Greater Hartford Gives Foundation Awards Nearly $250,000 in Grants to 15 Nonprofits to Assist People with Visual Impairments

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS),  approximately 82,900 or 2.2 percent of Connecticut residents live with visual impairments, including those who are legally blind or have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses. Visual impairment is one of the leading causes of loss of independence for people aged 65 and older.

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving) has a long history of providing organizations with grants through the John E. Blair Fund. This year, Achilles International is one of 15 agencies to receive grant awards totaling $249,300 over one year to support a variety of projects that serve individuals with visual impairments throughout the region.

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation explains that the grants include 11 that are focused on program expansion or enhancement, which will strengthen and grow existing programs. Three grants cover operating support and capacity building support for organizations whose missions and primary programming are to assist individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, one grant was provided to purchase adaptive equipment and technology that increase accessibility, safety, and independence for individuals with visual impairments, and strengthen the organization’s ability to deliver high-quality services.

“Through the John E. Blair Fund, the Foundation continues to support innovative and responsive approaches that expand access and opportunity for individuals with visual impairments,” said Greater Hartford Gives Community Impact Officer Bria Muwanguzi. “This year's investments strengthen both programs and the capacity of trusted partners to meet diverse and evolving community needs.’

Achilles International is a free adaptive running, walking, and cycling organization serving people with any kind of disability. Achilles welcomes children ages 3 and up, adults, seniors, and veterans to their program which makes exercise and racing inclusive by holding workouts in accessible locations, pairing trained volunteer guides with athletes with visual impairments or blindness.

Because of a $24,720 grant from the John E. Blair Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, Achilles will expand and strengthen group workouts and races in Greater Hartford and increase the frequency of existing workouts in Glastonbury and West Hartford to a weekly cadence. In addition, two new workout locations will be offered within the 29-town region based on member feedback. Grant funds will support increased staff capacity for the position of a part-time event manager.

“Since receiving the recent grant from the John E. Blair Fund, we have been able to expand our programming into Simsbury,” said Achilles International-Connecticut Director Erin Spaulding. “We held our first group workout on the rail trail and had a small group of local athletes and their guides competed in the UCONN Health Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on June 6th. We are grateful for the support from the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation to continue to grow our staff and community.”

The complete roster of 2026 John E. Blair Fund grant recipients include:

Arts for Learning Connecticut - $16,000  - Breaking Free is an inclusive, movement-based arts residency for students with blindness or visual impairments, as well as other physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities. Four teaching artists will provide six weeks of instruction in breakdancing, African dance, improvisational theater, and movement-based puppetry, totaling 96 hours. Students attend the CT Institute for the Blind (Oak Hill). Grant funds will expand the program and serve more students.

Charter Oak Health Center - $23,980  - Charter Oak Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Frog Hollow, will use funding for an optometry equipment expansion project. The project will expand diagnostic capacity for high-risk patients and strengthen Charter Oak’s ability to identify and prevent eye disease that can lead to low vision or blindness. Grant funds will purchase a Visual Field Analyzer and partially support additional Ophthalmologist hours.

Church Homes of Hartford, Inc. - $17,450  - Church Homes of Hartford, operating as Seabury, plans to launch an AI-powered phone concierge to support blind and low-vision residents and community members. This 24/7 voice-only system will provide accessible assistance for daily needs by landline or mobile phone, reducing barriers for those uncomfortable with new technology. Residents, off-campus members, families, and caregivers will be able to call for information.

Communication Advocacy Network - $11,000 - Communication Advocacy Network (CAN) seeks support to strengthen services for Deaf and DeafBlind clients. Grant funds will support three initiatives: a strategic plan update by a culturally competent consultant; completion of a website redesign to improve multimedia accessibility and provide maintenance training; and biweekly peer mentoring meetings for elderly Deaf and adult DeafBlind individuals that foster connection and support.

Connecticut Radio Information System (CRIS)  - $30,000 - CRIS is receiving general operating support for FY26. Its goals are to enhance knowledge, literacy, independence, inclusion, and accessibility; reduce isolation for 63,756 people unable to read due to blindness or print disability; and expand access to CRIS Radio’s services by 550 people, to 64,306 total. CRIS will meet these goals by providing timely audio versions of publications and other print materials, including braille books, through telephone, radio, smartphones, mobile apps, hands-free speakers, and internet streaming.

