Braille Institute’s mission is to eliminate barriers to a fulfilling life caused by blindness and severe sight loss.
Who is Braille Institute?
Braille Institute is a non-profit organization offering a broad range of free programs, classes and services serving thousands of students of all ages to empower themselves to live more enriching lives with blindness and vision loss. We serve the community from six centers and 220 community outreach locations throughout Southern California, and lead popular national programs like Braille Challenge and Cane Quest. Our staff and volunteers understand losing your vision can be scary, and we believe it is not the end of independence, but a new way of living.
Today’s world is a visual one. We are inundated with a never-ending stream of images and we have adapted to absorb and make sense of this data in the blink of an eye. But if you cannot see, what then? How do you make sense of our world?
There is a place, a place of community, a place where possibility and hope exist side-by-side. A place where the visual world is transformed and made accessible. We are Braille Institute.
When vision fades because of age, disease or trauma, or if a child is born blind, it feels as if the world has been turned on its side, but ours is a community that listens, teaches and shares solutions with all those who come through our doors. We are Braille Institute.
The cadence of the tap of a white cane heralds determination and vitality born from discovering the world by touch and sound. The quiet turn of a braille page signals ever-expanding horizons as literary worlds are revealed.
A friendly voice shares the latest news and enriches a stranger’s day. Hands reach out to guide, embrace and show the way. We are Braille Institute.
While we have buildings of brick and mortar, we are more than just a place. We have machines and devices designed to help those who can no longer see, but we are more than a repository of technology. It is our people, and the connections they make to others within these walls that define who we are.
Each of us may sometimes feel desperate or lost, unable to dream about a future, but here, the individuals of our community cheer for one another, encourage daily victories, And support dreams that should never be given up on. We are Braille Institute.
We are translators of the visual world, people from all walks of life with hearts that sing a song of courage and promise. We empower others to live complete lives and define a vision for the life they desire. We are Braille Institute.
We are volunteers, coaches and friends that share their hands and hearts with anyone who reaches out. We are Braille Institute.
We are a staff that understand this is more than a job, it is a calling, it is work that is substantive and important. We are Braille Institute.
We are teachers that make the classroom come alive when students realize, “I can do this!” We counsel, we give guidance, we create our community with love, dignity and respect. We are Braille Institute.
We are donors who proudly give so that those we serve can be the architects of their own future. We are Braille Institute.
Losing your sight does not mean you lose your vision. Those in our community know this with absolute certainty. Whether sighted or blind, life is about finding your way with strength, courage, grace and joy. This is what we aspire to do. We are Braille Institute.
Possibility and hope exist side-by-side within our walls and within our hearts. Some say miracles happen here. But for us it is simply what we do every day. We are Braille Institute.