The Council Courier
NOVEMBER 2016
VOLUME 29, NUMBER 3
WISCONSIN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
& VISUALLY IMPAIRED, INC.
Contact information
754 Williamson Street - Madison, Wisconsin, 53703
800-783-5213 (Outside Madison)
608-255-1166 (Madison area)
608-237-8100 Direct Line, Sharper Vision Store
FAX: 608-255-3301
The Council is a strong voice for Wisconsin residents who are blind and visually impaired.Its mission is to promote the dignity and independence of people in Wisconsin who are blind and visually impaired by providing services, advocating legislation and educating the general public.The Council is funded through proceeds of endowments established through bequests, grants, private gifts from individuals and corporations, and the White Cane Fund campaign.
Council Courier
Editor: Kathi Koegle
Contributing Writers: Kevin Damask, Lori Werbeckes and Kelsi Watters
Braille Proofreader and Transcriber: Judith Rasmussen
CD Duplicator: Chad Nelson
Audio Version Narrator: Monica Wahlberg
Editor’s note: Are you receiving multiple copies of the Courier unnecessarily?If so, please let us know.Call Ray Cubberly at 608-237-8109, and we’ll make sure you get only one copy.We invite you to send us story ideas for future issues of this newsletter.Contact Gale Hellpap at or by phone at 608-237-8113.
White Cane Policy
Any Wisconsin resident who is blind or visually impaired may be eligible for one free white cane every 24 months.If you are a first-time cane user and not listed in our database, you are eligible to receive an additional back-up cane within the first two years of receiving your first one at half the retail cost.Available canes include the Ambutech adjustable support cane, Ambutech folding mobility cane and Ambutech folding ID cane.
You may be eligible if your vision is less than 20/70.According to Wisconsin State Statute 47.01 and the United States Code, 42 USC 1382 c(a)(2), legal blindness is defined as central visual acuity not greater than 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses or a visual field that subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees.Call 1-800-783-5213 or 608-255-1166 to learn more.
2016 Council Officers
President:Chris Richmond
1st Vice President:Steve Johnson
2nd Vice President:Nona Graves
Secretary:Rhonda Staats
Treasurer:Kathleen Brockman
The officers were elected in November 2015 and assumed their positions as of 2016. They facilitated the thirdboard meeting of the year on July 30.
Denise Jess Transitions into New Role as CEO/Executive Director
By Kevin Damask
The Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired introduced a new era on October 1, when Denise Jess began her tenure as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director.
Denise served as Assistant Executive Director since July 1 and assumed the leadership role after Executive Director Loretta Himmelsbach retired on September 29.
A Madison resident, Denise previously served as Second Vice President for the Council Board of Directors. She chaired the Nominating Committee and was a member of the Scholarship Committee. Board Chair Chris Richmond invited her to get involved with the Council a few years ago, and she jumped at the opportunity.
“Chris attended a workshop I was teaching at the UW-Madison and was really impressed with my level of comfort in telling people that I had a visual impairment,” Jess said. “When he asked if I was interested in getting involved with the Board, it felt exactly right. Throughout my career, I’ve had the great benefit of people opening doors of opportunity to me, recognizing my capabilities and commitment. So, I welcomed the chance to ’pay it forward’ and put my energy into serving the blind and visually impaired communities.”
Denise brings to the Council an extensive background in elementary and adult education and small business ownership, starting her career more than 30 years ago as an elementary school teacher.
“I loved teaching kids, and I especially appreciated their natural curiosity, powerful questions and acceptance of differences. It was an honor to help nurture these qualities and help the children reach their fullest potential.”
In 1995, Denise launched her own business, Denise Jess Consulting, to help organizations foster an atmosphere of uncompromising respect, dignity and genuine acceptance. In addition, she served as an ad hoc instructor for the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, co-facilitating popular workshops like “Facilitating by Heart,” “Listening for a Change: Skills for Dialogue” and “The Art of Conflict Transformation.”
Denise will contribute a great deal of leadership and organizational development, facilitation and communication skills to the Council. She attracted a broad client base, from environmental, social justice and human service organizations, to government agencies and religious/spiritual communities, along with healthcare and mental health professionals and corporations.
She is excited to bring to the Council her commitment to building relationships, working collaboratively and finding mutually-beneficial and innovative solutions to complex issues. “Looking ahead, I hope to build upon the Council’s rich history and strong foundation of inspired service to our mission as we even more clearly define our value for inclusivity and how this guides every aspect of what we do.”
“I’m thrilled to have been selected as CEO/Executive Director – it’s amazing to me,” Denise reflected. “I am so fortunate to work with an exceptional staff and board who have energy and commitment and who care deeply about the organization and each other. That’s very important to me because it ripples out to doing healthy, meaningful and life-changing work in our wider Wisconsin community.”
