 In Focus: Low Vision Awareness Month
February is more than hearts and roses—it’s a time to focus on inclusion and accessibility. This month marks Low Vision Awareness Month, a time to highlight the lived experience of millions of Americans with low vision. By learning more and taking small steps toward accessibility, we can create spaces—both physical and digital—that everyone can navigate with confidence. At SSB we share practical tips and offer resources and supports to help Minnesotans with low vision navigate daily life to stay active and independent.
SSB Department Spotlight – Administrative Assistants
At State Services for the Blind (SSB), the administrative assistant team plays a vital role in ensuring smooth operations across multiple departments. From Workforce Development to Senior Services and the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRC-B), these professionals handle a wide range of responsibilities that keep programs running efficiently. Their work includes processing invoices, managing purchasing requests, coordinating interpreters, preparing meeting materials, and arranging travel—all tasks that require precision and adaptability. While their contributions often happen behind the scenes, they are essential to the success of SSB’s mission.
A Day in the Life
Each administrative assistant brings unique skills and handles diverse duties. Despite the variety in job responsibilities, one common thread unites them: strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize in a dynamic environment.
Jane K. supports the Business Enterprises Program by processing mail, preparing deposits, and managing data entry to ensure accurate financial records.
In Workforce Development, Laura W. focuses on ordering office supplies, arranging ATB training for new staff, and assisting with special projects, all while juggling a fast-paced workload.
Cordella M. supports the Administrative and Facilities teams by ordering supplies, managing inventories, paying invoices, and creating purchase orders for travel and other expenses.
Joua L. is the Communication Center assistant. She enters donations and updates donor lists, coordinate SSB volunteer events, processes invoices, tracks expense budgets and purchase orders, and updates the Radio Talking Book subscription renewals.
Nyia V. coordinates SRC-B council meetings, prepares agendas, and manages logistics such as travel and interpreter scheduling.
Rose E., who supports the Senior Services Unit, spends her day checking in with her team, processing invoices and donations, and fulfilling requests for consumable items like magnifiers and calendars. Her work often involves creative problem-solving, such as finding the perfect lighted device for a senior with unique needs.
Passion and Professionalism
What makes this team exceptional is not just their efficiency but their enthusiasm for supporting meaningful work. They enjoy the variety of their roles, the opportunity to collaborate with different departments, and the satisfaction of seeing projects come together seamlessly. Whether it’s helping clear complex credit memos, coordinating major events like SSB’s 100-year celebration, or ensuring council meetings run without a hitch, these accomplishments highlight their dedication. Rose sums up her motivation simply: “Knowing I make a difference in the lives of seniors in Minnesota. Being a helper.” As Nyia notes, “Even when things seem simple on the surface, they often take a lot of planning, tracking, and follow-up”—a reminder of the critical role these professionals play in SSB’s success.
Do You Need Custom Audio Recordings?
SSB’s Audio Services can create custom, on-demand audio recordings. We can transcribe any content: books, magazines, diaries, homilies, bills, contracts, medical notes, rental agreements — you name it! We can send the recordings on a cartridge to play in the NLS book players, or audio files to computers and smartphones, we can even send mp3's as email attachments. Please keep SSB’s Audio Services in mind for your next project.
Get Involved - Join the SRC-B Council
The State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRC-B) acts as an advisory body to provide recommendations and a perspective from the community of the low vision, blind, and DeafBlind to State Services for the Blind on programs and services they provide to qualified Minnesotans.The council must have a majority of members who are blind, low vision, or DeafBlind, and who are not employed by SSB. Meetings are currently using a hybrid model with in-person and on Zoom on a bimonthly basis. Per diem reimbursement is available.
Current SRC-B seats open for application:
- American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Projects Representative
- Department of Education Representative
- Industry Representative #2
- Member #1 – Recipient of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- PACER Representative
Be part of the advisory body to provide recommendations for SSB services and programming. Click this link to complete and submit an online Open Appointments Application on the Secretary of State website.
