Speaker 1: For nearly a century, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and
Visually Impaired has stood as a beacon of hope across
South Florida, proving that vision loss is never a barrier
to a fulfilling, independent life. What began in nineteen thirty
one as a small community center has evolved into Florida's
oldest and largest private institution dedicated to serving people of
all ages who are blind or visually impaired, positively impacting
more than ninety thousand children, adults, and families every single year.
At the heart of the foundation's extraordinary trajectory is its
President and Chief executive Officer, Virginia Jacko. After losing her
own sight to retinitis pigmentosa while working as a senior
executive in higher education, Jacko first walked through the doors
of Miami Lighthouse as a client seeking vision rehabilitation. Experiencing
the transformative potential of adaptive technology firsthand, she ultimately transitioned
into leadership, expanding the nonprofit into a nationally recognized powerhouse
of innovation, research, and authentic inclusion. Under her guidance, Miami
Lighthouse has earned an unprecedented fourteen consecutive four star ratings
from Charity Navigator, placing it among the most financially efficient
and transparent charitable organizations in the United States. The scope
of Miami Lighthouses work spans from early infancy to senior care.
Their nationally acclaimed early Intervention Blind Babies program equips parents
with specialized tools to foster developmental milestones from birth, while
the Miami Lighthouse Academy provides a pioneering inclusive environment where
visually impaired and cited children learn side by side. Through
the statewide Florida Hiken Children's Vision Program, the organization deploys
mobile iclinics to deliver free, comprehensive eye exams and prescription
glasses to thousands of financially underprivileged school children each year.
Beyond essential healthcare and literacy, Miami Lighthouse breaks ground in
creative and technological empowerment. The facility houses the nation's only
comprehensive music and audio production curriculum tailored for visually impaired youth,
training students in sound engineering, performance and Braille music distance learning.
By offering career training, assistive technology, mastery orientation, and even
blind soccer athletic initiatives, Miami Lighthouse continues to dismantle societal misconceptions.
Today's Foundation Friday Spotlight celebrates an institution that isn't just
treating vision loss. They are actively building a world where
every individual can step into a future completely without limits.