Sights for Hope manifests a nearly century-long tradition of service – one inspired by an American icon, forged by dedicated groups who answered her call, and unified today with a bold purpose.
When Helen Keller addressed Lions Clubs International’s global convention on June 30, 1925, she called upon the Lions to be “Knights of the Blind” against visual impairments. Among those who responded were members of the Bethlehem Lions Club and four other clubs, who created the Northampton County Branch of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB), which had formed in 1910. Members of the Allentown Lions Club were also inspired, and they founded the Lehigh County Branch of the PAB. The Northampton branch launched on June 15, 1928, which serves as our founding date, and the Lehigh County branch opened on August 6, 1928.
While the Great Depression and World War II quickly followed their establishments, the organizations persisted, strengthened, and endured. Both applied themselves originally to help people with visual impairments learn trade skills such as broom making. In the decades that followed, they came to concentrate more on the quality of life of their clients, create client transportation services, initiate preventative children’s vision screenings, and develop community programs that promote healthy eyesight.
The Lehigh County branch started going by names including the Lehigh County Blind Association and Blind Association for Lehigh County almost immediately. In 1984, it rebranded as the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI). The Northampton County branch renamed itself Visual Impairment and Blindness Services (VIABL) in 1994 and expanded to serve Monroe County in 2003. The organizations transitioned from PAB branches to member agencies officially in 1988, but had operated with autonomy for decades.
As the 21st century began, ABVI and VIABL considered joining their efforts. While the Great Recession forced most service organizations to do more with significantly less, a decision was made to do more together. Upon our unification on January 15, 2010, we became known as
Center for Vision Loss. On April 6, 2021, as the COVID pandemic raged around the world, we took a decisive step by adopting the name Sights for Hope. We chose hope over loss in our brand, and this change also reflected a shift to focus more on solutions instead of disabilities.
As our centennial approaches, we are one of our state’s leaders in rehabilitative and preventive services against vision loss – a distinction made more meaningful because Pennsylvania is a national leader in this category. Our team is one of tenacious, resilient, creative, and restless overachievers who personify service to others.
We are honored to advance the movement sparked by Helen Keller. Within that unbroken chain, we empower people to thrive no matter how they see the world by strengthening skills, encouraging greater self-confidence, delivering supports, and championing solutions. We bring her noble legacy forward, driven to embody some of her wisest words, which proclaimed, “Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”