Charles W. McDowell Center for the Blind

06/08/2026

Adventure, discovery, and inspiration at Bernheim Forest!

McDowell Center students Ray Michael-Cook and Chasity Singleton recently enjoyed a visit to Bernheim Forest in Clermont, KY to explore the nature trails and search for the famed Forest Giants.

The students used an app to identify plants and found a Sassafras tree. They also discovered miniature fairy houses, pond turtles, outdoor art sculptures, and interactive stuffed birds in the gift shop. Chasity was excited to find the giant yellow footprints that help guide visitors to one of the Forest Giants. These unique sculptures were created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo using recycled wood from across Kentucky.

Although recent rains left some sections of the trail flooded, it was a successful visit. Ray's service dog, John Denver, had a special moment when a butterfly landed on him. Ray shared memories of visiting Bernheim Forest as a child, and Chasity plans to tell her family about this wonderful Kentucky destination. Everyone returned home tired, but inspired.

06/08/2026

We want to hear from you! We are seeking input from individuals with disabilities, family members, service providers, and community members. The Kentucky SILC is hosting listening sessions across the state to gather input for our next State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). This helps us set our priorities for people with disabilities across Kentucky.

We will be in different areas across the state including:

Lexington-June 23, 2026 at 11a est
Hazard-June 25, 2026 at 12p est
Bowling Green-July 14, 2026 at 11a cst
Louisville-July 16, 2026 at 11a est
Murray-August 3, 2026 at 11a cst
Northern KY-August 20, 2026 at 11a est

As we approach these dates, we will start sharing more details including the address where each event will be held and the types of the questions we may ask. If you have questions or want to get involved you can email our Executive Director, Megan Kuhlwein, at [email protected].

06/08/2026

Thank you to the McDowell Center and all of our wonderful community partners for making our KTBL Roadshow Resource Fair last month a rousing success!

We loved talking to and helping our patrons in person, as well as introducing them to our community partners with the Kentucky Council of the Blind, the Kentucky Federation of the Blind and NFB-NEWSLINE, the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, Radio Eye and Braille Tales.

Keep an eye out for future events. We can’t wait to meet more of our patrons around the state and sign up new people for the service!

06/02/2026

Want more information about Orientation and Mobility training? OVR O&M specialists can teach you to move around your home, community or workplace safely. Watch this brief video to learn more.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/12/2026

McDowell students and staff attended a poetry workshop this past Saturday at the South Central Louisville Public Library exploring “found poetry,” which includes taking text from existing poems and rearranging them to create new meaning. McDowell student Chasity Singleton chose Traveling through the Dark by William Stafford as her inspiration:

That road is narrow;
Beside that mountain road, I hesitated
By glow of the taillight, I stumbled
And around our group, I could hear the wilderness listen.

As Chasity and McDowell Recreation Therapist Patrice worked together on the poem, they discovered how deeply the theme of “the dark” connected to experiences of low vision and blindness. Although Chasity was hesitant to share at first, she used her phone to enlarge the text so she could confidently read the poem aloud to the group herself. She also shared how tools like “Be My Eyes” can support her writing process.
By stepping outside her comfort zone, Chasity created something meaningful and showed great courage in sharing her work.

Photo: Chasity using her phone to assist with reading and writing her poem.

04/30/2026

We had a wonderful time at the McDowell Center for the Blind during our recent workshop KSTAR: Kentucky Seniors Taking an Active Role! Participants engaged in sessions on technology, mobility, daily living skills, and more. The workshop focus centered on building independence and confidence. The hands-on learning, group discussions, recreation and shared meals provided a great opportunity to connect and grow together.
We wrapped up with a fun game and a meaningful graduation celebration that left everyone inspired. Thank you to everyone who made KSTAR such a success!
If you want to live your best life with blindness or low vision and need assistance, call (502) 429-4460 to learn more about KSTAR and our Independent Living program.

03/27/2026

Charles McDowell Center students recently attended an engaging presentation, “Ninety-Nine Lessons in Critical Thinking,” with Dr. Robert Friedland at the St. Matthews Library in Louisville. Based on his book with the same title, he shared real-world skills and neurological insights that students don’t always learn from textbooks. The topics discussed included language, judgment, bias, memory and the role of artificial intelligence and computers in how we think.

Students walked away with a powerful reminder: “Start asking questions. Never stop. We need to ask questions even though we don’t know how to answer them.”

We’re grateful for the many free and enriching programs offered through Louisville’s library network that make experiences like this possible!

03/23/2026

Scott Stevens of 2PlayGames stopped by the McDowell Center recently to demonstrate some of the new games he’s developing for people who are blind or have low vision. His goal is to ensure that everyone can have a seat at the game table. Our students had the chance to try several of the games he’s currently working on, including a dragon-themed game for kids, a fun pirate-themed game, a press-your-luck game for all ages, and a game that uses the sense of smell! Scott plans to continue asking McDowell students for feedback to help him evaluate and refine these games. We’re excited to see how these innovative and inclusive games continue to develop!

03/02/2026

Congratulations to McDowell Center graduate Chris Addison on completing the Chefs for Success program! Chris developed a true passion and talent for cooking during his time at McDowell Center. He says the non-visual skills he learned in the Home Management class were a total game changer in the kitchen.
A special thank you to Keisha Garvin, administrative assistant with the Salvation Army’s Chefs for Success Program, for helping coordinate the program, arranging a personal tour of the instructional space and providing classroom materials that Chris could tailor to his needs.
We’re so proud of you, Chris!

02/27/2026

We LOVE when community members share their talents with our students at the McDowell Center! Jayne Seif, a former preschool teacher, recently visited our students to share how to create miniature scenes after experiencing significant vision loss. By working in stages and using bright light to guide her glue placement, Jayne found new ways to continue her craft. Her visit encouraged McDowell student Peggy Mastropaolo, who had crafted miniatures her entire adult life but feared vision loss meant she had to stop. With support from McDowell staff and simple magnification tools, Peggy is creating again!
It was a meaningful exchange of creativity, resilience and community. Thank you, Jayne, for reminding us that creativity has no limits!