About VIPS Louisville
Before 1985, children who were blind or visually impaired in Kentucky & Southern Indiana had no access to early intervention services for their vision-specific needs. That all changed when a group of concerned citizens, lead by Sharon Bensinger, formed the idea to start VIPS. Mrs. Bensinger had no personal connection to anyone who was blind, other than being employed by American Printing House for the Blind Research Department. However, it was in that job that she took countless numbers of phone calls from desperate parents looking for services for their blind child.
With $20,000 in startup grants from WHAS Crusade for Children and Metro United Way, VIPS was born! Mrs. Bensinger was the first employee and began with a caseload of 14 families. Since that time, VIPS has grown into an impactful agency, serving hundreds of families a year across two states, with office locations in Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis. VIPS Louisville operates Kentucky’s only full-time preschool for children with visual impairments, a nationally accredited program and Jefferson County, KY’s first five-star rated child care facility.
Have a question?
Contact the VIPS Louisville office for more information!
Why is early intervention so critically important?
DID YOU KNOW?
90% of what a child learns
is through their vision.
85% of the foundation of learning happens the first 5 years of their life.
How does your donation benefit a child who is blind or visually impaired?
Your donation directly impacts the life of children who are blind or visually impaired in Kentucky and Indiana.
Wish List
- Clorox Wipes
- Lysol Spray
- Hand Sanitizer
- Face Masks
- BlueTooth dual pairing Speaker set
- Cricut Maker Machine
- Cricut mats
- Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets, 9" x 12”
- Astrobrights Cardstock, 8.5" x 11", 65 lb “Vintage" 5-Color Assortment
- All colors of cardstock especially white and black
- White construction paper
- Adhesive Hook and Loop Velcro, Black, 1-Inch x 10-Foot Industrial Grade and Wear and Tear Resistant
- Crayola Silly Scents Twistables Crayons, 24 Classic Crayola Colors Non-Toxic Art Tools for Kids 3 & Up, Scented Self-Sharpening No Mess Twist-Up Crayons
- Washable Glue
- Colored duct tape
- Elmer’s Jumbo Glue Sticks
- Dry Erase Markers (black) thick and thin
- Scented markers
- Play-doh (small containers)
- Large paint brushes (large handles)
- Washable paint
- Acrylic paint (all colors)
Recently Posted Articles
“We are so grateful to be a VIPS family”
Driving home from the ophthalmologist’s office, Victoria and Josiah’s concerns were confirmed— their baby boy Lucas has Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and Strabismus. At the time, Lucas was not able to track his toys, watch his older brother dance, or see his parent’s faces. His family felt defeated.
Read More
“There is no obstacle we can’t overcome”
Written by VIPS parents, Brooke & Luke— “Our Brynnie girl is a Mono-Di twin—two sacs, and one placenta that our girls shared. Her twin sister’s name is Blake. My pregnancy was incredibly high-risk, and we had no idea how tough of a road we would have. To make a very long story short, I was…
Read MoreThe Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation Awards Visually Impaired Preschool Services $5,000 Grant
Lexington, KY: Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS) announced a $5000 grant from the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation for the Early Childhood Intervention Program, which provides early intervention services to children, birth through age 5, who are blind or visually impaired in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. “This funding has a life-changing impact on children in…
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