  His doctors said he would only live a few hours. Now, Jayden is thriving.
“We thought our time together would be so limited. I just wanted to be with him,” remembers Diana, Jayden’s mother. “Everything after those first few hours has been a blessing.” Jayden’s entire family felt in their hearts that he was going to make it, but the high risk factors during pregnancy were daunting. He was born premature with hydrocephalus, which required emergency surgery to remove fluid from the left side of his brain. Thankfully, Jayden pulled through. Babies with visual impairments are at significant risk of developmental delays. Sure enough, Jayden’s severe visual impairment in both eyes presented immediate obstacles. Without specialized early intervention services, he may never meet critical milestones like communicating, walking, or learning to his full potential. At five months of age, Jayden and his family began services with Blind Children’s Learning Center. Infant Specialist Alicia works with Jayden in his home setting every week. “I love Jayden, and he’s come so far in such a short period of time,” she said. “We work with textured materials and technology so Jayden can meet every milestone and goal in front of him.” The Global Infant Development program nurtures Jayden’s development and teaches parents how to interact and bond with their child. Like many children with little or no vision, Jayden initially struggled to engage with the world around him. Diana recalls, “Alicia patiently builds up Jayden’s skills and teaches us how to do the same when she isn’t there. He’s learning so much faster now.” Excited to connect with the BCLC community, Jayden's family was the very first team to register for the Destination Independence 5K Walk on May 4, 2019. You can encourage this amazing family by signing up for the Walk today to make sure more babies like Jayden receive vital services!
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 Learning that your child is blind or severely visually impaired can feel earthshattering. Parents feel hopeless. They fear that every dream they had for their child is now out of reach. But the truth is that blindness only creates hopelessness when we do nothing. Visual impairments create significant challenges early in life, but a young child’s ability to overcome is limitless with the right support. Elijah just began his journey at Blind Children’s Learning Center. Your chance to create a future without limits for Elijah is now. An adaptive learning environment and comprehensive therapy services will meet Elijah’s unique needs and give him the best chance of building a strong foundation for independence. Elijah is a happy and fearless young boy. He is excited to explore multi-sensory learning materials in the classroom. As he receives physical therapy to steadily gain the strength and confidence to walk independently, he giggles each time he falls. Every step of persevering brings Elijah joy. Elijah and so many other young children need your help! Please give to help children like Elijah walk, communicate, play, gain literacy, and so much more. We need your help raise $165,000 by December 31, and we are well on our way to meeting that goal to support our children. Every day counts for our children, and every dollar you give matters. Please give the “Gift of Independence" today so that children with visual impairments can rise to every challenge.
I stayed determined. A few weeks ago, I graduated from high school, and you helped make that possible! I can’t wait to study voice and musical theater at college beginning this fall.
Friends I made back in preschool are still my friends today. When I sing the National Anthem each year at the Destination Independence 5K Walk, I meet current BCLC students and think about the lifelong friends they are making. I also think about their dreams and all the support they will need to achieve them. I dream of singing on Broadway and producing my own shows. My friends have dreams of their own. People like you gave each of us the confidence to overcome obstacles and succeed in school. I’m grateful to everyone who invested in my future. Thank you for making sure I could dream. You can give hundreds of children served through Blind Children’s Learning Center the same opportunity to dream by donating today. We can do much when you believe in us. Sincerely, Danielle   Thank you for helping us raise more than $163,000 to support our children! We thank this year's walkers, sponsors, fundraisers, and volunteers for making the 14th Annual Destination Independence 5K Walk our biggest yet! Because of you, children who are blind and visually impaired will continue to meet their potential and live life to the fullest. Over 80% of early learning is driven by vision. Every time a child triumphs over an obstacle caused by their visual impairment, it will be because we all worked together to create Destination -> Independence. Couldn't make it but still want to support the journey to independence? You can donate to the 14th Annual Destination 5K Walk through June 30, 2018. Presenting Sponsor
Top Teams
Top Individual Fundraisers
Biggest Teams
Celebrating our Stars
Spectacular Special GroupsThe term "strength in numbers" means a lot at Blind Children's Learning Center. When business groups and clubs in the community band toghether, they can accomplish so much for our children. Here are just some of the groups who gave their time to improve lives this year.
