Northwest Association for Blind Athletes to relocate to brighter, larger, more accessible office
Nonprofit offers 15 sports, a lending library of equipment and educational videos
The Columbian
Published: August 20, 2024, 4:18pm
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Billy Henry of the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes explores the organization's new space in downtown Vancouver. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
To get involved with the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes and learn more about its programs, visit nwaba.org/contact.
The Clark County nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals who are blind and visually impaired through sports and physical activity plans to relocate in November to 805 Broadway in downtown Vancouver, said Billy Henry, the association’s founder and president.
Since 2019, the association has been housed just next door at 703 Broadway. But after years of growth, it will occupy a larger, brighter and more accessible office to better serve its employees and members, Henry said.
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To get involved with the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes and learn more about its programs, visit nwaba.org/contact.
“Coming to the 805 building, we saw not only the opportunity to be in this space but the opportunity to expand,” Henry said. “Our mission is focused on so much more than just sports at this point. It’s really about helping people who are blind see their potential in all areas of life. We’ve barely reached the surface of what is possible.”
Henry has been legally blind since birth. He founded the organization in 2007 at just 15 years old when he and his friends wanted to find an accessible way to participate in competitive weightlifting. Henry also wanted to support others in the community who didn’t have access to physical, fun activities due to their blindness. About 70 percent of people who are visually impaired are unemployed, and about 30 percent live in poverty, he said.
Almost 18 years later, the nonprofit offers 15 different sports, a lending library of equipment and educational videos to make activities accessible, and it also serves communities across Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
“While I didn’t have those statistics or that knowledge back 18 years ago when I was 15, what I did have is that I wanted every person who was blind or visually impaired to have the same opportunity as their peers,” Henry said.
Henry began the search for a new building about three months ago when he was connected with Mark Schlesinger, whose family originally built the 805 Broadway building and owns it to this day.
“I want to build relationships, not just walls,” said Schlesinger, property manager and principal partner at Schlesinger Companies. “The relationship doesn’t just end. It’s really the beginning for us.”
The 805 Broadway building was originally a corporate office built in 1982. Since then, the building has grown into a multi-tenant space that houses about 20 businesses. The 230,000-square-foot building includes 10 floors, 20,000 square feet of retail space and 100 parking spaces.
The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes collaborated with Oregon Business Architecture and contracting company Bonsai to customize the new space. The 4,000-square-foot office will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It will include braille wallpaper, naturally lit rooms and add capacity for as many as 40 team members.
Additionally, the office will feature a virtual programs studio, which will allow the nonprofit to host nationwide virtual programs for children and adults who are blind.
Event Manager Mckenzie Barton joined the association in 2020 and now oversees fundraisers and development that supports athletes. One of those athletes is TJ Breitenfeldt.
Breitenfeldt said he attended Washington State School for the Blind at the same time as Henry, and he was first introduced to the organization’s work at that time.
However, he got more involved with the nonprofit during his time at Clark College in 2013, where he joined a goalball team, a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment.
“That was sort of my first introduction, but it wasn’t until I went to Washington State School for the Blind that I really began to see a lot of the options I had,” Breitenfeldt said. “They’ve been really supportive with lending out equipment and other scholarships. All the activities they provide opened up lots of opportunities that I probably never would have experienced otherwise.”
Henry said the organization plans to host a grand opening of the new space sometime before the end of the year.
“I am super-excited about this new space for (Northwest Association for Blind Athletes). I know this move is going to be a new place for a lot of growth for our team,” Barton said. “It’s going to provide us with a lot more new opportunities but also invite the community in to learn more about our programs, host community events and hear athlete stories.”
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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