blind and low vision basketball fans a fully immersive experience.”
Click here to read the OneCourt press release on the NBA's website
Help Support Our Services
VISIONS is proud to offer programs, training, and other services to individuals and their families with vision loss in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley, all at no cost to them. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us empower more and more people to live productive, fulfilling lives.
You can now support VISIONS with a monthly gift!
Monthly gifts will help fund our programs and services, and allow us to purchase adaptive tools to help our participants live more independently at home.
Programs and Services
Older Adults Joined Us in Celebrating Our VRTs
On April 9th, participants at our Older Adult Center celebrated our Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (VRTs) for their great work in the blindness community! Participants enjoyed a delicious breakfast thanks to volunteers from New York Cares, received a crash course on the day of a life of a VRT, answered fun trivia questions, earned prizes and gift cards, and discovered helpful adaptive tools to help improve their independence at home. NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher even paid us a visit to share some words of support for VISIONS and our fantastic VRTs.
A special thank you to our volunteers, Councilperson Bottcher, the VISIONS staff, and participants who came out to ensure this day was a complete success!
Congratulations to Our Newest Employment Readiness Program Participants!
Congratulations to our newest Residential Employment Readiness and Pre-ETS Program participants! During their 45-day stay at the Nancy D. Miller Vocational Rehabilitation Center, these four participants explored careers, learned to live independently, and earned their customer service certifications from the National Retail Federation (NRF). We're very proud, and can't wait to see where their futures take them!
Click here to learn more about our two upcoming 15-Week Employment Readiness Programs Programs. If you're interested in learning more about these programs, reply to this email.
Spring Break Pre-Voc at VCB
During Spring Break, youth participants took part in a residential pre-vocational week at VISIONS Center on Blindness (VCB), where they built skills for independence and future employment. Highlights included using assistive apps like SeeingAI and Be My Eyes during a grocery store trip, and presenting a work-appropriate fashion show, blending career readiness with creativity and fun. This immersive week helped participants gain confidence and apply new tools in real-world settings.
Community Advisory Boards
Our Community Advisory Boards continue to spread awareness of our mission and raise funds to support our services. Our exciting Advisory Board events allow us to connect with our communities and introduce them to the services we can provide. Visit www.visionsvcb.org/events to see our upcoming events, and consider joining us.
We would like to welcome our newest Advisory Board members:
Bronx-Westchester
Brian Carolan, Manhattanville University
Gianna Dell'Olio, BronxWorks
Brooklyn
Darnell Blackburn, Community Volunteer
Staten Island
Lori R. Weintrob, Wagner College
Sophia Papas, Student and Community Advocate
Bronx-Westchester Advisory Board's Annual Awards Event, Sponsored By Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts
On April 8th, our Bronx-Westchester Advisory Board hosted its annual awards event at The Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle. It was a beautiful evening with a great turnout of old and new faces. The event raised approximately $20,000 for VISIONS services in the Bronx and Westchester.
Pictured Left to right: Emcee Lisa Sorin, Honoree Frank Sánchez, Honoree Didi Zagreda, VISIONS Russell Martello, Honoree Lauren Douglas (Representing Empire City Casino), Honoree Diane Dudzinski, Advisory Board Co-Chairs Doris Varlese and Daniel Bernstein.
Save The Date For These Upcoming Fundraisers
For more information, please email Amy Gordon at agordon@visionsvcb.org.
VISIONS Brooklyn Advisory Board’s Annual Awards Dinner
June 9, 6:30pm at Gargiulo's in Coney Island
Honoring Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Antoinette A. Coleman, Ph.D, Medgar Evers College/CUNY; and Teddy Kern, VISIONS.
VISIONS Queens Advisory Board’s Cocktails For A Cause
August 24, 1:00pm at J. Fallon's Tap Room
VISIONS 39th Annual Charity Golf and Tennis Outing
September 15 at Fairfield Country Club in Greenwich, CT
Honoring Judge David S. Tatel (Ret.), Author, “Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice”; and Luke Fowler, VISIONS Board of Directors.
News & Updates
New York State Officially Recognizes Vision Rehabilitation Appreciation Week
For the second year in a row, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul declared the week of April 14th, Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT) Appreciation Week in New York! VRT Week coincides with the birthday of Anne Sullivan, a pioneer in vision rehabilitation who worked with Helen Keller. Congratulations to VISIONS Senior Director of Rehabilitation and Outreach, Cathleen McGuire, for all of the work she did to make this proclamation possible and thank you to Governor Hochul for recognizing the impact of VRTs on the blind and low vision community of New York!
Support VISIONS At This Year's Staten Island Memorial Day Flag 5K Run & Walk!
VISIONS is honored to be one of the two charities selected to be beneficiaries of this year's Staten Island Memorial Day Flag 5K Run & Walk, thanks to the efforts of Staten Island Advisory Board Member Michael DeVito. This event, hosted by the Staten Island Running Association, continues a tradition of promoting physical activity while supporting great causes.
VISIONS Helps Raymour & Flanigan Enhance Their Shopping Experience
Late in March, VISIONS Chief Program Officer Michael Cush delivered an in-person sensitivity training to our corporate partners at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses' Staten Island store.
The team learned ways to better interact with customers with visual impairments, including human guide techniques, working with service animals, and using tools like signature guides for sales forms. He also spoke about ways to describe the features of furniture that go beyond visual appearance (such as comfort, size, materials, and functions).
A special thanks to the staff at Raymour and Flanigan for working to make your sales floor a more accessible environment!
VISIONS Participant Among Two SUNY Students Selected as SUNY Disability Ambassadors
Luis Perez-Rivera, SUNY Oswego student and graduate of our 15-Week Employment Readiness Program at the Nancy D. Miller Vocational Rehabilitation Center, has been selected as one of only two SUNY Disability Ambassadors. As an ambassador, Luis meets monthly with a network of student leaders to promote accessibility and inclusion across SUNY campuses. As a Human Resource Management major at SUNY Oswego, Luis is passionate about creating shared experiences that challenge biases.
Luis will continue to work with the SUNY Disability Ambassador program in the spring 2025 semester, hoping to expand opportunities for students with disabilities. “Accessibility is about creating a level playing field ... It’s not about giving people an advantage, it’s about ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed.”
VISIONS Was the Charity of Choice for Loft Eyewear Design Week
In March, VISIONS benefitted as the charity of choice for Eyewear Design Week. This is Loft Eyewear's new annual showcase for the high fashion sector of the optical market in North America, and took place over a three-day period in midtown Manhattan. Many thanks to Loft Eyewear Show for selecting VISIONS for this honor.
Help Support Our Services
VISIONS is proud to offer programs, training, and other services to individuals and their families with vision loss in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and the Hudson Valley, all at no cost to them. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us empower more and more people to live productive, fulfilling lives.
You can now support VISIONS with a monthly gift!
Monthly gifts will help fund our programs and services, and allow us to purchase adaptive tools to help our participants live more independently at home.