Due to a growing concern of parents with children with visual impairments in the early 1960’s, a group of compassionate women began the Omaha Sight Center Nursery at the Beth El Synagogue. To better meet the needs of these families, these women incorporated the Nebraska Foundation for the Visually Handicapped (NFVH) so that they could receive a $10,000 grant from the Eply Center. This money was used to start a pre-school at JP Lords’s facility for the children at the Omaha Sight Center. One of the most prominent accomplishments of the NFVH during this time was the direct impact they had with their legislators to change jurisdiction of children with visual impairments from under the Board of Control to the Board of Education. Once Special Education was implemented into the public schools, the NFVH fought to enable the first child who was blind to be enrolled in District 66.
Due to the implementation of the Special Education Program the pre-school was no longer needed and the NFVH began to focus on meeting the needs of the Vision Teachers and the families they currently served. They provided funding so that teachers, parents, and children could attend the following: children attended the American Youth Concert in Europe and children attended the Blind Olympics in Minneapolis; family members who were deaf/blind attended the Helen Keller Center and National Braille Press Association Convention; and most recently, sponsored a Vision Teacher to attend training at the Lewis and Clark Center in Nebraska City.
In the early 1960’s an annual Christmas Party was established by Ruth Sokolof. The Christmas Party began with eight children receiving $5.00 and has grown to today with 125 children receiving $100.00. Sighted volunteers help the shoppers who are blind scout out good presents for the child’s family and friends. This is a great way to teach appropriate communication skills and foster independence for these children. The whole event is wrapped up with a pizza lunch from Valentino’s and a visit from Santa Claus.
The NFVH also placed a high priority with cultivating adaptive cultural events for families with children who were blind/visually impaired. Some of the most memorable events were: bowling with talking calculators/Braille score cards and a hands-on experience with a dinosaur exhibit at the Children’s Museum; and most recently, an overnight at the SAC Museum and a hands-on experience with instruments at a symphony event.
In the fall of 2002, with a re-invigorated Board of Directors, revised Articles/By Laws, and a new corporate name of the Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children (NFVIC), a new spirit was permeating the community. With a focus of “Providing Building Blocks for the Future”, the NFVIC maintains its 49 year history of upholding its mission of enhancing the lifestyle and education of children who are blind or visually impaired by providing funds and advocating for the following: