Blindness Support Services, Inc.

Check our our Exploring Braille Club! When: Friday, March 26th, from 10AM to 12 noon Have you considered learning Braille but are unsure if you are ready? Are you in the process of learning Braille but looking for additional ways to practice and refine your skills? Have you learned Braille in the past but want to discover new ways to incorporate it in your daily life? Then come join us on the last Friday of every month and be a part of our Braille learning community. All indi...viduals are welcome to come and see what Braille is all about and learn new and fun ways to use your growing Braille skills. *Our Meetings are invite only. Please contact us to RSVP before the meeting date. Call: (951) 341-9244 or contact our front desk at [email protected] Tell us how you feel about returning to in person learning Please take our short survey and let us know how you feel https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FSDN53P

Will You be joining us in this week's events? Mobility Monday #1 When: Monday, March 15th, from 1 to 3PM... This is the first in a series of Orientation and Mobility presentations given by our new O&M intern Kelsey. The plan is to cover basic concepts, get to know the audience's skill level, and go through introductions during this first meeting. We Hope to see you there! Technology Club When: Friday, March 19, from 10AM to 12 noon We have a Technology Club! We discuss topics related to all types of mobile Devices and Apps followed by open discussion. All are welcomed to Join us and learn! This month we will be discussing the voiceover rotor on iOS devices. We will have opportunities for individuals to share how they use the rotor to complete tasks on a daily basis. Don't forget about the social, coffee hour from 9-10am leading up to our meeting. Please use this time to get set up as our meeting will start promptly at it's scheduled time. Unless otherwise specified, our meetings are held Via Zoom Meetings *Please contact us to RSVP before the meeting date. Call: (951) 341-9244 or contact our front desk at [email protected]

Check Out Mobility Monday #1 When: Monday, March 15th, from 1 to 3PM This is the first of a series of Orientation and Mobility presentations given by our new O&M intern Kelsey. The plan is to cover basic concepts, get to know the audience's skill level, and go through introductions during this first meeting. We hope to see you there!

Join us for this week's Peer Support Meeting about COVID-19 Vaccination When: Friday, March 12th, from 10AM to 12 noon During the first half of this months meeting, we will have a Guest Speaker from the Health Department who will provide information to those attending the meeting on all aspects of the COVID-19 vaccines. Following that, some BSS staff and community members will talk about their experience getting vaccinated. This information will be invaluable for the safety o...f our community and all are encouraged to join. Don't forget about the social, coffee hour from 9-10am leading up to our meeting. Unless otherwise specified, our meetings are held Via Zoom Meetings *Our Meetings are invite only. Please contact us to RSVP before the meeting date. Call: (951) 341-9244 or contact our front desk at [email protected]

Tell us how you feel about returning to in person learning. Please take our short survey and let us know how you feel https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FSDN53P

Don't Miss our Technology Club! When: Friday, January 22, from 10AM to 12 noon This Friday we will be hosting our Technology Club meeting. This month our goal is to provide information to those who will be attending college classes in the future on what technology and devices are the most helpful in and around the classroom. We will be hosting a panel style Q&A session with some BSS students who are also current college and university students. The main focus will be on their... experience with various technologies in and around the classroom. We have some questions prepared, but please do bring your own as well. This information will be helpful to anyone who will soon be attending college and those thinking about attending classes but not quite sure what that experience could feel like with a visual impairment. Call to RSVP today! This month we will begin trying something new along with our monthly club meeting. In the spirit of bringing back the comradery and ambiance that was present in the lobby, the Technology Club zoom meeting will be open for one hour before the scheduled club meeting. Please feel free to join and chat with other participants, and use this time to get set up on zoom as we will be starting the meeting promptly when scheduled. *Our Meetings are invite only. Please contact us to RSVP before the meeting date. Call: (951) 341-9244 or contact our front desk at [email protected]

Join us for this month's events and meetings! Zoom Try It Lab When: Friday, March 5th, from 10AM to 12 noon... Are you learning to use zoom and want to get more familiar with the controls and features? Then this is the place for you! We understand it can be difficult to explore and learn the controls and tools at your disposal during zoom meetings. Join us in our upcoming Zoom try it lab, when participants will be able to join a zoom meeting where there is no agenda but to hop in and familiarize yourself with the tools zoom has to offer. Peer Support When: Friday, March 12th, from 10AM to 12 noon We have a Peer Support group where individuals that are blind are visually impaired can interact with others. We cover a wide variety of topics and activities, and we meet every second Friday of the month. And of course, don't forget about the social, coffee hour from 9-10am leading up to our meeting. During the first half of this months meeting, we will have a Guest Speaker from the Health Department who will provide information to those attending the meeting on all aspects of the COVID-19 vaccines. This information will be invaluable for the safety of our community and all are encouraged to join. Technology Club When: Friday, March 19, from 10AM to 12 noon We have a Technology Club! We discuss topics related to all types of mobile Devices and Apps followed by open discussion. All are welcomed to Join us and learn! Don't forget the social, coffee hour from 9-10am leading up to the meeting. Exploring Braille When: Friday, March 26th, from 10AM to 12 noon Have you considered learning Braille but are unsure if you are ready? Are you in the process of learning Braille but looking for additional ways to practice and refine your skills? Have you learned Braille in the past but want to discover new ways to incorporate it in your daily life? Then come join us on the last Friday of every month and be a part of our Braille learning community. All individuals are welcome to come and see what Braille is all about and learn new and fun ways to use your growing Braille skills. Unless otherwise specified, these meetings are held Via Zoom Meetings *Our Meetings are invite only. Please contact us to RSVP before the meeting date. Call: (951) 341-9244 or contact our front desk at [email protected]

Today we have some words from our CEO. The image is the BSS Logo above text, which reads: Greetings Everyone, As we bid farewell to an unforgettable 2020, Blindness SUpport Services, INC., would like to wish you and yours a healthy and prosperous New Year. ... We extend to you the best of Health & Wellness, Safety, and Productivity. May the Year 2021 bring all the best for America and the World. Sincerely, Pete Benavidez, President and Chief Executive Officer

Some Pictures of our Children's department and their friend Santa as they went around delivering gifts to the blind and visually impaired children who receive our services

We at BSS would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. This week our Children’s department went out to the houses of their consumers along with our friend Santa to drop off gifts to the blind and visually impaired children who receive our services. Our CEO even stopped by for one of the deliveries.

Our Technology Club meeting is this Friday! Friday, October 23, from 10AM to 12 noon This month we will demonstrate and discuss new accessibility features in iOS 14. Though we will be discussing iOS 14, we do not currently recommend updating due to instability and issues with accessibility features. If you have already updated and you've found a practical way to use new iOS features, please be ready to share your findings as well.... To reserve your spot, leave your name and email with our front desk at [email protected] or by calling (951) 341-9244 Additionally Look out for information on our upcoming Zoom Try it Lab! Are you learning to use zoom and want to get more familiar with the controls and features? Then this is the place for you! We understand it can be difficult to explore and learn the controls and tools at your disposal during zoom meetings. So, look out for our upcoming Zoom try it lab when participants will be able to join a zoom meeting where there is no agenda but to hop in and familiarize yourself with the tools zoom has to offer.

Don't miss our Peer Support Meetings! We will be having 2 Peer Support meetings this month held via Zoom. To reserve your spot, leave your email with us either by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling our front desk (951) 341-9244 Friday, October 9, from 10AM to 12 noon For our first meeting of the month we will have a guest speaker. Jackie Mark will be discussing communication and social skills useful for pursuing employment.... A general outline for the meeting is - Introduction/Background and experiences - How to be an effective communicator using verbal and nonverbal communication - What you benefit from by taking Communication Studies classes - Networking, internships and volunteering - Interviews - Planning your goals and future - Open Q&A session Friday, October 16, from 10AM to 12 noon For our second meeting of the month we will have a speaker from the Department of Rehabilitation. The goal is to help participants navigate Social Security benefits and how they change as you transition into working. Please send an email to [email protected] with any questions you have so our speaker can prepare the information that is important to our attendees. Given that this is in a group setting, answers will be broad and general. However, attendees will be given information to arrange a one on one meeting and discuss their specific situation in detail.