Junior Blind of America

After more than fifty years of providing services to children, youth and adults who are blind, visually impaired or multi-disabled living in Southern California, Junior Blind is proud to announce our expansion into Central and Northern California.

The Student Transition & Enrichment Program (STEP) will be our first program to offer services in these communities. STEP will host weekend workshops for transition-age youth (ages 16-22) on topics, including applying to college, assistive technology, effective communication and more.

To fortify our presence, Junior Blind is pleased to welcome Richard Rueda as our Director of Transition Services, who will be based in the Bay Area and coordinate services in the central and northern areas of the state.

Blind since birth as a result of glaucoma, Rueda is a Junior Blind alumnus and has been an advocate for the blind and disabled community for many years. In fact, he has over twenty years of first-hand experience working with and motivating individuals who are blind or visually impaired and is pleased to bring his expertise to Junior Blind.

"Having spent the latter part of my teen years with Junior Blind, participating in the Visions: Adventures in Learning program and Camp Bloomfield, I feel a sense of pride and homecoming with this new position," he says.

Rueda has a bachelor's degree in vocational counseling from California State University, Los Angeles and has held leadership positions with the California Department of Rehabilitation and Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco. He is also actively involved in the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI), the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI), the Northern California Transition Council, California Council of the Blind, San Lorenzo Lion's Club and the Consumer Advisory Committee of the California School for the Blind.