The Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired was founded in 1913. Since our founding, we have been helping individuals challenged by severe vision loss including blindness so that they can thrive in a sighted world. Imagine all the activities you do on a daily basis. Now imagine doing them with limited or no vision. These are the people we help. Vision rehabilitation helps reduce the burdens of vision loss by helping individuals with severe vision loss learn how to perform daily activities. Vision rehabilitation improves the quality of life for those challenged by severe vision loss and their families.Studies commonly report that we receive approximately 80% of our external information through our eyes. Vision loss impairs a person's ability to carry out daily living activities such as personal grooming, handling finances, managing home and environment, and participating in recreational activities. Many tasks the individual once knew how to do well must be re-taught adapting for vision loss. Moving about the home can be difficult and dangerous. Independent travel allows for personal freedom, and the inability to travel inhibits employment and the conduct of ordinary tasks.Our unique program helps individuals with limited or no vision maximize their ability to use their remaining vision and learn appropriate techniques to compensate for vision loss.The program is a multistep process which begins with an assessment and goes through rehabilitation. There is an assessment of the level of clientâ??s useable vision and ability to use his/her remaining vision. Our optometrists who are low vision specialists conduct a low vision exam to refine the assessment and determine what vision aids will help the client. The optometrists prescribe low vision aids. The clients are trained on how to use the aids. When a clientâ??s vision is still not sufficient, compensating techniques are taught by our rehabilitation staff (Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists, an Occupational Therapist, and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists). Our rehabilitation staff conducts in-home follow-ups to assess safety, lighting, and convenience and to reinforce how to properly use low vision aids. Additional skills are taught as needed and determined by clients and staff. Clients are encouraged to participate in Peer Support Groups. In the groups, clients give each other emotional support as they discuss challenges that they face, and they learn from each other and our staff about resources and techniques which help them adjust to vision loss. Our program offers rehabilitation that helps clients with blindness or severe vision loss obtain skills necessary to function in a sighted world.
