Children with Vision Loss Sing & Dance Along to "Trolls Band Together" with Audio Description

Buena Park, California-- Partners for Pediatric Vision held our sixth Audio Described movie event on December 3rd, 2023, thanks to the Krikorian Metroplex in Buena Park. Nearly 20 children with vision loss and their families were able to "watch" Trolls Band Together, with the help of additional narration through headphones. Thank you to the Krikorian Metroplex and owner George Krikorian for hosting Partners for Pediatric Vision families for this free event.

The families shared that this was a great opportunity to spend time together during the holiday season and a special movie experience for their child with vision loss alongside other families with a visually impaired child.

After the movie, families were treated to lunch followed by holiday gifts for the children and their siblings, thanks to the Mattel Children's Foundation generous donation of toys. Vistas for Children and Junior Vistas, longtime supporters of Partners for Pediatric Vision, wrapped every gift.

Each family was given a copy of A Day with Emilia written by Estefany Vargas, who is visually impaired. Emilia is a young girl who uses magnifiers and a cane when she travels in unfamiliar environments and many of her experiences are similar to those of our children.

The children also enjoyed making holiday art work at the craft table and reading A Day with Emilia using different low vision devices, like a slant board, handheld magnifier and dome. Everyone enjoyed a piece of Portillo’s famous chocolate cake, which they donate every year.

The families expressed their appreciation for everyone who made this event possible. Some families said this event has become a holiday tradition and something they look forward to every year:

"We have been coming for years so it is becoming a family tradition. It is amazing for Aliyah to be among her peers. It is a cool event that caters so much to kids with vision needs. We cherish it a lot." - Stephen, Aliyah's father

"We're usually not around families that have children with visual impairments, so it's really nice to have folks that have a very similar experience. We met some really nice families and got to share lessons learned and we even had a chance to learn about a guide dog." - Cynthia, Maceo's mother

Partners for Pediatric Vision appreciates our community partners and volunteers that make this movie event so memorable. Watch the video below for a closer look at all of the fun!