My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been associated with the Utah Foundation for the Blind (UFB) as a board member, and more recently as a volunteer, for well over 20 years, and it is my pleasure to write a review. UFB is an incredibly valuable resource for Utah children and youth with blindness and for their families. Utah's public schools and the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind provide basic education and training for these special needs children, but with limited funding and teachers spread thin, the schools can provide little more than the basics. UFB was founded in 1988 by TVIs (Teachers of the Visually Impaired) who realized that these children's unique needs were not being sufficiently met by the education system and that supplemental services were critically needed. Since 1988 UFB has provided education and training during non-school hours-education and training centered around Braille literacy, independent living, career development. orientation and mobility, social skills, and athletic and recreation skills. I urge any reader of this review to check out the UFB website at www.ufbvi.org to gain an appreciation of the varied and extensive programming provided by this non-profit's many volunteers and a part-time executive manager. Over the years I have had the pleasure of watching these children learn and blossom and grow as a direct result of their experiences with UFB, and I have had the satisfaction of watching these children move into adulthood and become productive, self-assured citizens. I enthusiastically support UFB and its remarkable contribution to the lives of very special kids!
Julia J. Kleinschmidt, PhD, LCSW
Emeritus Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
John A. Moran Eye Center
University of Utah