Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

12/29/2025

Save the Date!

Event Name: VABVI Presents: John Bramblitt - U.S. Cultural Ambassador

Date: Friday, January 23, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM US Eastern Time

Join artist and U.S. Cultural Ambassador John Bramblitt for an open, interactive conversation about creativity, resilience, and redefining what’s possible. After losing his eyesight, John found a new way to paint—and a new way to see the world. In this informal Zoom discussion, participants are invited to ask questions and explore topics ranging from art and disability to creativity, adaptation, and personal journeys through change. Come curious, bring your questions, and be part of a meaningful conversation.



About John Bramblitt:

John Bramblitt is a U.S. Cultural Ambassador, internationally recognized artist, and the world’s first blind muralist. After losing his eyesight due to epilepsy and Lyme disease, John reinvented the way he paints—using texture, touch, and memory to create vibrant large-scale murals and paintings seen in over 120 countries. His work has been featured by The New York Times, BBC, and Discovery Channel, and he has collaborated with institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Kennedy Center, as well as brands including Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Delta. John’s journey is a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t disappear when circumstances change—it evolves.



How to Join?

Join this Zoom Link for VABVI Presents: John Bramblitt - U.S. Cultural Ambassador

Or Join in Zoom by using Meeting ID: 820 3350 8712

Please note if asked the Zoom Passcode is in all capitals the word: ART

Or join by phone with One tap mobile

+13017158592,,82033508712 #



For Questions Contact:

Daniel E. Norris, M. Ed. (COMS, CVRT)

Director of Adult Services

1-877-350-8838 ext. 101

dnorris@vabvi.org

12/19/2025

Say hello to Luna, the new ambassador from Guide Dogs for the Blind!
Happy Holidays!

12/17/2025

Japan is using assistive technology in interesting ways to make navigation easier and less-stressful for people who are blind or visually impaired! It's always cool to see how different countries make efforts to make their cities and towns more accessible!

Tactile paving for people with visual impairments in Japan has recently been enhanced with audio guidance, as the developers of the technology aim to improve the lives of people with partial sight and assist sighted tourists.

12/16/2025

A talking label wand is a wonderful tool! Learn more from this video discussion about the device led by Bibta Pradham.

Bibta Pradhan leads a discussion about the uses of the Talking Label Wand.

12/15/2025

https://youtube.com/shorts/lU9tcI_bZdE?si=PkB363-3RJS-x8W1

Sure you know that braille is how blind people read. But it's also incredibly expensive to produce. Are there anybody Let's try 5 more of your best braille-w...

12/09/2025

This is a message from Senator Sanders to any Vermonters interested in cutting their own inexpensive Christmas tree:

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

As we all know, Vermont is one of the most beautiful states in the country. We have extraordinary natural resources that people come from all over the world to see. One of our natural treasures is the 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest, stretching from Lincoln to Readsboro. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service since its federal designation in 1932, the forest is made up of eight wilderness areas and 900 miles of trails, including the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail.

What you may not know is that Vermonters can visit the Green Mountain National Forest and cut down their very own Christmas tree for just $5. And, it gets even better: If you have a fourth grader at home, your family can cut down a tree for free as part of the Every Kid Outdoors initiative.

To my mind, cutting down your own tree is a great way to get out in nature and get into the holiday spirit — and for $5, this is an affordable experience for all Vermont families.

12/08/2025

VABVI Presents: The Talking Label Wand – How It Can Help You!

The Talking Label Wand is a relatively simple and less expensive assistive technology tool that can help you to stay organized, take notes, prepare shopping lists, remember calendar events, organize your address book and so much more. Its full range of usefulness is only limited by your imagination for what a digital sound recording device can do for you. UMass Boston Graduate student, Bibta Pradhan will walk participants through what the Talking Label Wand is, how to record a message and share practical ideas of ways you can use the Wand in various aspects of your life. Participants may also share how they have used the Talking Label Wand ask questions. Come learn and share your ideas.

When: Friday December 12, 2025, at 7:00 PM.

Where: Through Zoom

Link to Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84439691970?pwd=xcM8qSHSHo7qSx9bUaSTWsvg8D8bNQ.1

Meeting ID: 844 3969 1970
Passcode: VABVI
Or join by phone:

One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84439691970 # US (Washington DC)

12/04/2025

Be you in all your beauty.

Apple products are designed for every student. Accessibility features like Magnifier on Mac, Accessibility Reader, Braille Access, VoiceOver, Sound & Name Re...

12/03/2025

Hello friends of VABVI! If you haven't heard, 2026 is our 100th anniversary! We will be celebrating all year! We are preparing and looking for suggestions for a Chittenden county source of sheet cakes. Does anyone have a sheet-cake connection that you are willing to share?! All help is appreciated!

12/02/2025

It is Giving Tuesday, and today and everyday all the way to the end of December 2027, if you make a donation to VABVI's SMART Device Training Program, the Pizzagalli Family Foundation will increase your donation with their generous matching offer! Help us reach our goal of sustaining the SMART Training Program well into the next century!

12/02/2025

VABVI Presents: The Talking Label Wand – How It Can Help You!

The Talking Label Wand is a relatively simple and less expensive assistive technology tool that can help you to stay organized, take notes, prepare shopping lists, remember calendar events, organize your address book and so much more. Its full range of usefulness is only limited by your imagination for what a digital sound recording device can do for you. UMass Boston Graduate student, Bibta Pradhan will walk participants through what the Talking Label Wand is, how to record a message and share practical ideas of ways you can use the Wand in various aspects of your life. Participants may also share how they have used the Talking Label Wand ask questions. Come learn and share your ideas.

When: Friday December 12, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Where: Through Zoom
Meeting ID: 844 3969 1970
Passcode: VABVI
Or join by phone:
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84439691970 # US (Washington DC)
Link:

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

12/01/2025

A great way to support VABVI while getting your shopping done is to purchase one of Shaw's Give Back Where it Counts bags at Shaw's, 2 Main Street, Montpelier!