Equipping blind and visually impaired Alaskans for success in life and work
The only statewide training and resource center for vision rehabilitation in Alaska, serving Alaskans of all ages since 1977.
Who We Are
Living with vision loss in Alaska comes with challenges unlike anywhere else. Long winters, changing daylight, icy sidewalks, remote communities, and long distances can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming. You don’t have to face those challenges alone.
Since 1977, the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has helped Alaskans of all ages build the skills, confidence, and independence to live, work, and thrive. As Alaska’s only statewide vision rehabilitation training and resource center, we provide personalized services at our Anchorage campus and in communities across the state, helping people achieve the goals that matter most to them.
How We Help
Every journey begins with a first step, and you do not have to take it alone. Whether you’re adjusting to vision loss, building new skills, or exploring what’s possible, we’re here to help you move forward with confidence. Discover the programs, services, and resources designed to support your independence every step of the way.
Receiving Services
No two people experience vision loss the same way. Whether you are returning to work, adjusting to a new diagnosis, or seeking to stay independent at home, our staff will help you find the services that fit your goals and connect you with the right program.
Upcoming Events
Art Club and Movie: A National Kitten Day Celebration
Our July Art Club and Movie celebrates National Kitten Day, observed each year on July 10 to raise awareness of kittens waiting in shelters and to encourage adoption, fostering, and responsible pet ownership. We will create pet-inspired paintings, share stories about our pets past and present, and enjoy a family-friendly movie with audio description, snacks, and good company.
- Date: Friday, July 10, 2026
- Art Club painting: 12:00 to 1:00 PM
- Movie with audio description and snacks: 1:30 to 4:00 PM
- Location: Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 3903 Taft Drive, Anchorage
- For youth and adults with vision challenges
To take part, please call 907-248-7770. Questions? Contact Daria Ezhova, Assistive Technology Instructor and Youth Coordinator, at dezhova@alaskabvi.org.
Summer Youth Camp
Join our Summer Youth Camp, July 27 to 31, in Anchorage. The camp supports blind and low-vision students in exploring post-secondary education, volunteer opportunities, and employment pathways, while building confidence, independence, and real-world skills aligned with Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) goals.
The camp runs daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and includes field trips, guest speakers, college and career readiness activities, adaptive sports, and community engagement. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Housing is available in ACBVI dorms for students traveling from outside the Anchorage area.
Questions? Contact Casey Duer, Program Director, at cduer@alaskabvi.org or call 907-248-7770.
What’s New
Pete McCall Honored by the Alaska State Legislature
June 24, 2026
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson and her team visited the Center to present Pete McCall, our Older Blind Outreach Coordinator, with a citation from the Thirty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature, honoring his service to older blind and visually impaired Alaskans in Anchorage and the Interior.
Alex Ausel’s Braille Passion Project
Twelve-year-old Alex Ausel, a sighted sixth-grader at Anchor Lutheran School, taught herself Braille and is designing and 3D-printing ADA-compliant Braille signs for her school, and for our Center, as her Passion Project.
Sponsors and Donors Spotlight
We are grateful to the 2026 sponsors and donors whose support makes our work possible.
TOTE Maritime Alaska
2026 donor. $15,000 gift.
TOTE Maritime Alaska contributed $15,000 to the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 2026. TOTE moves roughly one-third of the essential goods that travel from Tacoma to Anchorage, including food, building materials, and vehicles. Their community outreach focuses on Alaskan youth, vulnerable populations, and cultural organizations. We are grateful for the partnership and look forward to building on it together.
Middle Way Cafe
2026 donor.
Middle Way Cafe in Spenard chose the Center as the nonprofit recipient of a 2026 art show. Middle Way has been an Anchorage original since 1994, anchored in the Northern Lights Shopping Center. They are a cafe, bakery, coffee house, and one of the city’s premier local art venues, with rotating shows on their walls and an ongoing commitment to local artists, sustainability, and community. They were the first restaurant in Anchorage to go fully recycled and compostable on disposables, they champion organic and locally sourced food, and they have given many local artists their first place to show.
Follow them on Instagram: @middlewayart.
Stephan Fine Arts, owned by Becky Stephan (the Center’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year), has been an advocate for the Center in the Anchorage arts community and helped bring the Middle Way show together. See Becky’s work on Instagram: @stephanfinearts.
Lions Clubs of Alaska
2026 donors. FY26 capital sprinkler and fire alarm project.
Lions clubs across Alaska have a long tradition of supporting vision work, and the Center has been grateful for their partnership for many years. Their support, large and small, has steadied this work over time. Thank you to these clubs:
- Eagle River Lions Club
- Fox Lions Club
- Mt. McKinley Lions
- Mountain View Lions
- Palmer Lions
- Sleeping Lady Mountain Lions
- Spenard Lions
Credit Union 1
2026 donor. First corporate sponsor of Seeing With Our Hearts 2026.
Credit Union 1 is the first corporate sponsor of Seeing With Our Hearts (SWOH) 2026. Their table for the October event is already reserved, and their early commitment sets the tone for the campaign. We are grateful to Credit Union 1 for putting their name on the idea that independence, dignity, and meaningful work for blind and low-vision Alaskans is worth investing in.
American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE), Alaska Chapter
2026 donor.
For three years running, including 2026, the AADE Alaska Chapter has invited the Center to the Fin Feather or Fur Food Festival, the annual event organized by the Alaska oil and gas community. The relationship and the seat at the table have meant a great deal to the blind and low-vision Alaskans we serve.
ConocoPhillips
2026 donor.
ConocoPhillips supports the Center’s Youth Program through corporate grant funding tied to the Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) pathway. The Youth Program serves blind and visually impaired Alaskans ages 14 to 22 and runs two flagship camps each year.
Our Sincere Thanks
We are in the middle of one of the largest facility improvement projects in our history: a new fire alarm and sprinkler system that will keep our building a safe, welcoming place for the thousands of Alaskans who walk through our doors. To the clients, staff, contractors, foundations, Lions Clubs, and donors who have carried this work forward, thank you.
ACBVI in the News
Press, radio, and television coverage of the Center.
- Adapting, Evolving and Thriving in the Great North (Senior Voice). Profile of manual-skills instructor Kevin Whitley rebuilding independence at the Center and skiing in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Norway.
- ‘I Haven’t Looked Back’: Blind Alaskan Woodworker Teaches Others (Alaska’s News Source / KTUU). Joe Allgood feature on Kevin Whitley running the Center’s woodshop and building clients’ confidence through tool work. Includes video.
- ‘Everything Without Light’: Man Loses His Legs, His Sight, but Not His Hope (Alaska’s News Source / KTUU). Joe Allgood feature on Shaquil Aribuk, blinded and a double amputee after necrotizing fasciitis, who now hopes to teach others.
- Anchorage’s Ski Marathon to Feature Blind Skier in His Sixth Race (Alaska Public Media). Casey Grove interviews Kevin Whitley ahead of the Tour of Anchorage and a week of blind-athlete racing in Norway.
Come Visit Us
We’re easy to miss, tucked away here in Spenard, but the door is always open. Stop by Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The coffee is on, the conversation is free, and we’d love to tell you about our programs, our mission, and the people we serve. Sometimes hope begins with a simple conversation.
Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
3903 Taft Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99517
- Phone: 907-248-7770
- Toll-free: 1-800-770-7517
- Fax: 907-248-7517
The Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID 92-0108817.