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Perkins School for the Blind

General Information

Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 924 3434
info@perkins.org
http://www.Perkins.org

Brief Description

Perkins is committed to providing education and services that build productive, meaningful lives for children and adults around the world who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired with or without other disabilities.

Services Offered

  • Consultation/Technical Program Assistance
    • Provides consultation, technical assistance and training for the development of programs and services for children who are deaf-blind or multihandicapped blind in the United States and in developing countries through the Hilton/Perkins Program. Provides consultation services to professionals and agencies that provide direct services for children who are deaf-blind and their families throughout New England. Provides consultation to community-based early intervention programs.

  • Library Services
    • Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library provides free services in braille, audio and large print formats to 24,000 patrons. Samuel B. Hayes Research Library offers the most recent and complete sources of information on the non-medical aspects of blindness and deafblindness.

  • Daily Living Skills/Independent Living Skills Training
    • Perkins resources for older individuals include:Braille and Talking Book Library; Adaptive Technology, a Division of Perkins Products; and Scout Information Clearinghouse on Blindness & Visual Impairment.

  • Assistive Products
    • Perkins Products, a division of Howe Press manufactures and sells the Perkins Brailler and sells other products for people who are blind or visually impaired. Evaluation and training are provided. Perkins also produces publications in English and Spanish for families and professionals who work with people who are visually impaired.

  • Travel/Orientation and Mobility
    • Educational Partnerships provide O&M, TVI, TDB itinerant based services within the community.

  • Low Vision Services
    • The New England Eye Low Vision Clinic at Perkins provides clinical vision examinations, functional vision assessments and visual-skills training. Also provides optical or nonoptical and electronic vision devices. Works with individuals of all ages and specialized in working with individuals with multiple disabilities in making optimal use of their vision.

  • Professional Training
    • Perkins Training Center supports conferences, professional development workshops, in-service training, and courses, for vision and early intervention professionals, school teachers, elder-care providers, medical professionals, community resources, parents, and family members. These programs are offered both on and off campus and topics are selected in collaboration with community partners.

  • Computer Training/Assistive Technology
    • Offers adaptive solutions for greater independence of people of all ages who are blind, visually impaired or learning disabled.

  • Support for Parents
    • Supports day and evening parent groups. Works closely with NAPVI, whose headquarters are on campus. Outreach programs have a parent training component.