|
|
Hope (age 3 years)
|
Last year, A Shared Vision supported 175 families in Colorado. They come from different backgrounds, cultures, and geographies. What they all have in common is their shared journey of raising a very young child with blindness or visual impairment. While this journey can be challenging, connecting with an Early Intervention Teacher of the Visually Impaired from A Shared Vision provides them with a knowledgeable guide. These teachers offer crucial information about their child’s vision diagnosis, useful strategies for interacting with their child, and compassionate support. Most of all, the teachers give families hope.
|
Clark (age 1-1/2 years) and mom
|
Teachers from A Shared Vision empower parents so they can empower their child’s development.
As one parent shared, “It can be very isolating having a child with a visual impairment, and our teacher made me feel not so alone. She listened. She not only helped in my child’s development, but in my growth as well.”
A Shared Vision continues to be the leading provider of home-based vision services in Colorado. In 2023, we provided 69.8% of all early intervention vision services statewide. We supported more families, provided more services, and employed more teachers than Anchor Center for Blind Children and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind combined.
|
|
Since our founding in 2016, we have supported 742 children and their families, and provided over 11,000 education service visits.
Even with our success, our statewide partners identify less than half of all very young children in Colorado with visual impairments compared to our neighboring states. To address this, we lead efforts to promote the adoption of vision screening protocols and train early intervention professionals to use the tools so these children can be identified. Since 2020, we have hosted 108 virtual sessions on A Shared Vision's Vision Screening Protocol©, training 1,288 early intervention professionals, including Colorado's EI Eligibility Evaluation teams (formerly known as Child Find).
Although we are challenged by the inadequate reimbursements for our teachers’ services, we are grateful for the partnerships with Colorado's Community Centered Boards who provide case management services and refer families to our teachers. We are also extremely grateful for the continued financial support from our individual and business donors, as well as the Buell Foundation, the James Hynd Trust for the Blind, LONG Building Technologies, Inc., and the Gerald Erikson Fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. In 2023, we raised $115,499 in donations and grants, which were crucial in supporting the breadth of our programs and strengthening the community of early intervention professionals.
These generous individuals and organizations empower A Shared Vision to uphold our mission of educating, inspiring, and empowering families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so that all children may discover their brightest future.
With gratitude,
Your board, Stefanie Hamilton, Paula Landry, Steven Lindauer, and Susan Raymond |
Home Vision Services Program
For every family, our teachers provide a portfolio of home-based services curated to their unique needs and the needs of their child with blindness or visual impairment.
The goal is preschool and kindergarten readiness and a positive trajectory for cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development for each child.
Learn more about our services to families HERE.
|
Esmeralda (age 20 months) and teacher
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB) primarily serves the Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas. By mutual agreement, A Shared Vision does not support these areas. A Shared Vision collaborates with Anchor Center to serve the Denver/ Boulder metro area.
|
We empower families to be their child's first teacher
Atreus (age 15 months) and dad
|
"We are so thankful to have our teacher as part of our early intervention team! She is a wonderful resource and an even more wonderful person. Her insights and assistance have helped us learn how to best support our child while he learns to navigate the world." Rachel & Nick Desrosiers (Lakewood) "We love our teacher. She is very thoughtful and flexible working with our family. She continuously performs assessments on our son’s progress and creates resources that are appropriate for our son’s vision needs. She works collaboratively with other therapists in the same care plan!" Shiela Reyes (Aurora) "I am a single parent of a one-and-a-half-year-old preemie baby and work 50-plus hours a week. Our teacher has been an extraordinary support to my son and myself. She is very flexible and helps navigate my busy work schedule to make sure my son’s vision development keeps progressing. I am beyond blessed and grateful to have her as part of my child’s early intervention team." Lizette Guzman (Silverthorne) |
|
|
|
Family Support ProgramOur Family Support program provides resources, community connections, and support for families outside of our direct services to families in their homes. In addition to our monthly newsletter and digital parent resources, our teachers led four events for our families in 2023.
Easter Egg Hunt
In April, A Shared Vision co-sponsored an accessible Easter egg hunt in Grand Junction with the Orchard Mesa Lions Club, the Center for Independence Low Vision/Blind Program, and Enstrom Candies.
|
Virtual Mystery Parties
We hosted three Virtual Mystery Parties in 2023. The first on supporting your child’s sleep featured Carol Puchalski, a developmental psychologist and sleep expert. During the summer, one of our teachers showed families how to build and play with a sensory cube. Then in the fall, Amanda Brigham, a Board Certified Neurologic Music Therapist, demonstrated the importance of musical play for children who are blind or visually impaired.
|
Education Program
|
Our Education program provides a variety of trainings to increase the awareness of visual impairments and build the competencies of providers throughout the state.
Our goal is to build a community of highly skilled and collaborative professionals to support all families of very young children with visual impairments.
|
Luna (age 2-1/2)
|
Vision Screening, Birth to Age Three
|
Too many of Colorado's very young children with visual impairments are not identified. Due to inadequate screening, Colorado currently supports just 25% to 50% of families with very young children who are visually impaired or have vision concerns according to a benchmark study with Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah conducted in November 2019.
Through our Education program, we continue to raise awareness of visual impairment and its impact on a child’s development among other early intervention providers and the pediatric community who provides well-child care. We also equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to conduct vision screenings, enabling them to identify children who require specialized services. In 2024, we plan to pilot a simple well-child vision screening protocol with primary care professionals.
|
|
|
Since 2020, we have hosted 108 virtual sessions on our Vision Screening Protocol©, training 1,288 early intervention professionals, including Colorado's EI Eligibility Evaluation teams (formerly known as Child Find). You can learn more about our Vision Screening Protocol©, resources, and training opportunities HERE.
While the problem is far from solved, the implementation of our Vision Screening Protocol© and trainings has had a positive impact. From 2019 to 2021, there was a 49% increase in vision services added to Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSPs), compared to a 1% decline for all other services.
|
|
|
|
Our Team
Clockwise: Steve Lindauer, Maggie Tutt, Stefanie Hamilton, Sally Burch, Janis Mountford, Katie Lindauer, Paula Landry, Janet Anderson, Kimala Rein
|
Financials
|
A Shared Vision provides early intervention vision services at no cost to families. Unlike center-based programs, we do not charge tuition or other fees to the families we support.
While part of the costs to deliver home vision services are covered by Colorado’s Community Centered Boards using federal IDEA Part C and other state funds, we rely on donor support to deliver the breadth of our programming. As a nimble, virtual organization with very little overhead, we do not have expenses related to brick-and-mortar structures or other capital investments. Research has consistently shown that early intervention vision services are most effective when provided in families’ homes. In 2023, we continued to invest in programs benefiting our families and provided additional financial support for our teachers using the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) grant we received in 2021. Additionally, we received a $110,927 Employee Retention Tax Credit related to the pandemic. |
Lucy (age 3 years) with sister and brothers
|
|
Statement of Financial Position
|
Statement of Activity
|
Everleigh (age 10 months) wearing her sensory t-shirt
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the many individuals and organizations who generously supported A Shared Vision. Your support has made a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of children and families in Colorado.
The following donors have played a crucial role in making our programs possible. Thank you for making a difference!
|
|
Our Mission
We educate, inspire, and empower families to nurture the development of their very young children who are blind or visually impaired so that all children may discover their brightest future.
|