Partners

Recent Grantees:

American Council of the Blind (ACB), Alexandria, VA, received $50,000 funding for their Community Engagement Platform which provides best practices standards, curriculum, and software training for Zoom meeting hosts and attendees with vision loss. The ACB, with its network of state affiliates and local chapters, advocates to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people.

American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Louisville, KY, hosts the APH Connect Center which includes resources originally developed as Visionaware.org with an RDPFS $1 million investment. Those with vision loss can access articles, tools, guides, and a directory of services. APH Blind has operated as the world’s largest nonprofit organization creating accessible learning experiences through educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and low vision. and services for people who are blind and low vision.

Bestwork Industries for the Blind, Cherry Hill, NJ, received $5,000 for each of two studies through the VisionServe Alliance Big Data Project to ascertain the number individuals in the fast-growing BVI older adults (65+) and the BVI working age (18-64) segments for the New Jersey area. Bestwork Industries is a private not-for-profit corporation dedicated to improving quality of life and providing training and employment opportunities in a supportive work environment for people who are blind.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Alexandria, VA, was awarded $31,000 for their Ambassador Program which recruits blind and visually impaired (BVI) veterans as peer advocate-facilitators to connect more veterans to the Veteran’s Aadministration’s Blind Rehabilitation Service and with their peers. Many veterans are unaware of their eligibility for VA services. BVA membership serves as the institutional means by which blind and visully impaired veterans are better connected to services, support and lift one another throughout all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The Carroll Center for the Blind, Newton, MA, was awarded $43,000 to launch the 14-22 year old BVI students’ Careers in Accessibility Training Program for employable digital proficiency with many continuing into the Screen Reader User Tester Training (SRUTT) program to become testers for website accessibility consulting services.The Carroll Center for the Blind is the foremost leader in vision rehabilitation services for individuals confronted by the challenges of vision loss.

The Chicago Lighthouse,  Chicago, IL was awarded a $50,000 grant for new training curriculum to support career advancement for BVI individuals employed in their IT call center, one of their many social enterprises. BVI individuals may now train for higher IT certification and the professional career and salary growth it affords. The Chicago Lighthouse has been a leader in comprehensive vision care and social services that improve the quality of life for patients, clients and their families.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB), Yorktown Heights, NY, received $40,000 to provide other U.S. guide/service dog organizations with the training and resources to fully utilize the International Working Dog Registry (IWDR), a powerful tool for capturing biographical, health, and behavioral information which also provides socialization protocol, behavioral assessment and genetic selection tools that facilitate better health and longevity in dog breeding.Guiding Eyes for the Blind is passionate about connecting exceptional guide dogs to people with vision loss for greater independence.

Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired,  Winnetka, IL, received $72,500 to develop their Microsoft Seeing AI video workshop series ( Apple and Android, Low Vision and Blind user versions) and market them to a wide BVI audience. Hadley serves older adults adjusting to vision loss and their free services include online community membership & workshops, monthly discussion groups, peer-to-peer support and toll free support at 800-323-4238.

Lighthouse Guild, New York, NY, received $52,700 for their Insightful Saturdays: Virtual Youth Enrichment Program, which serves geographically isolated children in New York without access to in-person socialization or recreation programs with their visually impaired peers. Lighthouse Guild provides exceptional, comprehensive services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals.

National Braille Press (NBP), Boston, MA received $50,000 to provide braille and large print teaching materials to Teachers of the Vision Impaired (TVI) to use with their students through their TVI Braille Ignition Kits Program. Getting these materials in the hands of the TVI’s increases the literacy rate of students in the blind and vision impaired community. NBP promotes the literacy of blind children through braille and provides access to information that empowers blind people to actively engage in work, family, and community affairs.

Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA was awarded $100,000 for The Perkins CVI Protocol, part of an innovative whole-child initiative tailored to reach as many families, educators, and medical professionals as possible with assessment tools and training to increase early CVI diagnosis, so that families can access the education and services their child needs to learn and thrive. Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of childhood blindness in the United States. Perkins has evolved since its founding nearly 200 years ago to become an international leader in blindness education and in responding to the urgent needs of children with blindness or visual impairments.

Salus at Drexel University, Elkins Park, PA was awarded $36,000 to support internships in their Master of Science degree and Certificate program in Orientation & Mobilty (O&M) in cooperation with their William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center. The program has full accreditation status by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).

Success Beyond Sight, Tuscon, AZ, was awarded $150,000 toward their three-year National Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI/TVI) University Recruitment Project which raisies awareness of the profession to general and special education teachers, students, and career changers while addressing the nationwide shortage of TSVI/TVIs.Success Beyond Sight was established in 2019 to address key issues that impact individuals who are blind or have low vision and the professionals who provide services to them.

VISIONS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, New York, NY, received $100,000 for new group Adaptive Living Program (ALP) training for legally blind older adults (age 55+) at the Vocational Rehabilitation Center (VRC) at the VISIONS Center on Blindness (VCB) in Rockland County. This upstate pilot of a larger group project aims to shorten the wait for services for older blind participants throughout New York State. VISIONS provides individualized programs to assist people who are blind and visually impaired of all ages to lead independent and active lives, and to educate the public to understand their capabilities and needs.