Dining in the Dark helps raise awareness of blindness and visual impairment
Posted In Categories: In the News
Contact: Dena Fellows, Marketing Director, Vision Forward Association
414‐615‐0134 • cell 414‐526‐7998 • dfellows@vision‐forward.org
October 25, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DINING IN THE DARK OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF BLINDNESS
Vision Forward hosts 10th annual sensory experience to raise awareness of blindness and visual impairment
Milwaukee, WI – Guests of Dining in the Dark will be treated to an elegant, four-course meal at Milwaukee’s Bacchus restaurant like never before – they will be blind folded. The event, which is hosted by Vision Forward Association, a nonprofit organization with a 99 year commitment to supporting people who are blind or visually impaired, will take place on Sunday, November 4, 2018. Proceeds from the dinner will help fund support, training, therapy and education options for children, youth, adults and seniors impacted by vision loss.
Guests of this year’s event will hear the personal story of Crocker Stephenson, a national award-winning journalist at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Crocker will share how he began losing his vision two years ago, his experiences and how he has been able to continue to thrive in his career as a journalist.
“This unique experience calls attention to the challenges people with vision loss face and the adaptations that allow them to be successful and independent. This event also helps raise critical funds that support our mission,” Terri Davis, Executive Director. Vision Forward is the only full‐service organization serving Southeastern Wisconsin; clients travel from as far as northern Wisconsin for the exceptional expertise and programs.
Growing corporate sponsor support for Dining in the Dark includes: IB Milwaukee, BMO Harris Bank, Baird, Medical College of Wisconsin’s Eye Institute, DentaQuest, PNC Bank, SVA, MGIC, Creative Business Interiors, Rick and Lisa Roszkowski, Air Technologies, R&R Insurance, LCM Funds Real Estate LLC, John Bosbous and Brenda Moore and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
The numbers surrounding vision loss are unsettling.
- Every 7 minutes, someone in the U.S. permanently loses his or her vision; there is an estimated 314 million visually impaired people worldwide.
- As many as 200,000 people in Wisconsin are blind or visually impaired and by 2030, the number of Americans affected by age‐related blindness is expected to double.
- An astonishing 70% of people who are blind are unemployed.
Vision Forward is the only organization providing comprehensive vision loss support and programs for people of all ages in Wisconsin.
About Vision Forward
Vision Forward is a 501C nonprofit organization devoted to empowering, educating and enhancing the lives of individuals impacted by vision loss through all of life’s transitions. Vision Forward offers support, education and training and a full spectrum of programs uniquely designed to build confidence and independence for people of all ages living with vision loss. For more information about our mission, please visit www.vision-forward.org.
###