Virginia DeBlaey Reflects on Many Years Helping People
with Visual Impairments
By Kevin Damask
After touching the lives of hundreds of people who are blind or visually impaired, Virginia DeBlaey decided it’s time to enjoy retirement.
Virginia, who has served as a Council Vision Rehabilitation Teacher since October 2006, retired on September 28. She worked in a part-time capacity, teaching rehabilitation skills to clients in their homes.
Before joining the Council, Virginia worked as a vision rehabilitation teacher for the state for 25 years, and she taught kitchen skills to people with vision and hearing loss at the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons in Milwaukee.
Virginia was born prematurely and given too much oxygen in an incubator, which resulted in her blindness. The condition known as Retinopathy of Prematurity was quite common in the 1940s and 50s.
“It still exists, but because babies are saved so much earlier now, they often have other handicaps besides vision loss that make their lives more challenging,” Virginia said.
Providing rehabilitation services for clients who are often experiencing vision loss for the first time has been a rewarding and inspiring experience for Virginia. “I’ve met many wonderful people over the years--people whose lives are in crisis because they are losing their vision,” Virginia recalls. “Most of them are older, so they’re facing other challenges as well. I have learned that if you’re a person who has mastered other life crises well, you’ll adjust to vision loss, too. If you have not, losing your vision will be difficult.”
Virginia was a Council board member for many years before she joined the staff. Her late husband Adrian served many years as a Council board member and he was board president for several years. In addition, Adrian was Executive Director of the Badger Association of the Blind, now known as Vision Forward Association.
“The Council has been a great organization to work for, and the staff has always made it a really good workplace,” she said.
Gary Goyke Prepares to Retire After 33 Years as Lobbyist
By Kevin Damask
After serving for more than three decades as the Council’s legislative voice, Gary Goyke will retire as our state lobbyist at the end of this year.
Gary became the Council’s lobbyist in Madison in 1983. His relationship with the Council began in the mid-1970s when he met Herb Pitz, one of the Council’s founders. Herb was involved in politics in Winnebago County and he chaired Gary’s successful state senate campaign in 1974. “Herb introduced me to the Council’s mission and worked hard to advance issues that affected our visually impaired community in their day-to-day lives,” Gary said.
Since becoming Council lobbyist, Gary has worked with several executive directors, including Stan Nelson, Jack Malin, Richard Pomo, Karen Majkrzak, and Loretta Himmelsbach. He remarked, “I am happy to spend my final months working with Denise Jess as she moves into the CEO/Executive Director position. These great folks have all contributed to the growth and success of the Council, and all were committed to a strong and vibrant advocacy program.”
Loretta reflected that Gary was “…instrumental in opening doors and making connections.” She went on to note, “Gary’s collaborations with other nonprofits whose visions align with the Council’s have behooved the Council to forge advocacy in a number of issues, including transportation accessibility, advocating for accessible post-secondary textbooks, and promoting protections for owners of guide dogs who are injured or killed by another animal. Gary’s heart is truly with the Council and the legislative process. We wish him the best as he leaves his lobbying role.”
In the past 30 years, Gary has also supported the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Janesville, worked collaboratively with the Randolph Sheppard Vendors, blinded veterans, braille advocates, libraries, and Division of Vision Rehabilitation services. He reflected, “I am proud to have been a part of the interactions with these groups and many of their leaders.”
As he looks to 2017, Gary hopes to transition, rather than retire. He plans to continue working in public policy and he promised to keep everyone at the Council informed of his new challenges.
If you would like to honor Gary’s many years of service by making a gift to the Council in his honor, you may do so by noting it on the enclosed contribution envelope.
Vision as Guiding Light
By Kelsi Watters, a Council Scholarship Recipient
I am without vision but not without a vision. I am without physical sight but not without insight. Look into my eyes, and you see a different kind of light. I am lacking in eyesight but not in mindsight. I journey without a lantern but I am led by the light of God. I am guided by a vision stronger than physical sight, a vision that is etched in my mind, a flame burning in my spirit — the vision of my vocation.
My vocational discernment was largely influenced by my faith as
well as my desire to serve others. Because I felt particularly drawn
to healing ministry, I chose a double major in Psychology and Pastoral
and Youth Ministry at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. The
experiences that were most instrumental in my vocational discernment
were my two internships at Mayo Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse,
Wisconsin, where I served as a chaplain intern.
