Question:
Where can a visually impaired or blind person find information and services?
Coping with Blindness: Services and Information on Blindness
While there are many reference sites with information on blindness, the best sites to use are government sites and organizations. The Library of Congress has a list of sites with not only information on blindness, but other resources for the blind and visually impaired, including:
- National consumer organization sites such as American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (AAF) and American Council of the Blind (ACB). AAF offers newsletters and other material about blindness and visual impairments, along with free Braille calendars, and Twin Vision books in both print and in Braille. The ACB is a national membership organization that helps the blind and visually impaired by advocating several issues, including civil rights, educational opportunities, vocational training, social security benefits, and health and social services.
- Organizations that provide reading services such as the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS), and the Library of Congress. APH is the “official source of educational texts (primary through secondary level) for students who are visually impaired in the United States and its territories.” The IAAIS provides an online listing of radio reading services in the United States, Toronto and Levin, New Zealand. Internet broadcasters deliver audio broadcasts of daily newspapers and other printed materials. The Library of Congress administers a free national library program of Braille and recorded books and magazines.
These are just a few of the resources for information and services for the blind and visually impaired. Also included are National Professional Organizations, Organizations that Focus on Children, Organizations that Focus on Eye Diseases and Injuries, and Organizations that Provide Financial and Other Assistance.
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| Jolyn Wells-Moran |