Recognizing Selflessness: |
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| Blind author and motivational speaker Jake Olson electrified a sold out crowd when he proclaimed: "I may not have my sight, but I have vision." Held at Andrei's Conscious Cuisine on February 22, 2018, the dining in the dark experience put guests in the shoes of children who are blind and visually impaired. |  Blind author and motivational speaker inspires guests and reminds everyone of the limitless potential of children with visual impairments. |
Every day, children with visual impairments and other disabilities make progress towards overcoming obstacles to independence. Little and big achievements are all the same at Blind Children's Learning Center — each their own testament to perseverance, support, and the strength of our children and families.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and guests, children will have more chances to succeed beyond the obstacles caused by limited sight. By the end of the evening, Vision Beyond Sight raised over $141,000 in support of critical therapeutic services.
Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and guests, children will have more chances to succeed beyond the obstacles caused by limited sight. By the end of the evening, Vision Beyond Sight raised over $141,000 in support of critical therapeutic services.
| Therapeutic services promote healthy development and allow children to overcome countless obstacles. Visual impairments can affect every area of development, which makes it difficult for children to meet important milestones — crawling, walking, recognizing family, navigating, handling learning materials, self-care skills like feeding and dressing. The obstacles go on and on, but with the right support, so do opportunities and independence. Blind Children's Learning Center has many people to thank. The evening's sponsors and donors for their generous support of children with visual impairments. Jake Olson and Master of Ceremonies Ed Blatchford for inspiring us all. A phenomenal planning committee and Board of Directors who made the entire evening possible. To all, we thank you for creating a vision beyond sight. | |
| "Mason's educational progress allows him to understand and access the world around him more independently. The biggest gift is the ability to play and interact with his peers." -Charissa, Mason's mom | Watch Mason learn Braille contractions! |
Children with visual impairments want to succeed. All too often, typical learning tools and techniques don't provide that opportunity.
To compensate for the fact that 80% of early learning is driven by vision, Blind Children's Learning Center teaches students to learn with their whole bodies from a young age.
It's not a question of if our students can learn it, but how.
To compensate for the fact that 80% of early learning is driven by vision, Blind Children's Learning Center teaches students to learn with their whole bodies from a young age.
It's not a question of if our students can learn it, but how.
Did you know? Blind Children's Learning Center provides educational support from infancy all the way through 12th grade. A strong foundation followed by academic support through grade school prepares children for a world designed for people with sight.
 | The Center gave Danyelle her educational foundation as a young child. She is a graduate from University of Arizona, has mentored young students at BCLC, and remains a role model. She — like you — is building the future. |
We need your help funding a full year of comprehensive services for ten children this December. Supporters have already gotten us half way there:
Your gift today helps ensure all ten children receive the services they need. Your gift today gives children with visual impairments the bright futures they deserve.
Thank you!
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Imagine having so much to express, but lacking tools to get it out.
Children with visual impairments and other disabilities often experience delays in speech development, potentially robbing them the opportunity to build relationships and participate in academics.
Speech Therapy gives children tools to communicate — and a child who can communicate is a child who can learn, participate, and grow.
In so many ways, it unlocks a child's personality. You have the power to make this possible.
Children with visual impairments and other disabilities often experience delays in speech development, potentially robbing them the opportunity to build relationships and participate in academics.
Speech Therapy gives children tools to communicate — and a child who can communicate is a child who can learn, participate, and grow.
In so many ways, it unlocks a child's personality. You have the power to make this possible.
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We need your help funding a full year of comprehensive services for ten children this December. Here's what supporters like you have already made possible:
Your gift today helps ensure all ten children receive the services they need.
Dear BCLC Friends,
This is an important time of year to stop and be thankful for our many blessings. With so much going on in our world today, we want to let you know the difference you make in the lives of our children and their families.
When I think about the quality care and education you support in a nurturing, sensory rich and experiential environment, I get teary-eyed because I know it would not be possible without you.
I hope you understand the true impact of your generosity. We see your gifts in action every single day through the caring and capable hands of our therapists, teachers and staff.
Most importantly, we see the results of those gifts through the smiles on our students faces as they courageously tackle and overcome their obstacles. One of the beautiful things about BCLC is that not one of these achievements is ever done in isolation; it is always a team effort. Watching our children support each other in their own unique ways is a beautiful thing to witness.
We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday filled with much love and gratitude. Thank you for all that you do to impact the lives of our BCLC children!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Colleen and the entire BCLC staff
President & Executive Director
This is an important time of year to stop and be thankful for our many blessings. With so much going on in our world today, we want to let you know the difference you make in the lives of our children and their families.
When I think about the quality care and education you support in a nurturing, sensory rich and experiential environment, I get teary-eyed because I know it would not be possible without you.
I hope you understand the true impact of your generosity. We see your gifts in action every single day through the caring and capable hands of our therapists, teachers and staff.
