Guiding with Compassion is a quarterly, hands-on workshop series that teaches Santa Cruz community members how to assist people who are blind or visually impaired using Human Guide Techniques. Led by Beverly, a blind Vista Center volunteer and longtime Santa Cruz County resident, the workshops foster empathy, understanding, and practical skills for engaging respectfully with individuals with vision loss.

Held in person at Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, these sessions bring sighted and blind individuals together to build trust and confidence through real-time, physical practice. Participants learn to offer help with dignity, breaking down discomfort and fear that often prevent meaningful connection.

This project addresses a gap: while most of our funding must go directly to client services, this program reaches into the wider community—engaging teachers, healthcare staff, students, public servants, and neighbors who may not otherwise receive this kind of training.

By empowering the public to act with awareness and compassion, we hope to create a ripple effect that leads to greater inclusion in schools, hospitals, businesses, and public spaces. Our long-term goal is to build a local network of “compassionate guides” who help make Santa Cruz more accessible for all.