CCVI Events & Updates
CCVI Presents to DGs Across the Country!
While alumnae in Kansas City have been hard at work volunteering at CCVI for White Cane Safety Day and our Trunk or Treat, the next generation of DGs have been getting a warm service for sight welcome! CCVI has presented or will present this month, to three different chapters across the country. In September, CCVI visited the University of Missouri to speak to their first year new members. In November, CCVI had a call with the Delta Gammas at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and we will close out the year by presenting to DGs in Lawrence at KU in December. We are excited to continue creating advocacy efforts across college campuses.
CCVI's Impact on the Community
CCVI reached children across 147 zip codes last school year. Many of these children from all across the region started their journey with a Functional Vision Evaluation. One of the most critical pieces of programming for CCVI is evaluations. This service, often at no cost to families, unlocks a multitude of opportunities for kids and is only possible through the support of our community. This eval ensures that children are engaged classmates and not left behind in lessons.
CCVI Trolley Run - Team DG
CCVI Trolley Run Opens Registration!
Sunday, April 27, 2025 | 8:00 AM
The CCVI Trolley Run is the largest fundraiser for Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) that builds community to change lives for blind and visually impaired kids. Participants can run OR WALK to raise awareness, encourage our families, and have a blast for a great cause. Registering this Fall locks in the CHEAPEST price of the year, and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the organization. Don’t forget that the Delta Gamma Brunch Bunch will return this year with custom shirts for DGs! Register at www.trolleyrun.org!
For more info: https://www.trolleyrun.org/Race/TrolleyRun/Page/AboutTheRace
Did you know? Did you know that CCVI provided over 6,000 hours of therapy last school year? Types of therapy include physical therapy to improve motor functions, occupational therapy to improve life skills, and speech-language pathology to improve communication. For more information on therapy offerings, visit https://www.ccvi.org/therapeutic-services!
CCVI partners with Alphapointe for Beep Kickball
Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired is proud to host a Beep Kickball Youth League in collaboration with Alphapointe. Beep Kickball is an adapted version of regular kickball using two bases and a ball that beeps. This year, we had record attendance with nearly 30 families joining us each weekend to play during September and October. This is a wonderful activity available to families at no charge.
White Cane Safety Day Celebration
October is the month dedicated to blindness awareness and one of the most important celebrations this month is White Cane Safety Day! White Cane Safety Day is an annual day of awareness observed nationally on October 15th. CCVI celebrated by hosting a Walk-A-Thon for students to practice their white cane skills outdoors and hosted a multitude of other fun activities for kids. A huge thank you to the Delta Gammas for helping to staff this event on October 17th! Delta Gammas helped with set-up at the event, served McDonald’s, and interacted with the students as they paraded through the Sensory Garden. Brandi Herhusky, a sophomore DG from KU, helped with face painting. It’s a great feeling seeing the students enjoy the Sensory Garden knowing that Delta Gammas helped it make a reality.
Sighted Peer Availability at CCVI
Do you have a loved one looking for a preschool? They might be eligible to attend CCVI as a sighted peer. Enroll in an inclusive environment to promote belonging, friendships, understanding and acceptance of other that are different. Sighted Peer students learn confidence, empathy, and school readiness skills while supporting the educational needs of their peers by being a leader and a friend. With affordable pricing and a low student to teacher ratio, this is a viable option for kindergarten readiness. Learn more by visiting the website.
CCVI Launches Podcast
Need some inspirational stories to light up your life? Welcome to The Vision Mission... We are SO excited to introduce our new podcast series with the aim to advocate, educate, and connect with the blind and visually impaired community on a larger scale! Whether you’re are a parent to a child with a visual impairment, a Delta Gamma, a seasoned professional in the field of vision or therapy or just like podcasts, there is something here for everyone!
Check out our first episode now available on YouTube, Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio and soon Apple Podcasts!
➡ Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gQyyCabB
➡Spreaker: https://lnkd.in/gzMR5Zpu
➡ YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g4zRizUg
➡ iHeart Radio: https://lnkd.in/gdYdRymJ
Program Highlight: Mobile Outreach for Vision Education (MOVE) Program
Ever wonder what education looks like in a public school for a child that is blind or visually impaired? Sometimes, it’s learning how to shop at a grocery store! For high schoolers like Caleb, CCVI providers are contracted by his school district to conduct sessions out in the community as part of the Mobile Outreach for Vision Education (M.O.V.E.) Program.
This allows children to receive one-on-one services without enrolling in the Early Intervention or Early Learning Academy, based on the recommendation and guidance of an individualized educational plan. No matter which stage of the education process a child is at, certified professionals are available to assist the needs of a school district.
This is the fastest growing program at CCVI and one of the most collaborative methods of education to support the whole child. In fact, some students even work with CCVI providers during their school day to learn how to access and take public transportation, such as KCATA, Uber, or Lyft!
CCVI Questions and Answers
“What is Orientation and Mobility?” Orientation and Mobility (O&M) teaches a person with vision loss to travel efficiently, safely, and independently. An O&M instructor teaches the student to focus on and accurately interpret sensory information available in the environment. In many cases, O&M utilizes a white cane or teaches pre-white cane skills. Orientation and Mobility skills are essential for those with visual impairments in order to lead a fulfilling and independent life. At CCVI, our Orientation and Mobility Specialists begin working on these skills by building good directional/positional concepts (in/out, up/down, left/right, etc.), learning body awareness, purposeful movement and basic orientation, and by learning pre-white cane and white cane skills.