Join Our Team
SSB is Hiring a Vocational Rehabilitation Technician. This full-time position will support SSB's Youth Services Team, working with counselors who support youth ages 14-22, their families, and their educational and employment advocates. Job responsibilities include fiscal support by creating authorizations for services as well as reviewing invoices prior to payment. Additionally, this position provides case aid support to vocational rehabilitation counselors. Application deadline is February 24th.
Click this link to apply for the Vocational Rehabilitation Technician position.
Donate to SSB
State Services for the Blind relies on generous gifts from individuals, as well as foundation grants and public sector funds to serve Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, low vision, or have a print-related disability.
Why Donate?
- Your financial gifts to the Communication Center help ensure that Minnesota's blind, Deafblind, and low vision citizens have access to the same newspapers, novels, textbooks, manuals and other materials as sighted Minnesotans have.
- Seniors are our largest and fastest-growing population of consumers. About 80 percent of our consumers will be age 55 and older. We raise extra money to serve this growing population, because most of the federal dollars we receive are designated for job training for working-age clients.
- Students with learning disabilities also increasingly need our services. State and federal funds available to cover services for the blind, DeafBlind, and low vision are not available for those with learning disabilities.
Click this link for more information on the many ways you can contribute to SSB.
Other Announcements:
Metro Transit Discussion Group
Do you use the audio push buttons at bus stops to hear when your bus is coming?
If so, Metro Transit needs to hear from you. Metro Transit is replacing push-button audio systems at Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stops and at Transit Centers, and they want to hear from you. They would like to understand your journey—what makes travel easy? What feels frustrating? What you need to move through the region with total independence?
They are looking for:
- Riders with low or no vision.
- Riders whose primary language is English.
- Riders whose primary language is other than English.
If you are selected to participate and attend the virtual listening session, you will be given a $50 virtual gift card for your time and valuable input.
Listening Session Details:
- What: A 1-hour virtual "Listening Session" to share your experiences and ideas.
- When: February 24 – 26; March 3 – 5
- Where: Virtual
- Compensation: You will receive a $50 gift card for your time and valuable input.
How to Join: Take a few minutes to complete the survey. Based on the information provided, a select number of participants will be invited to join the upcoming virtual Listening Session.
Please click here to take the Metro Transit survey.
ERAF Webinar - Wednesday, February 18th
Discover how the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) can help your business thrive while fostering a more inclusive workplace. Small to mid-sized businesses in Minnesota can receive reimbursements of up to $30,000 for providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities.
Some examples of reasonable accommodations include ergonomic workstations, specialized software, captioning services, special equipment, and much more. Our website and the ERAF staff can walk you through the kinds of accommodations covered by the fund.
Date: Wednesday, February 18th
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Pre-registration is required. Click this link to register for the ERAF webinar.
Resources for Immigrants with Disabilities and Their Families
Some resources have been developed to help Minnesotans with disabilities who may need to communicate about their disability with federal immigration officials. Visit:
https://mnneat.wixstudio.com/mnneat/pocketcards
Also see this form from the State Attorney General to report concerns.
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Federal-Action/
A New Way to Watch the Super Bowl
Football fans who are blind and low vision had the opportunity to watch the big game in-person with a haptic device from OneCourt. Using this device, participants were able to feel what's going on in the game by how the ball moves around the field. The device also displays real-time play-by-play information. Look for this exciting tactile technology at large upcoming sporting events such as the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Click here to read an NPR article about this new way to experience the Super Bowl.
Making Art Accessible
Italy is rolling out new accessibility initiatives—supported by EU pandemic recovery funds—to help blind and low vision visitors experience its cultural heritage through touch and sound. Museums like the Omero Tactile Museum in Ancona now offer tactile sculptures (such as Michelangelo’s David and Pietà) and raised-relief paintings, while major sites like the Colosseum, Pompeii, the Uffizi, and St. Peter’s Basilica feature models, braille signage, QR‑coded audio guides, and tactile architectural elements. These efforts aim not only to enhance inclusivity but also to boost tourism by making art accessible to visitors of all abilities.
Read the AP article about how Italy is getting creative as it works to make art accessible for people who are blind.
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