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Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

General Information

Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
3903 Taft Drive
Anchorage, AK 99517-3069
(907) 248 7770
info@AlaskaBVI.org
http://www.alaskabvi.org/

Brief Description

The Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired offers day and residential instruction in activities of daily living, orientation and mobility, braille, assistive technology, manual skills, job development and placement, on-the-job technology assessments, and coaching for job retention.

ACBVI is adding to a web-based distance education program to deliver instruction in assistive technology to rural Alaska. ACBVI has a customer service course designed for the BVI, a Braille in the Schools project to support equipment and other technology in rural school districts.

Help is available through the Visually Impaired Senior Alaskans (V.I.S.A.) Program, which is part of a national effort to improve the lives of Americans who are 55 years of age and older with a vision loss. The V.I.S.A. Program is designed to help people maintain the maximum level of independence in their own homes and communities for more comfort and an enriched quality of life. Services are provided at the Center through support groups, classes, low vision assessments, and demonstration of various devices to increase opportunities for maximum use of remaining vision. They are also provided in an individual’s residential environment to assure that ways of being more independent are adapted to specific needs, goals, and living conditions.

Services Offered

  • Recreation Services
    • Offers activities to assist in rehabilitation and reintegration of blind individuals to society.

  • Daily Living Skills/Independent Living Skills Training
    • Provides training in independent travel, braille reading/writing, personal and financial management, home management, assistive technology (computers and other forms of communication), communications, and manual skills.

  • Computer Training/Assistive Technology
    • Offers center-based and distance education in the use of common software applications as well as screen readers and magnifiers.

  • Low Vision Services
    • Provides low vision assessment and follow-up to determine remaining sight. Recommends and supplies low vision devices. Special clinics include an examination by an optometrist followed by a complete low vision assessment.

  • Community Outreach Programs
    • Offers presentations to community, groups, agencies.

  • Assistive Products
    • Sells visual devices and appliances. Products are available for sale on site.

  • Travel/Orientation and Mobility
    • Provides orientation and mobility training.

  • Assessment
    • Website accessibility assessment, worksite assessment; assessment of mobility, dexterity, daily living skills, braille, assistive technology

  • Employment/Job Training
    • Customer Service course as well as regular instruction to increase employability of those who are BVI.

  • Support Groups
    • Offers center-based support groups, as well as in senior centers and assisted living facilities, for individuals who are blind or visually impaired and to family members and others. Meetings are held at the Center from 12:00-1:00 on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

  • Braille and Reading Instruction
    • Offers braille instruction.

  • Library Services
    • Provides materials in alternate formats.

  • In-Home Services
    • Offers family/caregiver services.

  • Information and Referral
    • Provides information and referrals to various community resources and to aging programs.