Are you at least 55 years old? A Virginia resident? Experiencing vision loss? And, have you felt afraid to discuss your vision loss with others?
We’ve been there. We know what you’re going through. We can help.
Vision loss is not a show stopper at any stage of life. Let us show you how to keep it from becoming a burden or limiting your independence in your later years with an empowering program called Silver Bells.
Meet the Free Program Empowering Blind and
Low-Vision Seniors Like Yourself!
2025 Retreat Dates and Locations
During the spring of 2025, our highly vetted training team is coming to a location near you. So, get ready to mark your calendar, pack your weekender, and prepare for a fun and enlightening experience to reclaim your independence and confidence!
- March 20-23 | Virginia Beach
- March 27-30 | Sterling
- May 1-4 | Richmond
Over the span of an extended weekend, we’re going to learn together, break bread together, and grow together, not only as individuals but as a community. We would love for one of these weekends to be the start of a long-term partnership.
Silver BELLS is designed to teach you the core skills applicable to a variety of everyday tasks. Working in the kitchen, organizing your home, and keeping up with technology are just a few examples of things you can do confidently. We’re going to show you how to get and keep control of your life.
What do we need from you?
A little time and a lot of desire.
Register for the program. We'll assign you to a weekend session, and start your journey to independence!
Learn more about the program background here.
Benefits of Participating
So, if getting away for a free weekend retreat is not enough of an incentive, then here are some other benefits you may find worth considering.
We meet you where you are.
You are not just a number. No one likes cookie cutter templates, so why would we pretend to know what you need?
After you register, we will complete an intake process to get a better sense of your skills and confidence. The only thing we ask is that you be candid about your abilities. We can’t work with what we don’t know.
We’ll teach you core concepts applicable to all facets of independent living.
What’s the point in learning a neat trick that works in the kitchen but not anywhere else?
Your time is valuable, and let’s be honest, one weekend is not going to dramatically flip your life from one day to the next. What we do is take our time together and plant a handful of fundamental practices that are going to gently move you off your comfort zone. By the time you finish your session, you will be coming up with other ways you can make your life work for you.
Our instructors are themselves blind and living examples of what is possible.
Attorneys, engineers, counselors ... we’ve got them all. Some of our best representatives have signed up for the opportunity to meet you and show you how to reduce vision loss from a thing to fear to a thing to work with.
Hey, you wouldn’t go to an accountant to represent you in court. You wouldn’t go to a chef to prepare your taxes. Why would you trust your independent living to anyone other than the experts?
The program is backed by an organization with more than 75 years of documented success.
We didn’t fall out of bed one morning and pull Silver BELLS out of our hats. It’s a practical approach we’ve been carefully cultivating for decades through the National Federation of the Blind.
No, you don’t have to become a member of the NFB to participate.
No, you don’t have to agree with all of the NFB philosophy.
Remember what we said about meeting you where you are at? All we care about is making sure you are the strongest version of yourself. We bring more than seven decades of proven techniques. We’re going to share some of those techniques with you. How you choose to leverage those techniques is completely up to you.
The program is free of charge.
Here’s what we cover:
- Transportation to and from the hotel
- Hotel room
- Meals
- Cost of supplies you can take home to practice your skills
That sounds like a pretty sweet deal, wouldn’t you say?
No, it’s not going to be a vacation. Learning to stretch yourself is rarely easy, but at least the bill is on us.
Why? Because we genuinely want you to succeed. Because vision loss is not a horrible sentence to endure. And because none of us did it alone. Why should you?
Register today. Give us a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
Read What Past Participants Have to Say
Seniors just like you have attended a Silver Bells retreat and have found great value from it. Check out some of these testimonials.
"This came at a good time. I enjoyed being around and meeting people undergoing similar vision issues. I didn’t expect to hear so much optimism and positivity. It makes me less fearful about what the future holds. Hopefully I will get out more and find more things and it’s nice to have so many examples of people living independent lives. Thank you so much." - Michele, 2024 participant
"I got inspired to carry my cane and discovered how many people wanted to help that old lady with the cane. New discovery. I said I wanted to get to know people and I got to do that. I learned as I went through it that I need to be my own best friend. I appreciated the warmth of the staff. Your non-judgment, the support from all of you. A real joy. My daughter was proud of me and happy I got so much out of it." - Rose, 2024 participant
"Thank you to everybody. Staff is phenomenal. I got so much from all the classes we had. Joe and Dez are very, very patient, reassuring, and it’s a comfort when you’re starting out like this. Many wonderful, supportive people, not only staff but fellow participants. Thank you for the experience!" - Harry, 2024 participant
"There were so many things that I didn’t have a clue. I feel so much better prepared for life than I ever did. I have been staggering around for four years. The group here has been supportive. If you get lost, someone takes you where you want to go. I give staff and volunteers and group thanks because I feel so much better now." - Susi, 2024 participant
"I’ve seen lots of possibilities. Inspirational. You can still go on a cruise. Thinking about new experiences we can have if we learn how to and use the tools we have. I enjoyed meeting so many awesome people." - Kay, 2024 participant
"It was very, very, very refreshing to be able to be around others who understand your condition. Family and friends are helpful, nice, but they can’t get it. Everybody here is different. The range of vision is unique but there are common things that only someone in a similar predicament can relate to. When it gets dark, shadows around, what that experience is, is not a good one. All my sighted friends can’t get that. Hearing shared experiences that we can relate to each other." - Chris, 2024 participant
"Encouragement. Friendships. I’ve been four years with no contact with anyone that is blind or has vision issues and it just means so much to me to know I’m not alone any more. This has meant the world to me getting to know people and the possibilities." - Maggie, 2024 participant
Have Questions?
If you have questions about the program, or wish to learn how to make an investment, please contact:
Sandy Halverson, Program Coordinator
Phone: 703-400-6890
Email: silverbells@nfbv.org
Thank You!
We extend a heartfelt thank you to the Virginia Board for the Blind and Visually Impaired for their financial support of this initiative. Their endorsement was a critical first step in meeting the needs of this under-served community, and we are grateful for their partnership in this shared mission.