North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind

Finding Strength and Community: One Student's Journey with Vision Loss

Denali Littlewind attended student short-term programs (STPs) at NDVS/SB throughout her elementary, middle school, and high school years. A member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, she kept coming back because she knew the skills she was learning “were going to be really helpful for the future,” she says. “I learned so much about vision there.” Now, as a 21-year-old working young adult with low vision, she’s putting those lessons learned to good use.

Read the full article on our website: https://www.ndvisionservices.com/news/finding-strength-and-community-one-students-journey-vision-loss

Our summer program for teens is much more than a traditional summer camp; it is a structured launchpad for independence. By practicing Independent Living Skills, Orientation and Mobility (O&M), and Self-Advocacy among other ECC Skills in safe but challenging real-world scenarios, these teens returned home with a stronger sense of self-reliance, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of what they can accomplish. Check out a few pics from last week's adventure to learn more about what they did and how they learned!

The students on our Summer Adventure Program for Middle and High Schoolers stopped by the original School for the Blind building in Bathgate this past week! What a cool history lesson this was! Besides beautiful Bathgate, the students camped at Icelandic State Park and explored an old missile site during this program. More pics to come - stay tuned!

Check out the last edition of the Outreach Newsletter for the 2025-26 school year on our website:https://www.ndvisionservices.com/sites/default/files/documents/newsletter/May%202026%20Outreach%20Newsletter.pdf

Read about the Keep Calm and Travel On program and our new Transition Specialist!

Last week these 4 adults participated in a Short-Term Program at NDVS/SB, working on individual goals and supporting each other as they learned new skills and gained new perspective on their vision loss journey. Their Courage Ceremony, which was held on Friday, was a moment to acknowledge how much they learned and how far the week pushed them. Congrats!

Know how we can tell it's summer at NDVS/SB? The Wellness Team's garden is growing! Leslie, Amy, BreAnna, and Lilly planted a variety of vegetables near the playground in our garden on Tuesday, and we can't wait to watch the produce grow! Hello, summer!

On Saturday, Leslie and Michele were at the Grand Forks Public Library for the Summer Reading Program kick-off! They had large print and braille books on display, tactile graphics, 3D models, and braillers, giving kids and their families the chance to learn about the resources we provide, and the chance to try their own hand at brailling on a Perkins brailler!

I spy with my little eye ...

We are all over the place this month! Check out our billboards in Grand Forks, Langdon, and West Fargo! If you spy one elsewhere, let us know where it is! The sites change every month, so keep your eyes peeled all summer. We are hoping these billboards result in referrals of loved ones and friends of those who see them. If you know someone who would benefit from our services, please reach out! Call our main line, 701-795-2700, or go to ndvisionservices.com

Staff from NDVS/SB - Regional Coordinators Danielle, Erin, and Lanna - attended the "Sense & Symbol" two-day workshop at the Bismarck Career Academy sponsored by the ND Dual Sensory Project. They are pictured here with Stacey Chambers, co-author of APH's Sensing and Learning, and Dr. Lacey Long, Project Director.

Over 30 current and former NDVS/SB employees were present at Tracy Wicken's and Nedra Hoberg's retirement celebration last week. We had to take a pic to commemorate all the employee "alums" in the house!