Palm Desert, CA

Braille Institute Coachella Valley will offer a 1-day Holiday Pop Up Shop on Monday, December 11 from 1 – 3 pm at the Braille Institute Coachella Valley location at 74-245 Highway 111 Suite #E101 in Palm Desert. At this event, Braille Institute staff will team up with representatives from GiftedBack which offers products exclusively made by blind and visually impaired individuals and from Vistas, the in-house shop
for Braille Institute. Handmade crafts and useful everyday items that make life easier for those with little or no vision will be on display. Attendees will be able to talk with representatives from both organizations to do further on-line shopping. Bilingual staff will be on hand as well. No reservations are required to attend this free event. For more information, call 760-321-1111.

At the Vistas Pop Up Shop, shoppers may browse an assortment of items created for people living with low vision, including white canes, talking watches, kitchen accessories, writing aids, games, and more. At the GiftedBack Pop Up Shop, shoppers may browse for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts created by gifted blind artists, crafters, and knitters. All items sold at GiftedBack support independent blind and visually impaired artists and give back to the art community.

“Selecting items for the visually impaired can sometimes be confusing or difficult,” said Amy J. Sand, Regional Manager of Braille Institute Coachella Valley. “We created these Pop Up Shops to help take the stress out of purchasing items that can improve the quality of life for those living with diminished vision. We are excited to offer a hands-on opportunity for people to try out Vistas items before they purchase them, and we are very excited to team up with GiftedBack to showcase the outstanding arts and crafts created by blind and visually impaired artists. We hope this pre-holiday event will become an annual tradition.”