The Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey, a cornerstone in the support network for people with low vision and blindness in the Garden State, opened its new, expanded offices in Morris County on Thursday.
The nonprofit's new home on Littleton Road in Morris Plains has more space, technological upgrades and a striking color palette designed to serve its growing clientele. Alliance programs served 880 people in New Jersey in 2024.
"In the past few years, we've seen our in-person program participation nearly double, from 58 attendees in 2023 to 105 last year," said Bill Schuldt, the group's CEO, adding that the increase underscores the need for the services it offers in the visually impaired community.
The Vision Loss Alliance, established in 1943, offers a range of programs designed to foster independence and improve quality of life for its community. For four days a week — Monday through Thursday — its clients can be found in classrooms learning skills like cooking and using technology to stay connected, as well as yoga and art.
Newton’s Elisha Johnson, 37, whose ability to see began deteriorating shortly after her 30th birthday, described her current vision as “a constant fog.” She can make out bright colors and contrast but struggles in low light, she said while touring the new center Thursday.
Johnson has been with the alliance for over three years. Particularly helpful, she said, have been its cooking and self-care classes, which boosted her skills and her confidence in navigating daily life independently.
"This is my first day here, so it's definitely different," she said. "I would say there's a lot more space. It wouldn't be that hard to navigate or figure out, but it is definitely a lot more space. We have classrooms for each class now instead of each class being in one area."
The more modern, dedicated offices in Morris Plains allowed the alliance to tailor its facility to its mission. Instruments filled rooms that offer art therapy. The kitchen was designed to look like cooking spaces found in homes, as opposed to the institutional kitchens where training was held in the past.
"This location creates the feeling of students being in their own home,” said Denville’s Linda Groszew, a former program director with the alliance who has come out of retirement to teach in its new kitchen. “Our last church space was a very big commercial kitchen. I think this is going to be much better for students, so they can learn to cook on the stovetop and use other adaptive tools.”
Electric skillets, toasters and air fryers — Groszew plans to teach them all in her hands-on classes.
Marc Smith, another first-day visitor to the center, has been attending alliance programs for the last eight months. His journey of sudden vision loss has been a tough one, leaving him depressed and worried about how he would cope. The New Jersey Commission for the Blind recommended contacting the alliance.
Smith's vision has been permanently clouded ever since an operation to relieve pressure behind his eyes that was supposed to save his sight.
“I am new to vision loss. I've only had it for about a year and a half, and right away they recommended I come to this place because I want to live,” said the 47-year-old from Newark, who lives with a friend who helps him get around. The alliance has helped him “navigate” his new world and “deal with the grief of losing my vision.”
The 6,600-square-foot facility was designed with the needs of its clientele in mind. On the wall next to each door are colorful square icons. A smartphone loaded with the NaviLens app can scan the squares and access an audio guide of what’s inside each room.
“You are about to enter the art room," the app explained to one client. "There are four tables, in a rectangle, in the center of the room with chairs around the sides. On your left is a sink with upper and lower cabinets. On the far wall are shelves with all of the art and pottery supplies."
Other accommodations include Braille signage and wider hallways. The interior design prioritizes strong color contrasts, such as purple doors in lighter-colored hallways, to assist those with low vision.
"The new place here is very bright, which I like, but I also see that there's been thought given to contrast, which is the doors are darker. I see the painting is lighter so there's some contrast there,” said visitor Dr. Bernice Davis, the executive director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.Schuldt, the alliance CEO, said the facility would affect many lives.
“We've served a lot more people in person and throughout all of our programs over the last few years," he said. "There's been tremendous growth."