Hartford Artisans Weaving Center  -  $25,000 - Hartford Artisans Weaving Center is receiving operating support for a tactile weaving program that serves aging adults and people with visual impairments. In a creative, supportive environment, artisans receive ongoing instruction, access to looms, and all needed materials to produce handwoven fabrics for the Center’s inventory. Volunteers complete finishing tasks, and artisans receive a stipend for each piece unless they choose to donate their earnings.

The Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Foundation  -  $6,050  -  The Bushnell will use grant funding to expand access for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Funding will cover tickets and transportation for eight community members to attend audio-described Broadway performances during The Bushnell’s 2026–27 season. Focus groups and direct feedback identified cost and transportation as the main barriers to attendance. Grant funds will also help purchase tablets and accessories for patrons without personal devices to access the audio description feed.

New Horizons Inc. - $7,500 - New Horizons' grant funding will allow the organization to strengthen and expand its free adaptive yoga and mindful meditation program at New Horizons Village for adults with visual impairments and other disabilities. The weekly classes are fully adaptable to participants’ needs. Resident surveys have identified the program as especially popular. Grant funds will support the instructor.

Oak Hill - $20,000 - Oak Hill will use grant funding to strengthen its Assistive Technology Lending Library. The project will invest in assistive technology and adaptive equipment, provide one-on-one evaluations, and offer consultations and training for individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), as well as their family members and caregivers.

Summit Adaptive Sports, Inc. - $20,000 - Summit Adaptive Sports will use grant funding to strengthen and expand its year-round adaptive sports programming for people who are blind or have visual impairments during the 2026–2027 program year. Building on the 2025–2026 expansion, the project will deepen engagement, increase participation, and improve program quality across all seasons.

Theaterworks, Inc. - $3,600 - TheaterWorks Hartford will use grant funding to strengthen audio description services for theatrical productions, improving accessibility for blind and visually impaired audiences. Audio description provides narration of visual elements during live performances, allowing blind and low-vision patrons to fully engage in the experience. Grant funds will also support large-print programs for each production. 

UR Community Cares, Inc. - $15,000 - UR Community Cares will use grant funding to strengthen programs that promote independence and accessibility for people with visual impairments in Greater Hartford. Funding will support two initiatives: an Eye Health Fair with the National Federation of the Blind, Lions Clubs, and the Bureau of Education Services for the Blind, connecting participants to consultations, assistive technology, and service information; and Braille classes led by a qualified blind instructor for people with vision loss and sighted caregivers, with Uber gift cards to reduce transportation barriers. Grant funds will also support Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, an electric Perkins Brailler, supplies, and overhead.

Vision Health International - $11,000 - Vision Health International (VHI) will use grant funding to strengthen its annual free clinic, a one-day intensive care model run with community and state partners, including the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Department of Public Health Sciences. Local partners—Malta House of Care, The Village for Families and Children, Charter Oak Health Center, and Hartford HealthCare—spend about four months identifying patients with vision and other health needs and connecting those needing additional care to VHI staff and volunteers for the pop-up clinic. This coordination helps VHI serve more patients during the clinic while maintaining high-quality care.

Vision To Learn - $18,000 - Vision To Learn (VTL) will use grant funding to strengthen school-based vision screenings. VTL screens students at school and, for those needing additional support, sends a mobile clinic where opticians and optometrists provide eye exams. Students who need glasses choose frames on-site, with delivery about three weeks later, while those with more serious conditions are referred to a local optometrist for follow-up care. Grant funds will also support two portable Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screeners designed for mass screenings.

Greater Hartford Gives Foundation is a community foundation, described as “a hub for community-driven change. We fuel impact throughout Greater Hartford and beyond by making connections, providing funding, and sharing knowledge. Our goal is to create an inclusive region where everyone prospers. Together, with a powerful network of changemakers, we identify our neighbors’ most pressing needs and invest resources in initiatives that dismantle racial and economic barriers and improve quality of life.”

More information is available at www.greaterhartfordgives.org.