NEWS / EVENTS
Transforming Lives, One Individual at a Time.
Meet our participants, read their stories. See firsthand our mission in action.
Being Visually Impaired During The Pandemic
For those who are blind or visually impaired, who "may not notice arrows on the floor directing foot traffic that have no texture to be felt," such [COVID-19] safety measures "present additional obstacles for safely navigating the pandemic-era world." Read the...
Athlete Quits Team USA After She’s Told She Can’t Bring A Care Assistant
Becca Meyers, a six-time Paralympic medalist who is deaf and blind, will miss the Tokyo Paralympics after being told she could not bring her Personal Care Assistant — her mother, Maria Meyers — to the Summer Games.
Human Echolocation: How It Works
Echolocation is shared by many species, including whales and dolphins – even people can learn how to use it!
Bringing Blind Hockey To Newark
‘The same game:’ Blind hockey players trying to spread the sport in New Jersey.
Scientists Partially Restored a Blind Man’s Sight With New Gene Therapy
A team of scientists announced Monday that they had partially restored the sight of a blind man by building light-catching proteins in one of his eyes.
Our Impact
VLANJ annually serves 1200 people with vision loss and their families. We provided 871 instructional hours of service through 26 class offerings in 2020. VLANJ program participants report a 95% satisfaction rate for our virtual classes. VLANJ was able to translate our...
Thank You to Our Donors!
A special thank you to our Giving Circles donors. Your gifts had a significant impact on our programs! And to our new donors in 2020, welcome and thank you for choosing to support VLANJ!
VLANJ Welcomes New Board Members
Ming Wu Ming has spent most of her career working in business development and marketing in the legal sector. She has worked for international law firms in the UK and in Hong Kong. She has a BSc (Hons) Psychology from the University of Leeds. Originally from the...
A Farewell Letter From Kris Marino
I leave VLANJ on a high note, confident my successor will build on the foundation we created. The
hardest thing is not getting to say goodbye in person. So here, I bid adieu to everyone in our VLANJ
community, and wish you all good health and good fortune. Always remember, we’re the little engine
that could.
VLANJ Keeps Participants Connected and Engaged Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic
Through VLANJ’s pivot to virtual programming, individuals with vision loss have sought and
found a community of support, education, and skills development.
VLANJ Welcomes New Leader to Oversee Nonprofit’s Growth
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey welcomed William Schuldt, a seasoned nonprofit professional, as its new president and CEO!
Yogurt Container Chocolate Cake – No Scales Required!
This delicious recipe was shared by one of our VLANJ Board Members, Ming Wu, and no scales are required – only an empty “yoghurt pot,” a.k.a. just a regular yogurt container!
More Employment Opportunities Available to Those Who Are Blind at Amazon
Via the National Federation of the Blind, it was announced that Amazon is to expand employment opportunities at Amazon Fulfillment Centers, making them more accessible to workers who are blind.
Beauty and the Blind: Accessible Beauty Products for VI Women?
VLANJ board member Ming Wu has a passion for improving the lives of people living with sight loss, and she often helps to raise awareness about related topics. She writes on her blog about how "...as a visually impaired woman, I find very...
Starbucks offers new service to make menu accessible to those with blindness and low vision
Starbucks is now offering more options to make their stores and ordering experience accessible to customers who are living with low vision or blindness! Learn more by clicking here.
VLANJ Expands Free Virtual Programs During Pandemic Thanks to Grants
We will continue to expand our free virtual offerings this winter, thanks to grants from The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and The Grotta Fund for Senior Care. We’re so grateful to these foundations for helping us remove barriers, so people with vision loss can...
Valentine’s Day “Very Red Velvet Cake”
Looking for the perfect Valentine's Day recipe? Look no further! VLANJ student and technology instructor Christina Brino recommends a recipe featured on Epicurious.com by Dora Charles: "Very Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Icing and Pecans." Here's what you...
Retina Specialist on Macular Degeneration and Other Conditions
February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month. Often called AMD or ARMD, it is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans who are aged 65 and older. In an episode of the Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts audio...
New Study Shows Restoration of Rudimentary Vision Through Implants
Restoration of vision through a brain implant in those who are blind is on the verge of becoming reality. Recent discoveries show that newly developed high-resolution implants in the visual cortex make it possible to recognize artificially induced shapes and...
Holiday Gift Ideas for People with Vision Loss
Are you still on the lookout for holiday gifts this season? Click the link below to consider items suggested by ophthalmicedge.org for your friends and/or family members living with low vision or blindness....
Paul Caruso Misses His Long Commute to VLANJ but Feels Fortunate for Virtual Programs
Paul Caruso spent up to 90 minutes on a bus for people with disabilities to get to Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey in Denville. The ride back to his Lodi home after weekly classes consistently took an hour and a half, and often involved a transfer. That was just...
VLANJ Gives People New to Vision Loss a LIFT During Pandemic
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey this fall launched Living Independently for Tomorrow (LIFT), a virtual adaptive skills program for people adjusting to sight loss and their family members. LIFT is an online version of VLANJ’s effective in-person Essential Low Vision...
Longtime Trainer at The Seeing Eye Joins VLANJ Board of Trustees
Had Lukas Franck liked working with children, his 43-year career with The Seeing Eye guide dog school might never have taken off. Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey’s newest trustee intended to use his undergraduate degree in speech pathology and audiology to...
New Study Predicts Doubling Of Sight Loss & Blindness By 2050
Researchers led by Rupert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), led a team of researchers who examined more than 500 studies showing trends in prevalence of blindness and vision loss, allowing them to make forecasts about vision loss...
VLANJ’s Virtual Dining in the Dark Event Is Now On YouTube!
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey’s virtual Dining in the Dark event on Oct. 29 attracted an estimated 500 viewers — and rave reviews! The event is now available for viewing on our YouTube page by clicking this link: https://bit.ly/dininginthedarkyoutube Though the...