Community Outreach & Education

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A lack of public awareness and understanding about blindness, and its impact on the lives of those learning to live with vision loss, is one of the biggest obstacles to independence for the people we serve.

We engage the public in a number of ways, and are always looking for new opportunities to provide education on the topic of blindness and to help the people we serve become more actively involved in their communities.

Public Speaking
Our employees regularly speak to local businesses and organizations who invite us to provide a glimpse of what it means to live with blindness or visual impairment, share our success stories, and offer options for those who want to get involved.

Recreation

There is a lot of excitement in Oklahoma City about the increase in activity in and around the Oklahoma River. We have partnered with the Chesapeake Boathouse to create Oklahoma’s first blind and visually impaired rowing team.

The OWL Summer Camp (Oklahomans Without Limitations) is one of our most popular programs for children and youth; a free, week-long camping experience for children ages 8-18 who are blind or visually impaired.  OWL Camp began in 2000 and draws more than 50 campers every July. Each camper is teamed with two sighted peer counselors who provide encouragement, assistance and friendship.

Braille

We help businesses and communities make public spaces more accessible for the blind and visually impaired through in-house Braille production. We can incorporate Braille into existing business collateral materials such as business cards, brochures and letterhead, and can also produce indoor and outdoor plaques and signs. The Oklahoma City Zoo has recently incorporated Braille into its customer experience.

“Envision Us” Tours

A good way to experience our mission in action is to visit NewView Oklahoma headquarters for a guided tour.  Envision Us tours are offered on the second Thursday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and the fourth Thursday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required. To schedule a tour, contact Sandy Wright at 232-4644 or swright@newviewoklahoma.org.