Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group

Vision Connection
Sept 2026 Newsletter

Attendees: Bernie, Adam Leonhart, Austin, Amy, Sharon, Dorothea, Rick, Dee, Pam Meulemans, Nancy, Jane, Nancy, Marsha, Judy, Phil, Linda, Cindy, Marion, Tom, Sandy Mottl, Warren, Dawn, Marilyn

Happy Birthday Austin!

Cindy Mueller presented her career and dreams to work in the outdoors: Natural Resource Program at Tech, worked at Fallen Timbers in Black Creek, and her Grandfather worked at the lime plant at High Cliff. Cindy started working at High Cliff in 1995 as a Resource Educator doing different tasks that kept her outside such as field trips for school kids, programs on the weekends for the public, doing trail maintenance and design. Signage is expected on trails, so for visually impaired people they are developing an audio program for the trails. She attended programs in other areas to enable folks to learn here. Wolves in Wisconsin is a big one. Cindy is involved with our Timberwolf Recovery program. What was happening in Wisconsin was wolves would migrate from Canada to Minnesota then to Wisconsin. Volunteer program teams would tour different areas in Wis. Then they would howl to try to count the numbers of wolves by listening for the wolves to howl back. They would also track footprints in the snow. Cindy has done this for over 35 years. Losing her vision has impacted her life to really limit what she can do. Cindy has a can do attitude and volunteers for as many events that she can. Thank you to everyone that attended the slow walk on the Butterfly trail recently.

We have been invited to the Appleton City Hall, on 10/15/2026 to join the mayor for his proclamation of White Cane Safety Day and Pedestrian Safety Month. Austin is going to take part in the Menasha City Council meeting where the mayor will proclaim White Cane Safety Day.

As the year comes to a close, October will be the group anniversary potluck. During our November meeting Jean Kenevan from the Office for the Blind will answer any questions around vision loss. Our December meeting will be our annual holiday potluck.

For our Anniversary Potluck, please bring a dish to pass and whatever you want to drink with you. Plates, cups, plastic ware and napkins will be furnished.

We will hold officer elections in November. The new officers will start in January and will hold two year terms. Please consider running for an officer position.

Annual dues of $5 per person are paid to Marilyn in January.

Adjusting to Vision Loss: 5 Tips for Family Members
https://viplunch.wordpress.com/adjusting-to-vision-loss-5-tips-for-family-members/

If anyone has feedback they want to share about our monthly meetings, please communicate your feedback with Rod at [email protected] or 920-585-7443.

Next Meeting
The Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group will meet on Tuesday Oct. 13th at 12.30 -2.30 p.m. in the meeting room at 425 N Linwood Ave. Appleton.

If you need transportation to any of our meetings, please contact Rod Maccoux @ 920-585-7443 or via email: [email protected].

Look us up on our page and/or our website.
page: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Website: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Email: [email protected]

October is Pedestrian Safety Month! Throughout the month, we will be promoting safer and more welcoming communities for all. While many communities across Wisconsin are in the process of implementing good pedestrian infrastructure, unfortunately the number of pedestrian accidents has not been declining. Drivers can play big role in reducing accidents involving pedestrians by remaining attentive and avoiding distractions while driving.

One of the most important things drivers can do to keep pedestrians safe is to slow down. Research has shown that even at 30 mph, the pedestrian involved in an accident has a 40% chance of fatality or severe injury. Slowing down could save a pedestrian's life while adding only a few minutes to the driver’s trip. Distractions also play a huge role in vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Drivers should put their phone away and leave the radio alone while driving.

We wrote more about how drivers can help protect pedestrians in this week’s On Sight e-newsletter. You can read the full article on our website at https://wcblind.org/2026/10/pedestrian-safety-month-reminds-drivers-to-stay-alert/.

Thank you to Associated Bank for sponsoring this years campaign.

Image: A Wausau Metro bus with a large ad on the side reading Intersections are for Everyone along with the Council logo and a graphic of a diverse group of people crossing a street in a crosswalk.

Are you ready to vote?🗳️

Getting Ready to Vote with Vision Loss With voting season here, we're bringing back this helpful episode. Vision loss can make voting a little trickier, so we look at different ways to cast your ballot and find an option that works for you.

It’s White Cane Wednesday!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Eim1nMgz8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A big thanks to one of our newest members. Cindy shared her experiences throughout her career as a naturalist. She spoke of dealing with vision loss while finding ways to continue the work she loves.

👀 Check the comments below for a video of her demonstrating part of her work.👇

📺 🍿📀 👨‍💻

Watching TV with Vision Loss: What Can Help Watching TV with vision loss? Hadley shares practical tips for your setup, remotes and menus, and using audio description to enjoy favorite shows.

Vision Connection
August 2026 Newsletter


After the heat in July and needing to cancel the picnic, it will be good to get back together. Hopefully everyone enjoyed their summer.

For our September meeting, Cindy Mueller, Retired High Cliff State Park Natural Resource Educator, a relatively new visitor to our group, will talk about her career, her volunteer efforts, how deteriorating vision has affected her life and whatever else Cindy would wish to share.

A few tips from Rod:

Tips for Dining with Vision Loss - Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired
Tips for Dining with Vision Loss - Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Hadley Helps:
Hadley offers Free Help and Learning for Adults with Vision Loss.
https://hadleyhelps.org/

Hadley now has a companion app for both Google and iOS. The app is called Hadley Helps.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hadley-helps/id6759167622

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.hadleyhelps.Hadley&hl=en_US&pli=1

Air Travel and Vision Loss From Hadley:
In this encore episode we're joined by James Ashworth, vice president of customer care at Southwest Airlines, who is also living with macular degeneration. From navigating airports to making the most of airline assistance services, we talk about ways to make air travel with vision loss a little easier.
https://hadleyhelps.org/podcasts/hadley-presents/air-travel-and-vision-loss-0?utm_source=accessinformationnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=06292026&utm_content=editorial

Adjusting to Vision Loss: 5 Tips for Family Members
https://viplunch.wordpress.com/adjusting-to-vision-loss-5-tips-for-family-members/

If anyone has feedback they want to share about our monthly meetings, please communicate your feedback with Rod at [email protected] or 920-585-7443.

Next Meeting
The Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 8th at 12.30 -2.30 p.m. in the meeting room at 425 N Linwood Ave. Appleton.

If you need transportation to any of our meetings, please contact Rod Maccoux @ 920-585-7443 or via email: [email protected].

Look us up on our page and/or our website.
page: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Website: Appleton Visually Impaired Support Group
Email: [email protected]