State Resources

NFBI & NFB Resources

Other Resources

READING, STUDIES AND RESEARCH | GOVERNMENT | BUSINESS | OTHER BUSINESSES | OTHER INTERESTING AND HELPFUL LINKS | SPORTS

READING, STUDIES AND RESEARCH

American Foundation for the Blind

The AFB promotes wide-ranging, systemic change by addressing the most critical issues facing the growing blind and visually impaired population—employment, independent living, literacy, and technology.

Horizons for the Blind

Horizons for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. Horizons specializes in partnering with companies, large and small, to provide accessible billing and financial statements, newsletters, promotional material, restaurant menus, hotel directories and user manuals for cell phones and other electronic equipment.

Horizons also offers a variety of products and services for blind and visually impaired people around the world. Our online catalog offers over 400 items, including cookbooks, books on plants and gardening, books and kits on crafts, knitting and crochet patterns as well as seasonal baking items complete with braille and large print instructions.

Horizons for the Blind has recently launched a new innovative website called DirectionsForMe which provides complete, consistent, reliable source of packaging information, for everything from preparation instructions to ingredients and nutrition facts, for over 400,000 grocery, health and beauty products. Directions for Me was designed to be completely accessible to those who use adaptive technology.

Illinois School for the Visually Impaired at Jacksonville

The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired is a statewide resource offering students with visual impairments quality services which will enable them to become personally productive and self-sufficient citizens. The role of ISVI is to provide students who are blind and visually impaired a free, comprehensive educational program commensurate with individual needs and abilities. The school provides students with instruction in the same course work required of all school-aged children in Illinois.

ISVI has a summer camp program. A press release regarding the 2007 program can be downloaded here in Microsoft Word format.

Louisiana Center for the Blind

The Louisiana Center for the Blind is committed to a strong, positive, constructive philosophy concerning blindness. Based upon the personal experience of thousands of blind persons, the Center believes that given proper training and opportunity, blind people can compete effectively and on terms of equality with their sighted counterparts in employment, in their communities, in their families, and in society in general. The Louisiana Center for the Blind provides residential orientation and adjustment training to legally blind adults. Students remain in training generally from six to nine months depending upon individual needs. The full training curriculum includes Braille, cane travel, keyboarding/computer literacy, home economics, industrial arts, independent living skills, seminar, job development and college placement, and GED/remedial education (if needed). All classes emphasize the development of self-confidence and a positive attitude toward blindness. On average, the Center services approximately thirty students in the general program.

The Louisiana Center offers 3 summer programs for Youth. General information on the STEP program for teenagers, the Buddy Program for grades four through eight, can be found here. Information regarding services available for infants and toddlers can be found here.

Second Sense

Second Sense, formally known as The Guild for the Blind serves individuals who are blind or visually impaired, including those with new vision loss. Second Sense strives to promote positive attitudes about visual impairment and to assist its members in achieving dignity and independence at home, in the workplace and in the community.

The Colorado Center for the Blind

The Colorado Center for the Blind, also known as the CCB, is a training center of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). It is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Littleton, Colorado about 13 miles south of Denver. Training techniques and teaching methods are based on the positive philosophy of the NFB which states that, “with proper training and opportunity, blind people can compete on terms of equality with their sighted peers”. Since its establishment in 1988, the CCB has provided innovative teaching techniques and philosophy that continues to have far-reaching effects on the lives of blind people taking them to new heights of independence. By providing comprehensive training, support and opportunities to blind persons and others in developing positive attitudes about blindness, the Colorado Center for the Blind empowers blind persons to live independent lives as fully integrated, productive and contributing members of society.

The Colorado Center has 3 summer youth programs. Initiation to Independence is for children ages 12 to 14. Earn and Learn is a program for high school age teenagers, 15 and up. Summer For Success is a program for high school graduates and beyond. Information regarding all three programs can be found here.

BLIND, Inc.

BLIND, Incorporated was founded in 1986 by blind Minnesotans who believed that, given the proper training and opportunity, blind people can lead normal, independent, and fulfilled lives We believe that “blindness is respectable” and that with proper training, the average blind person can succeed in his or her chosen field and personal endeavors. We are affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind, which believes blind people are seeking the same goals as all Americans: independence, self-sufficiency and satisfying and gainful employment. BLIND, Inc. offers orientation-to-blindness training programs with a positive consumer-oriented approach We have based our programs on a wellness model. We assume that a person, blind or sighted, has dignity and is capable of making competent decisions. We encourage our students to believe in themselves and in their ability to live meaningful and productive lives.

