Non-Profit Spotlight: INDIANA BLIND CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

BY: SETH JOHNSON

The Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation (IBCF), in partnership with the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI), was awarded the Strengthening Indianapolis Through Arts and Cultural Innovation Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in December 2018 to create, launch, and sustain the No Limits Arts Series.

A multi-faceted arts initiative, the No Limits Arts Series seeks to strengthen inclusiveness and remove social barriers in the arts for individuals with disabilities. As a part of this series, IBCF hosts an annual No Limits Celebration and Kick-Off event every July in commemoration of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law. Each year, an artist takes the stage at the No Limits Celebration that mirrors the strengths and abilities of the children ISBVI and IBCF serve.

Members of the No Limits Leadership Club pose for a photo with Conner Prairie staff in front of a large mural. The mural is stylized like a postcard and features the words “Conner Prairie” in big block font.

Having hosted artists such as acclaimed jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker and Grammy award-winning bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland in recent years, IBCF will welcome esteemed singer-songwriter A.J. Croce to the ISBVI stage on July 22 for the 2023 No Limits Celebration.

“The Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation is passionate about bringing high-caliber artists to the ISBVI auditorium stage each year whose career and artistry shine a light on abilities and confront perceived notions surrounding those with vision impairments,” said IBCF executive director Laura Alvarado.

A portrait photo of 2019 No Limits Celebration performer Matthew Whitaker. (Photo credit: Chris Drukker)

“A.J. Croce is a multi-talented performer - pianist, singer, and songwriter, who will transform the audience musically and challenge any limiting perceptions.”

Thanks to the Lilly Endowment grant, the school auditorium underwent a major transformation in 2018, with upgrades to all the audio and lighting technology and integrating

video and wheelchair seating for the first time. The auditorium now serves as a learning laboratory for artistic classes and endeavors with students, as well as a public space for films and performances, making the campus more of a community gathering space.

An aisle shot from the 2022 No Limits Celebration shows Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper performing on the ISBVI auditorium stage.

In addition to accessible seating, the 2023 No Limits Celebration will have assistive listening devices, open captioning, ASL interpretation, braille and large print programs, and audio description available, ensuring the event is accessible to all.

MEET THE NO LIMITS LEADERSHIP CLUB

While welcoming the community onto the campus of ISBVI for accessible arts experiences, the No Limits Arts Series also has another component. Headed up by IBCF executive director Laura Alvarado and ISBVI staff member Tara Abella, the No Limits Leadership Club is an after-school club comprised of ISBVI high schoolaged students who are nominated by ISBVI teachers based on their outstanding character in the classroom.

The club members meet weekly throughout the school year to learn ways to strengthen their voice, increase knowledge surrounding advocacy, develop leadership skills, and connect to their community. Every school year, the club also partners with a local arts organization, helping to address barriers to access in each organization. By creating and implementing solutions together that dissolve physical and social barriers to inclusion, doors are widened for all people with disabilities as increased access evolves in each partner organization and beyond.

Both Dylan and the Conner Prairie staff member, Jesse Kramer, are using white canes to help them navigate the hallway. The Conner Prairie staff member is also wearing goggles that mirror Dylan’s visual impairment.

Since 2019, the club has partnered with ArtMix, the Eiteljorg Museum, Heartland Film, Capital City Chorus, Phoenix Theatre, and Dance Kaleidoscope. Most recently, the club teamed up with Conner Prairie, advising the Hamilton County living history museum on ways they can be more accessible to all.

After welcoming the Conner Prairie staff to ISBVI and giving them a tour of the school, the No Limits Leadership Club members made several visits to Conner Prairie throughout the 2023 spring semester, touring the museum’s indoor space in the winter months before exploring their outdoor space in the spring. As part of these visits, the students led the Conner Prairie staff in some unique exercises, including one where the staff was able to walk in the students’ shoes.

“When we were at Conner Prairie, we taught some of the staff members about a daily living tool that us blind and visually impaired people use, and that is the white cane,” said club member Dylan, who graduated from ISBVI in May. “We had different sets of goggles to match our vision levels. They used the cane, had the goggles on, and walked with us to get to experience how we navigate in our daily lives.”

An overhead shot of the Conner Prairie grounds shows members of the No Limits Leadership Club walking down a gravel path with Conner Prairie staff. Taken with the use of a drone, the photo also shows various other buildings that are part of Conner Prairie’s outdoor facilities.

Through taking part in this student-led exercise, the Conner Prairie staff was truly able to understand what improvements need to be made to their museum to make it more accessible to individuals who are blind and visually impaired.

“We noticed that when the staff was wearing the goggles that a lot of them said things that a lot of us related to,” said No Limits Leadership Club member Minnie. “The staff observed some improvements that could be made to the accessibility of the museum, and the only way they would’ve known that they needed to improve on those things was through experiencing our vision.”

After going through her first year in the No Limits Leadership Club, Minnie ultimately appreciates the ways in which it has helped her grow. “It is a club you have once a week that helps you build your confidence in yourself and the way you present yourself. But also, at the same time, you’re a part of something that’s helping to make arts organizations more accessible,” Minnie said.