Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children
Partnering with families, the Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children provides education and therapy services to children with vision impairments so they may reach their fullest potential.
The Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children began operating as a nonprofit organization in 1967 and has been the only agency in Wisconsin to provide the specialized early intervention services required to meet the unique needs of children under the age of seven who are blind or visually impaired. For 42 years, the Center has offered a coordinated program of educational intervention and prescribed therapies to infants and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities.
Early Intervention and Preschool
Children from birth to age seven are served through the Center’s early intervention and preschool programs both on-site at 5600 W. Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee and in the children’s “natural environment” where they live, learn and play. Vision teachers and therapists specializing in areas such as occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy work one-on-one and in small groups to address the unique needs of each child.
The Center participates in the Birth to Three programs for Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Referrals of children who are visually impaired and developmentally delayed come through the Birth to Three Network.
Vision Consultation
Center staff members meet with family members and caregivers of children who are visually impaired through our vision consultation program to help them better understand their child’s visual impairment. Because vision is such an important part in the way children learn about the world around them, families and caregivers are taught creative ways to help children use their other senses to learn and grow in a world they cannot see.
Family Support
Family support is vital to the success of each child, and the Center staff works closely with family members to offer practical tips that can be used in day-to-day living. Family meetings, a mentor program and informational seminars also provide valuable ongoing support.
It is our hope that when a child graduates from a Center program the child is better positioned to be a life long advocate for themselves with the help of their parents. Children often display increased independence and self-esteem through newly developed problem solving, decision making, and communication skills.
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Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children
5600 West Brown Deer Road, Suite 4
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53223
414-355-3060