Most importantly, we see the results of those gifts through the smiles on our students faces as they courageously tackle and overcome their obstacles. One of the beautiful things about BCLC is that not one of these achievements is ever done in isolation; it is always a team effort. Watching our children support each other in their own unique ways is a beautiful thing to witness.
We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday filled with much love and gratitude. Thank you for all that you do to impact the lives of our BCLC children!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Colleen and the entire BCLC staff
President & Executive Director
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| Hope is named rather perfectly. But if going by the story of how she joined the Phillips family, “Destiny” might be your pick. Kim Phillips’ eldest daughter, Abby, heard about ophans in China. The six year old began saving every dollar she received for future adoption expenses. It wasn’t long before Kim sensed this might become a family effort. A friend in Tennessee heard of a young girl in China who was blind and needed a home. Kim remembers, “My heart started to pound. It felt like this was my daughter, but I had no clue how to raise a blind child.” |  Hope Brailling in 2012. |  Hope Brailling in 2017. |
Then another friend reached out. This friend had also heard about a young girl in China who was blind and needed a home. Each friend was talking about Hope. That’s when the Phillips family reached out to Bethel China. By fall of 2008, Hope was three years old, in the United States, and enrolled at Blind Children’s Learning Center.
| Her doctor in China said she would never speak, and learning English added another challenge. But Hope listened to her new family, teachers, and friends. Talking didn’t take long. During her three years at BCLC, Hope blossomed socially and academically. She excelled in learning to Braille and use a mobility cane. Her favorite memory is being with friends in the daily living skills class. Today, Hope builds upon those skills as she enters Sixth grade. She toured her new school, taking in the sounds and smells of new settings like a woodshop room. “I’m excited to learn my new environment,” says Hope. Hope dreams of a bright and successful future. If anyone can be a dentist, choir teacher, and spin instructor, it’s her. Hope knows she has what it takes to live independently and on her own terms. Blind Children’s Learning Center could not agree more. |  |
Hope's success is just one reason why our collaboration with Bethel China means so much.
(presentation videos below)
| As a baby, Hope lived in one of Bethel China's five foster care projects for orphans who are blind throughout China. The pieces all came together for BCLC’s Outreach Director, Irene Takahashi, and Deaf-Blind Intervener, Tricia Houlihan, to “go global” with early intervention. At the invitation of former BCLC employee Christy Allen—now an education consultant for Bethel China—Irene and Tricia travelled to present at a three-day conference near Beijing, China. Sharing early intervention and tactile communication strategies, BCLC joined Bethel China’s efforts to spread best practices throughout China. | |
The conference’s ultimate goal was to educate society and show parents that disability doesn’t need to be a taboo. Irene presented techniques and possibilities that greatly comforted families:
“Parents came up to us in tears after presentations, realizing for the first time that their children could have independent lives.”
“Parents came up to us in tears after presentations, realizing for the first time that their children could have independent lives.”
| Combatting a significant cultural stigma towards disability, early intervention increases the chance that children will be adopted and receive an education. “Our cultures may differ, but I found a shared belief in the abilities and potential of the children we interact with daily,” conveys BCLC Deaf-Blind Intevener, Tricia. She continues, “I felt a connection with the audience when sharing effective communication techniques.” Collaboration between BCLC and Bethel China began in the Fall of 2016 when the Bethel China team toured the Center’s unique and inclusive facility. Blind Children’s Learning Center is thrilled to help Bethel China increase independence and dignity amongst children with visual impairments in China. The Center thanks Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Todd & Kristen Jackson, and Bethel China for underwriting travel expenses. |  Tricia uses tactile communication with a child fostered by Bethel China. |
| Familiar tactile greetings, such as Deaf-Blind Intervener Tricia's bracelet, make it possible for Deaf-Blind children distinguish between individuals. This child now knows they have arrived to school. | A child's transition from the school bus to the child's classroom should be consistent. In doing so, they can navigate more independently and be better prepared to learn upon arriving to class. |
| Tactile symbols are part of a "Total Communication System" that allows children to make transitions throughout the day without relying on sight. | Therapeutic services help children compensate for specific areas affected by a visual impairment and other disabilities. Here, Physical Therapy helps a child achieve the major milestone of standing with minimal assistance. |
| Switches are a form of adaptive technology that allows children to communicate nonverbally and make choices. For a nonverbal child, this fundamentally alters how they can interact with peers and adults. | Name cues, along with other tactile symbols representing activities such as "play" and "lunch," create a reliable schedule for children with visual impairments to follow. |
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