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Home -> Publications -> Resource Directory -> Resources for the Blind/Visually Impaired

Resources for the Blind/Visually Impaired

There are many resources available for the blind/visually impaired on the web. The listing below, while not exhaustive, is a good starting place. You may also want to visit our Health Screening and Care page which includes information on vision screening and resources in Maine.

Maine Resources
Maine Division for the
Blind and Visually Impaired 		The Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides vocational, educational and independent living services to blind and visually impaired consumers. The division provides:
  • Adaptive-skill training to accomplish activities of daily living.
  • Homemaking skills training including meal preparation, shopping and cleaning.
  • Orientation and mobility instruction to assist individuals to travel safely through the use of alternative techniques.
  • Personal management skills training such as managing money, dialing a telephone and telling time.
The Division contracts with the Iris network to provide some of these services statewide through our 'Independent Living for Older Blind' program. Regional offices are located throughout the state. For further information on services from the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired visit http://www.maine.gov/rehab/ or e-mail Paul.E.Cote@Maine.gov
The IRIS Network
Focusing on Maine's Blind and Visually Impaired Since 1905
IRIS Logo 		The mission of the Iris Network is to empower persons who are blind or visually impaired to attain their self-determined level of independence and integration into the community; to provide rehabilitation, training, education and other related services for individuals, their families and other support systems; and to be a resource regarding issues related to blindness and visual impairment within the state of Maine.
Maine Optometric Association Optometrists provide comprehensive eye care services to patients of all ages
Printed material can be enlarged for reading by using a device called a 'Closed Circut TV (CCTV). This adaptive device will enlarge printed materials so that a person can then read the information on the CCTV screen. The Portland, Bangor, Houlton and Augusta library each have a CCTV available for public use in the library to provide enlarged print of any reading materials. Library personnel are available for assistance.

For more information on CCTV and other resources, contact Jackie Hamilton at 624-5958 or via e-mail at Jackie.A.Hamilton@maine.gov
National/Web Resources
American Council of the Blind
 		ACOB Logo

The American Council of the Blind is the nation's leading membership organization of blind and visually impaired people. It was founded in 1961 and incorporated in the District of Columbia.
American Foundation for the Blind AFB is a leading national resource for people who are blind or visually impaired, the organizations that serve them, and the general public.

Also visit their ABF Senior Site - information and resources specific to the elderly.
Blindness Resource Center
of the New York Institute
for Special Education

 A comprehensive listing of resources and information on blindness and visual impairment.
Freedom Scientific Software to assist the blind/visually impaired, including JAWS
Lighthouse International Lighthouse International is a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation.
Macular Degeneration Foundation
 		Dedicated to serving the interests of those affected by Macular Degeneration and related low vision conditions.
Macular Degeneration Network
 		Dedicated to help the patients who suffer from macular degeneration and the health professionals who care for them.
National Federation for the Blind
 		Founded in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the nation's largest and most influential membership organization of blind persons. With fifty thousand members, the NFB has affiliates in all fifty states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, and over seven hundred local chapters. As a consumer and advocacy organization, the NFB is considered the leading force in the blindness field today.

The DRM WebWatcher:
Blindness & Visual Impairments 		The Disabilities Resources Monthly (DRM) Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet
National Library Services Talking Books Talking Books is a free library service available to eligible individuals of any age whose low vision, blindness, or physical handicap makes reading a standard printed page difficult. Through its national network of cooperating libraries, NLS mails books and magazines on cassette and in braille, as well as audio equipment, directly to enrollees at no cost.