Historical Highlights

Since 1960, the Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children has helped fund and/or advocate for the following:

• Began the first pre-school for blind children in Omaha called the Children’s Sight Center
• Funded the wages of teachers of the visually impaired at JP Lords in the 1960’s
• Worked with legislators to change jurisdiction of children with visual impairments from under the Board of Control to the Board of Education
• Worked to help legislative matters with Special Education and visual impairments
• Enabled first child who was blind to be enrolled in District 66
• Sponsored Special summer camp through the Salvation Army
• Established a Specialty Blind Shop – aides and devices that operated for two years in Omaha
• Assisted with funding the Radio Talking Book Network with a new sound booth
• Helped with the design and implementation of The Barrier Free Park
• Hired its first blind Executive Director in 2006
• Offered opportunities for educators/family members to attend advanced training
• Sponsored children with music lessons and events: American Youth Concert in Europe
• Sponsored children to attend national/international sporting events: Blind Olympics in Minneapolis and the Disabled Children Invitation International Games sponsored by the British Sports Association for the Disabled in Gates Head England
• Sponsored family members who were deaf/blind to attend the Helen Keller Center
• Sponsored interpreters for the deaf/blind at conventions and workshops
• Arranged tours for persons with visual impairments at the Joslyn Art Museum, Fontenelle Forest, SAC Museum, Durham Western Heritage Museum and Omaha Children’s Museum
• Assisted the National Federation of the Blind of NE in funding the audio descriptive movie at the Omaha Oakview Theater
• Assisted with the funding for the Weigel Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation through the Tom Sullivan Fundraiser in 2006