Aishwarya, a filmmaker and rehabilitation counselor, would use the Holman Prize to create a training center for the blind and low-vision community to study elements of filmmaking like script writing, film editing, sound mixing, production and more.
2018 Semifinalists
Read about each of our 42 Semifinalists and dive into all their pitch videos on our YouTube playlist.
Ambrose Lasoy
Ambrose would use the Holman Prize to develop a program to enable his fellow blind and low-vision Kenyans to become dairy farmers and entrepreneurs.
Andrew Hesser
Andrew would use the Holman Prize to travel throughout the UK producing nature documentaries to facilitate the blind and low-vision community’s connection to the great outdoors, all in character, using an alter ego named “Bryan.”
Mariano Reynoso
Mariano would use the Holman Prize to bring the sport of Beep Baseball to his home country of Argentina.
Jean Elston
Jean would use the Holman Prize to travel North America, creating small paintings and sketches that she will turn into larger pieces when she returns home. Jean would also create a video blog of her journey, to give her audience more insight into her process and challenges.
Peggy Chong
Peggy, the “Blind History Lady,” would use the Holman Prize to conduct research into the Blinded Veterans of WWI through the Maryland Historical Society, Library of Congress, and more.
Michael Armstrong
Michael would use the Holman Prize to train for a triathlon, which he would complete using a non-visual technique called Vibravision that would enable him to compete without the aid of technology or a sighted companion.
Danny Thomas Vang & Jeshua Gilbert Aveno
Danny and Jeshua would construct a multi-sensory “escape room” that enables visitors, and visually-impaired users in particular, to gather information and instructions from their environment.
Leona Godin
Leona, an actor and writer, would use the Holman Prize to expand her magazine “Aromatica Poetica,” which is “dedicated to the arts and sciences” of smell. Furthermore, she would use the prize money to fund her own prize, geared in part towards visually-impaired writers.
Stacy Cervenka, USA
2018 Prizewinner
Stacy, who works in the disability employment field, would use the Holman Prize to launch an accessible travel forum similar to Yelp or TripAdvisor, geared specifically towards blind users.
Stacy is a 2018 Prizewinner! Read her story on the LightHouse blog.
Social
Twitter: @StaceyCervenka
Articles
Meet Conchita Hernández, teaching blindness across the border with the Holman Prize
Audio
Holman Prize Winner Wants Change – RNIB Connect Radio
2018 Holman Prize: Blind Empowerment in Mexico – Reid My Mind