About

About Nevada Blind Children's Foundation

Our History

In April, 2004 Kevin and Toni Spilsbury welcomed the arrival of their twins, Connor and Cassidy. Connor was born blind and with severe health complications and after release from the NICU, the shock of bringing home especially with the lack of programs or resources for children or babies who are blind. Kevin Spilsbury is a fourth-generation Nevadan and business owner, so the idea of leaving the state to pursue resources for Conner was out of the question. Two years later, after much research and diligence, they opened the doors of Nevada Blind Children's Foundation (NBCF) with the first Braille and resource library in Nevada's history in addition to programming and parent education.

An image shows the Spilsbury family sitting together. Two young girls with blonde hair stand in the back while their parents sit on a white bench in front of them. Conner sits in between his parents on the bench, their yellow lab dog sitting in front of him.

Mission & Vision

To provide the essential building blocks including extended educational curriculum, extracurricular activities, social opportunities and transitional skills to children who are visually impaired. Every child with a visual impairment reaches their full potential.

Vision

Every child with a visual impairment reaches their full potential.

Our Goals

Nevada Blind Children's Foundation is focused on three goals: Educate. Employ. Empower.

Educate: Increase high school graduation.

Employ: Increase employment rates.

Empower: Empower children who are blind and visually impaired children to reach their full potential.

Life Skills Class Button (1)

Nevada is one of seven* states that does not have a school for the blind.

*Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Nevada, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Wyoming.

A circle graph reads 36%.

Only 36.6% of non-institutionalized working-age people (ages 21 to 64) with a visual impairment have full-time employment.

A circle graph reads 37%.

37% of Nevada's non-institutionalized working-age people (ages 21 to 64) with a visual impairment only have a high school diploma or equivalent. 

A circle graph reads, "93 Children Served."
  • 53 students who are blind or visually impaired participated during the 2021-2022 school year.
  • 40 sighted siblings participated during the 2021-2022 school year.
  • 7 children enrolled in the the Children's Learning Center, Nevada's first preschool for the visually impaired.
  • Nevada has approximately 15,800 (non-institutionalized) children who are blind or visually impaired between from birth to 20 years old. 

Our Comprehensive Approach

  1. Family Support/Basic Needs: remove obstacles to success by ensuring each visually impaired and/or blind child and their family has access to the basic necessities they need such as: food, personal care items, housing, transportation, family education & support, etc.
  2. Education: provide a two-track education path for children ages birth - 22, beginning with preschool.
  3. Recreation: provide adaptive recreation opportunities to support socialization, independence, and educational goals.
  4. Healthy Living: coordinate health care providers including pediatricians, eye care professionals, and therapists, for referrals and consultations, creating a continuum of care that allows education professionals, parents, and health care professionals to work together.
  5. Employment & Life Skills Training: provide life skills and vocational training, be a first place of employment, employer education, and transition services.
  6. Advocacy & Community Awareness: advocate on behalf of blind and visually impaired children and their families and teach blind and visually impaired children to advocate for themselves.
A graph made out of circles shows one in the center titled, "Child." Arrows point out from the main circle to other bubbles. They are titled, "Life Skills and Employment, Advocacy, Education, Recreation, Health and Family Support and Community Engagement."