Aloha Braille & Company

10/21/2025

We'll be here donating our braille shirts supporting GITWL!!

10/21/2025

GITWL thanks our generous sponsors for their support of this year's conference! The Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired is one of this year's Gold Level Sponsors. To learn more about AER:
http://www.aerbvi.org/

10/21/2025

The Getting in Touch with Literacy conference would not be possible without the support from our amazing sponsors! Thank you to the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Visual Impairments and Deafblindness for being a Gold level sponsor for the conference.
https://dvidb.exceptionalchildren.org/

10/21/2025

Please join us in congratulating the winner of this year's 2025 Holbrook Humphries Award: Amy Campbell. Amy Campbell is the Director of Learning & Development at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), where she leads initiatives to strengthen professional learning in the field of visual impairment. With more than 25 years of experience, Amy began her career as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and has remained passionate about improving educational outcomes for children who are blind or low vision. She joined APH in 2020, where she helped launch and build APH’s Hive from the ground up. Under her leadership, the Hive has grown to include more than 50 impactful courses and resources that empower vision educators nationwide. Amy has presented at numerous national conferences and contributed to Practice Perspectives in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. Outside of work, she enjoys classic movies, food she didn’t cook, convincing her two sons to play the board game Life.

10/17/2025

Proud to support such a wonderful organization!

Less than two weeks until the start of this year's conference! We're almost packed up and ready to hit the road to Cincinnati. Before that though, we want to be sure and thank Aloha Braille for one of our Silver Sponsors this year.

You may have noticed the costs of nearly everything have increased this year, and that includes the costs associated with producing this conference. We're proud to say that we didn't have to raise the cost of registration this year, but that's only because of the support of folks like Aloha Braille!

For more about their work and mission, you can visit them here: https://alohabraille.com/

10/15/2025

Meet Lee Sonnenberg, AER’s Executive Director!
Lee joined AER in June 2022 and leads the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of the Association. With a deep understanding of both the professional and personal sides of our field, Lee brings passion, vision, and dedication to every aspect of his leadership.

As the father of an adult daughter with low vision, Lee’s advocacy runs deep. For over 20 years, he’s been a powerful voice in Texas, currently serving as President of the Board of Trustees for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Treasurer for All Blind Children of Texas.

A certified teacher with a master’s from Texas Tech, Lee lives in west Texas with his family and remains committed to building a stronger, more connected AER community

10/13/2025

Be a beast. Working on this guy. What ya think?

10/13/2025

Which version do you like better for a tshirt?

Pic show beYOUtiful in braille but the YOU is in print and the second option is to have it all in print above it all in braille. A new third option adds bees!

10/12/2025

Richard Simmons made an appearance at GVEST to help make our workshop fun 😁

Pic shows Randy dressed as Richard Simmons standing with Kathy Segers

10/12/2025

I am because you are. This was the theme of my talk at opening ceremonies of the GVEST conference this past week. GVEST = Georgia Vision Educators Statewide Training. The great impact of a Georgia TVI, Marie J. Amerson, the aloha she shared with me, encouraged me to share my aloha with others. Part of that is via making great braille and helping others do the same. To Marie aka MA, to Bill Hinton, Shawn, Kayla, Chip, Kathy Segers, Jayma Hawkins, Jane Hamilton Thompson, Delores Keener Billman, Mary Nelle McLennan, Cynthia Duncan Stubbs, Cindi Laurent, and so many more, I am because you are!

Send a message to learn more

10/10/2025

Anyone interested in providing a workshop on Corel Draw next spring?

Send a message to learn more

10/09/2025

Meet Larisa!
Larisa joined the AER staff in March 2025 as our eLearning and Professional Development Manager , bringing with her a deep commitment to blind rehabilitation, professional development, and community leadership.

With an Honour’s BA in Theatre and Drama Studies and a major in Exceptionality in Human Learning from the University of Toronto, plus certification as an Orientation and Mobility Instructor, supporting individuals who are blind or have low vision, across all ages and backgrounds.

She’s led both the Wisconsin and Tennessee AER chapters as president, served on numerous committees, and continues to champion mentorship, collegial connection, and lifelong learning within our field.

Originally from Tennessee, Larisa is married with two adult children and continues to shape the future of AER with expertise and heart.