Creating With Blind Abandon is a free, accessible art and recreation program for people who are blind or have low vision. We began in 2017 as a program for students, and in the Fall of 2023 we partnered with The Lighthouse of Houston to open the program to the entire visually impaired community, of all ages. We are still going strong in 2026, with expansion and growth ahead!
Creating With Blind Abandon ~ Tactile Art
We are continuing our first love – tactile art for people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), as well as their families! We feel that including the whole family has been very successful in many ways. First, it gives the person who is BVI the chance to shine and show off their own creativity! We provide art projects that are accessible and appropriate for tactile exploration, even after the paint dries! Also, this environment gives the family members the opportunity to see that everyone has creativity inside, and that we all express it differently! In addition, our program has provided an incredible support system for families to meet other parents and peers and to share challenges, stories and resources. This is one of the reasons that we refer to our group as the “Creating With Blind Abandon Family!
Creating With Blind Abandon ~ Teen Edition
Visual impairment is one of the lowest incidence disabilities and a student can often be the only one in the school with a visual impairment. This can often lead to social isolation, lonliness, and depression. While their sighted peers are participating in recreational activities such as sports and games, these are not always accessible to the teen who is visually impaired. Therefore, our program will now offer something special for the Teens and Tweens who are blind or have low vision. We are introducing “Creating With Blind Abandon ~ Teen Edition!” This program provides a space for teens and tweens to come together and find friendship, fun, and accessiblity through recreational activities such as accessible video gaming, braille and large print card and board games, karaoke, Singo Bingo with braille and large print Bingo cards, movies with audio description, tactile art, and so much more! We are certain that this program will instill a sense of belonging and a social outlet for teens and tweens!
Creating With Blind Abandon ~ Adventures
As our organization grows, we see more opportunities to share accessbile recreation for all ages. We want to provide social and recreational opportunities for the BVI community to come together and share life’s Adventures! These adventures will continually grow to meet the needs and desires of the community. We will begin our adventures with Singo Bingo! We will meet to play Singo Bingo – our way! Accessible Bingo cards with braille and large print will be used. You choose the genre and we will play! Don’t worry if you cannot read braille, we will be happy to help you find the numbers on your card! Come for the fun!
Creating With Blind Abandon ~ Special Events
It is very important to get the sighted community involved in what we do! We want to provide opportunities for the BVI community to come together to bring awareness of their abilities rather than focusing on what they are unable to do! It is important to step out of our comfort zones to get out and enjoy some of the same opportunities as our sigthed peers! We are planning Special Events for all ages. Our upcoming plans for these events include “Unbridled: Rodeo Beyond Sight,” “Peep and Seek Auditory Egg Hunt,” “Blind Luck Casino Night,” and “Good Vibes and High Tides BVI Cruise!“
Our Artists
Our program is open to any artist, whether students or adult, with a visual impairment, including blindness or low vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, who would like to express himself/herself creatively! We would love to see this program reach students and adults throughout the Houston and surrounding areas!
Our Goal
Our goal is finally being achieved — and it will be called The Hands to See Gallery.
We continue on our never-ending quest for accessible art venues for our art enthusiasts. Unfortunately, in the vast cultural city of Houston, tactile art exhibits cannot be found! We will continue participating in as many events as we can find, so that everyone will see that even the visually impaired love to experience art!
So far, we have been featured on ABC Channel 13 for our participation in the Houston Art Car Parade, participated in the Houston White Cane Day celebration, participated in the HAVIN Expo, and have been featured in TSBVI TX Sensibilities newsletters in both the Summer 2018 and Summer 2019 editions. Who knows! Maybe one day we will open our own tactile museum. We dare to dream!
How We Began
My name is Katherine Trimm, and I am a Teacher of Students With Visual Impairments (CTVI). Over the years, I have had so many students who love art, but do not usually have the opportunity to express themselves creatively! Linda Brown, a Braillist, and I decided that it was time for a change! Together we researched artistic opportunities for our students to no avail! We resolved that our students could become the tactile artists that we could not find! With the help of some wonderful people, we saw our vision come alive!
Come and Join Us
We meet once a month on a Saturday from 1–3 PM at The Lighthouse of Houston, 3602 W Dallas St, Houston, TX 77019. Please check our Meetings and Events page for exact dates.
The program is free to all participants, and no experience is needed. Phone: 713-824-8424 · Email: Creatingwithblindabandon@gmail.com