Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (CLB) is an organization founded to help the blind or

visually impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

population of the greater

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, region, including the deafblind community, deal with the challenges of vision loss. The goal of CLB is to try to help people who are blind or visually impaired to remain independent, active and productive in society.

History

Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind has aimed to help the blind or visually impaired population of the greater Washington region to deal with the challenges of vision loss. Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind was founded on May 17, 1900, by Francis R. Cleveland, an attorney from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, and H. R. W. Miles, a graduate of the Perkins Institute for the Blind, in an effort to establish a presence for the blind community in the U.S. Capital. Since 2005 Tony Cancelosi serves as president and CEO.

Programs and services

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind's programs and services include training and consultation in

assistive technology Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly. Disabled people often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, or even with ...

, employment marketing, skills training, career placement services, low vision care, and counseling and rehabilitation services. CLB provides programs and services to people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired, regardless of their ability to pay. Programs include children's services, independent living and older adult programs. CLB provides services to the more than 20,000 blind and low vision individuals in the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgin ...

. In 2006, CLB's

staff trained more than 400 people in 83 cities across the United States in the use of

. Eleven government contracts are managed by CLB and employs also blind members of greater D.C. Specific programs offered by CLB include: * Bridge to Work—program that supports that veterans who are blind or visually impaired and seeking employment have the skills, resources and training they need to succeed. * Foundations of Adjustment to Blindness (FAB)—program for those who have incurred vision loss later in life and are adjusting to life with low vision. * Camp Lighthouse—summer camp for children ages 6–12 with low vision to help them participate in sports and live independently.

Light the Way 5K Race

On September 10, 2011, CLB held its first annual Light the Way 5K, which was a

fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

event to raise funds to support their programs and services The event was held at

Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimen ...

and opening remarks were given by Washington, D.C. council members

Tommy Wells Thomas Clayton Wells (born February 27, 1957) is an American politician, social worker and lawyer from Washington, DC. He was a member of the Council of the District of Columbia where he served as a Democrat representing Ward 6. Wells is now the ...

and

Mary Cheh Mary M. Cheh (born 1950) is an American Democratic politician from Washington, D.C. In November 2006, she won a seat on the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 3. Background and family Mary Cheh was born in Elizabeth, New Jer ...

as well as

Mark Lerner Mark Lerner (b. 1953/1954) is the managing principal owner at Lerner Enterprises and principal owner of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Early life Lerner is the son of Annette and Ted Lerner. He graduated from the George Washington U ...

, principal owner of the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

. The event attracted over 600 walking or running participants including participants who were blind and were accompanied by a sighted guide. The second annual Light the Way 5K was held on September 29, 2012, once again at

Major sponsors of the event included

Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, d ...

and the

. The third annual Light the Way 5K was held on September 28, 2013, with the introduction of a kids' race on the warning track led by Screech covering the area the

Presidents Race The Presidents Race (known as the GEICO Presidents Race for sponsorship reasons) is a promotional event held at every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park, and previously at RFK Stadium, in the middle of the fourth inning of every game ...

Shot in the Dark Golf & Dinner Classic

On May 10, 2013, CLB held its first annual Shot in the Dark Golf & Dinner Classic. The event was held at Woodmont Country Club in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

, and included a 9-hole night golf tournament with glow in the dark golf balls. Prior to golf and dinner, there was a golf workshop for blind golfers led by champion blind golfers, Bruce Hooper, Phil Blackwell, and Mario Tobia. During dinner,

Steve Buckhantz Steve Buckhantz (born June 19, 1955) is a television play-by-play announcer, most recently for the Washington Wizards. Biography Buckhantz began his television announcing career as Sports Director at WTTG, the Fox-owned station in Washington, D. ...

and

Andy Pollin Andrew Pollin (born August 3, 1958) is an American radio and TV personality. He currently co-hosts, with Rob Long, about half of the episodes of The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report on MASN. He helped launch Washington, D.C. sports talk station WTEM in ...

hosted the entertainment which included stand-up comedians and musical acts.

References

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External links