Outlook Nebraska was founded in the early 2000s with its initial entity that supplies janitorial paper products and primarily employs blind and low vision people. Twenty-years later, it’s the largest AbilityOne facility in a seven-state region.

AbilityOne facilities produce goods and services for Federal agencies and employ a workforce that is blind and low vision. The only AbilityOne facilities in Nebraska are Goodwill and Outlook Nebraska.

Eventually, Outlook expanded its mission and now offers enrichment opportunities and training programs for blind and low vision people.

Want to enjoy a patio bike ride through downtown Omaha? Ready to embark on a holiday light tour around the city? Eager to hang with friends, grab a few drinks and do some axe-throwing? These are just a few of the opportunities Outlook Enrichment offers blind Nebraskans.

“Sometimes, blind people stay home but don’t want too,” says Megan Mackie, Communications Outreach Specialist. “We offer opportunities some might not usually get. We are out in the community, socializing, trying new things. And we don’t charge more than $10, since many blind people are on fixed incomes.”

Enrichment started by providing activities and opportunities for blind teens. It rolled out its adult programming with an annual golf clinic and monthly tandem bike rides. Four years ago, it started its family programs. A popular family activity has been beepball, which provides opportunities for families to connect, and blind kids to spend time with adult blind role models. Beepball is an accessible baseball variant. This past December, it offered a gingerbread house building activity for families. Mackie says it was attended by a wide range of ages and turned out to be very popular.

“I was able to do an activity with my grandkids where blind people are excepted,” says Alex Curtis, Outlook Enrichment participant. “And it was a group of other blind people enjoying a weekend thing. Outlook lets me do a lot of things I wouldn’t normally do; Outlook is a starting point.”

Outlook Enrichment also provides training for blind and low vision people, like using screenreaders, which are text-to-speech softwares, for computers and smart devices. It uses a person-centered approach, which assesses a persons physical, emotional, community and spiritual well-being, in order to focus on individual goals. Currently, many participants have been attending and partaking in Enrichment activities for years, but every year, it gains more new people.

“Popular events repeat. We’ve done meet-ups at fish fries, Jazz on the Green and Cinco de Mayo. We usually do around six art-type workshops and four meet-ups,” says Mackie. “We constantly get a grasp on what people like, and what they want to try. Some things we tried recently are going to a shooting range, ropes course at Fontenelle Forest and a cemetery tour, which was a regular tour we just joined in with.”

According to Outlook Nebraska’s website, 15,000 people in the Omaha area experience some form of vision loss. For many, especially those who lose vision later in life, it can be a confusing and scary time. Outlook hopes to fill a gap and provide a variety of programs and services that empower blind people and allow them to achieve personal goals.

Bowling, axe throwing, skiing, these are just a few events Outlook Enrichment offered in 2022 and early 2023. An on-going program Outlook Enrichment has offered on-and-off are exercise classes. Partnering with UNOs Health and Kinesiology department, blind and low vision people have had opportunities to learn and benefit from different exercise classes, led by students in the Health and Kinesiology department.

“I did this as a part of my practicum,” says Maya Nachtigal, UNO Health and Kinesiology major. “I learned as much as participants did. It was a growing experience. They were able to do the movement, I just needed to verbalize every movement.”

In 2022, Outlook Enrichment clocked 1237 service hours in recreational programming alone. Eighty-eight were with teen recreational offerings, 795 with adult programming and 354 in family service hours.

“Staying fit and moving, helps me stay fit,” says Curtis. “I love that it’s accessible; I’m like, ‘Let’s go’.”

This collaboration has offered high-intensity training, yoga and other exercise classes. Some blind people have never tried a class like this before, and some aren’t always sure how to join in with a class not established for working with blind and disabled people.

“We are just like everyone else,” says Mackie. “By getting out and doing things, we are normalizing blindness.”

Outlook Enrichment offers activities, training, skill building and emotional support. To learn more about their engaging opportunities visit www.outlooken.org/events/.