Blind United was founded through the shared experiences of President Ed Davis and founders Cheryl Thurston and Brittney Mejico. Ed and Cheryl first met in 2013, and in 2016, they connected with Brittney. Ed lost his remaining vision in 2008 after living with a visual impairment for 30 years. Cheryl became legally blind in 2000, while Brittney was born with a visual impairment.
Their paths crossed at the Service Center for Independent Life in Claremont, California. As they shared their experiences, they quickly realized that navigating life as a blind individual was filled with unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.
Getting assisted technology was difficult and expensive.
Some training programs require trainees to travel out of state for weeks or months, and then return to California to find a job.
The Business Enterprise Program, which provides food service programs to blind people, required six months of training in Sacramento, meaning that people had to leave their homes and families for an extended period of time.
Internships were unpaid.
Ed, Cheryl, and Brittney knew there was a better way. With Blind United, they are removing out-of-state training for certain programs and returning to on-the-job training. They are also creating hassle-free internships.
Blind United encourages people to do what they want to do without all the hassles. We have created an organization that implements positive learning experiences to turn the negative aspects of blindness into positive ones. We are creating a center to assist the blind community in any way we can.
We have Blind United Interest Groups where anyone can participate from home online at no cost, covering topics such as assistive technology, gardening, jewelry, cooking, Braille, and more!
We are also currently working on a quality training center in California that implements no barriers or out-of-state training.
Our mission is to support and empower individuals with disabilities—especially those with visual impairments—by fostering skill development and independence. We are committed to providing tailored training opportunities that enhance self-sufficiency in an ever-evolving society.
Through comprehensive assessments, we identify individual strengths and provide specialized training in areas such as Interviewing Techniques, Braille Reading and Writing, Independent Living Skills, Assistive Technology, and Orientation and Mobility. Our goal is to equip individuals with the confidence and skills needed to navigate life independently and achieve long-term success.