1
00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,759
Speaker 1: For nearly a century, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and

2
00:00:03,879 --> 00:00:06,799
Visually Impaired has stood as a beacon of hope across

3
00:00:06,839 --> 00:00:10,519
South Florida, proving that vision loss is never a barrier

4
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,519
to a fulfilling, independent life. What began in nineteen thirty

5
00:00:14,519 --> 00:00:18,039
one as a small community center has evolved into Florida's

6
00:00:18,039 --> 00:00:22,280
oldest and largest private institution dedicated to serving people of

7
00:00:22,359 --> 00:00:27,039
all ages who are blind or visually impaired, positively impacting

8
00:00:27,079 --> 00:00:31,480
more than ninety thousand children, adults, and families every single year.

9
00:00:32,039 --> 00:00:35,359
At the heart of the foundation's extraordinary trajectory is its

10
00:00:35,399 --> 00:00:40,119
President and Chief executive Officer, Virginia Jacko. After losing her

11
00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:44,079
own sight to retinitis pigmentosa while working as a senior

12
00:00:44,119 --> 00:00:48,240
executive in higher education, Jacko first walked through the doors

13
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:53,399
of Miami Lighthouse as a client seeking vision rehabilitation. Experiencing

14
00:00:53,439 --> 00:00:59,039
the transformative potential of adaptive technology firsthand, she ultimately transitioned

15
00:00:59,039 --> 00:01:04,159
into leadership, expanding the nonprofit into a nationally recognized powerhouse

16
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:09,920
of innovation, research, and authentic inclusion. Under her guidance, Miami

17
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,680
Lighthouse has earned an unprecedented fourteen consecutive four star ratings

18
00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,079
from Charity Navigator, placing it among the most financially efficient

19
00:01:19,239 --> 00:01:24,000
and transparent charitable organizations in the United States. The scope

20
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000
of Miami Lighthouses work spans from early infancy to senior care.

21
00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,359
Their nationally acclaimed early Intervention Blind Babies program equips parents

22
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,359
with specialized tools to foster developmental milestones from birth, while

23
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,680
the Miami Lighthouse Academy provides a pioneering inclusive environment where

24
00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:46,719
visually impaired and cited children learn side by side. Through

25
00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:51,560
the statewide Florida Hiken Children's Vision Program, the organization deploys

26
00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,640
mobile iclinics to deliver free, comprehensive eye exams and prescription

27
00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,000
glasses to thousands of financially underprivileged school children each year.

28
00:02:00,719 --> 00:02:05,480
Beyond essential healthcare and literacy, Miami Lighthouse breaks ground in

29
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,599
creative and technological empowerment. The facility houses the nation's only

30
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,400
comprehensive music and audio production curriculum tailored for visually impaired youth,

31
00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,000
training students in sound engineering, performance and Braille music distance learning.

32
00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:27,560
By offering career training, assistive technology, mastery orientation, and even

33
00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:34,000
blind soccer athletic initiatives, Miami Lighthouse continues to dismantle societal misconceptions.

34
00:02:34,479 --> 00:02:39,080
Today's Foundation Friday Spotlight celebrates an institution that isn't just

35
00:02:39,159 --> 00:02:42,439
treating vision loss. They are actively building a world where

36
00:02:42,479 --> 00:02:46,479
every individual can step into a future completely without limits.