The first internship, which I completed in the summer after my junior year, provided a "sampler platter" of experiences that triggered my interest in
chaplaincy. I was so moved by my experiences as a chaplain intern at
Mayo that I decided to serve a second internship after graduating from
Saint Mary's. This was a deeper immersion experience that helped to
solidify my goal of pursuing chaplaincy.
The best part about chaplaincy is the ability to touch people's lives in tangible and intangible ways, especially when conducting patient visits and participating in the Reverie Harp Program. This involves playing
relaxing music at patients' bedsides with a reverie harp, a small,
pentatonically-tuned instrument. This ministry was particularly moving. The mere sight and sound of the harp seem to foster emotional and spiritual well-being, with its beautiful cherrywood, soothing vibrations, and gentle, peaceful tones. It was a privilege to be able to enter such an intimate space with patients, to tune into my intuition and feel the energy in the room.
In addition to becoming more fully immersed in chaplaincy work, I
wanted to learn to function independently in a hospital setting in
order to reduce the limitations of having to rely on others. This was
rewarding in several ways. Besides expanding my opportunities for
conducting chaplain duties independently, it also allowed me to be
both a teacher and a learner. Though the chaplains initially saw my
potential for ministerial work, they were concerned that my lack of
vision would impede my ability to function independently in a hospital
setting. After weeks of exploring the layout of the hospital
floors, answering their questions about my life as a person without
vision, and watching me adapt to visual obstacles in performing tasks,
the chaplains gained a better understanding of the capabilities and
way of life of a person without sight. At the same time, the exposure
to their wisdom, insights and faith helped me to grow and learn
about myself, both as an individual and as a professional.
I believe there are advantages to working in ministry as a person
without sight. There is occasionally a tendency to associate blindness
with brokenness or suffering. I view my blindness as a blessing rather than a curse. One of the ways in which I can minister to others is by demonstrating through words and actions that what appears to be brokenness has actually become beautiful. Perhaps people will be able to view their challenges in a positive light, giving them the strength and courage to bear their crosses.
I believe my encounters with patients may have given them a new perspective. For instance, one patient remarked that I must miss out on a great deal due to being blind. I answered that there were many other ways to experience the world that did not involve physical sight. He was quiet for several minutes, as if he had never considered this before. I was not
intending to admonish him, but to gently suggest that there are many
ways to experience joy in life.
It is true that there are obstacles to serving as a blind hospital chaplain. In fact, some of these became apparent to me during my time at Mayo. I admit that I had my share of frustrations and embarrassing blunders. One day in particular, I continually made wrong turns as I attempted to navigate to patients' rooms while another chaplain patiently walked beside me. I wondered how she couldbe patient with me when I had no patience with myself. Despite this and other missteps, I am undaunted because obstacles are inevitable in almost any profession. I believe that my determination to continue learning and moving forward despite challenges and mistakes will make all the difference in the world.
I am now a graduate student at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where I will pursue the three-year Master of Divinity program. Admittedly, I am somewhat nervous about the transitions ahead. There will undoubtedly be some academic and technological challenges, as I become accustomed to a higher level of academic expectation as well as new technology (namely, a laptop with screen-reading software). There is also moving to a new location and training an entirely new set of faculty and students. As I navigate the wide, curving sidewalks of Saint John's University, before preparing to spend a few hours familiarizing myself with the latest version of JAWS for Windows screen-reading software, I know I will be challenged in many ways. Still, I will venture forth on this journey.
I feel blessed to have been chosen for this path, with its joys and challenges, the memories, both moving and painful, the fear and the exhilaration — because my eyes have been opened to God's vision for me. I am without vision, but not without a vision. I am blind, yet I see.
Consider a Gift to the Council on Giving Tuesday
By Lori Werbeckes
Black Friday and Cyber Monday focus on buying material goods for yourself and those on your holiday gift list. Giving Tuesday on November 29 reminds us to share our blessings with others by making a donation to a non-profit organization.
Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving – a reminder to look beyond the physical holiday preparations to the causes that are important to you. The Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired encourages that philanthropic spirit in all of us and asks that you consider a gift to the Council on Giving Tuesday.
Just go to: Thank you!
Bidding Against Blindness:
Many Items Available Through Online Auction
By Lori Werbeckes
In just a few days, the Bidding Against Blindness online auction will begin! Whether you’re looking for a great deal on a restaurant gift card, or you have holiday gifts to buy, the auction has interesting and practical items.
From noon on November 10 through 8 p.m. on November 16, you can support the Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired by bidding on items at
There’s no event to attend, no transportation to arrange, no babysitter to pay – just spend a few minutes in the comfort of your home browsing the variety of auction items.
Here is a sneak peek at some of the great items waiting for a bid. Many of them make unique and excellent gifts!
- Dance lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studio