BLIND, Inc. offers three summer youth programs. Information on the Buddy Program for children ages 9-13 is available here. PREP (Post-secondary Readiness and Empowerment Program) is a program for high school and college youth. Information regarding the program can be found here. STYLE (Summer Transition Youth Learning Experience) Program, is for students who cannot participate in our school year programs and who wish to continue developing skills over the summer. Information on the program can be found here.

Chicago Lighthouse

Established in 1906, the Chicago Lighthouse is a not-for-profit agency committed to providing educational, clinical, vocational and rehabilitation services for children, youth and adults who are blind or visually impaired, including deaf-blind and multi-disabled.

The Hadley Institute for the Blind

The Hadley Institute for the Blind offers more than 90 distance education courses to eligible students completely free of charge. From “Braille Reading for Family Members” to “Birdsong Tutor,” you can select from a wide variety of Hadley courses. You can study in the comfort of your own home at a time convenient for you. Course materials arrive in the mail (a few are downloadable), and for students in the U.S. and Canada, instructors are just a toll-free call away.

Learning Ally

The nation’s educational library for those with print disabilities.

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) – Library of Congress

Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail.

Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service

The TBS plays a supporting role for the Illinois Network of Libraries Serving the Blind and Print Disabled. The network consists of six library sites throughout the state known as Talking Book Centers.

Illinois Talking Book Outreach Center

ITBOC is a sub-regional library, and an advisory outreach center, serving the blind and print disabled residing throughout Illinois. ITBOC formed in 2013 with the consolidation of the Chicago Public Library Talking Book Center, Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, Southern Illinois Talking Book Center, and the Voices of Vision Talking Book Center.

Click Here To Order Your Talking Books Online If You Are An Illinois Patron
You must have a user ID and password. Contact your regional library to sign up to this service.

State Library of Illinois

The Illinois State Library was created more than 150 years ago to serve the needs of state government. As the official library for state government, it has come a long way since 1839. Today, the State Library has become a computer-age doorway to worldwide information, providing patrons with an electronic bridge to the collections of universities, public and corporate libraries, and new information systems that will continue to develop into the 21st century and beyond.

GOVERNMENT

State of Illinois Website

Check all of the happenings in Illinois and check your lottery tickets.

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) oversees formula and discretionary grant programs that help individuals with physical or mental disabilities to obtain employment and live more independently through the provision of such supports as counseling, medical and psychological services, job training and other individualized services. RSA’s major Title I formula grant program provides funds to state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to provide employment-related services for individuals with disabilities, giving priority to individuals who are significantly disabled.

Social Security Administration

Learn about SSA changes, order your statement of earnings online, change your address, change your financial institution for your SSA benefits and much much more.

Ticket To Work Program

Learn about Social Security’s work incentives program for people with disabilities.

Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities

HBWD not only encourages enrollees to work, but to increase the number of hours they are currently working. Just as the name says, the program provides health benefits for workers with disabilities.

FirstGov.gov

The U.S. Government’s Official Web Portal.

GovBenefits.gov

Learn about other government benefits – Now Includes Information on 48 State and 419 Federal Programs.

DHS Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)

DHS, Division of Rehabilitation Services is the state’s lead agency serving individuals with disabilities. DRS works in partnership with people with disabilities and their families to assist them in making informed choices to achieve full community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities.

IDEA Website – US Department of Education

This site was created to provide a “one-stop shop” for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006. It is a “living” website and will change and grow as resources and information become available. When fully implemented, the site will provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), etc.), video clips on selected topics, topic briefs on selected regulations, links to OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and a Q&A Corner where you can submit questions, and a variety of other information sources.

BUSINESS

National Association of Blind Merchants

American Printing House for the Blind

“The world’s largest source for adapted educational and daily living products – since 1858.”

Beyond Sight

Welcome to Beyond Sight, the super store for the blind and visually impaired. This is a unique online store which includes computer software and hardware, software for talking cell phones, audio books, internet service, voice chat, free downloads, training classes and much more.

Braille Plus, Inc.

Braille Printing, Large Print, Audio Tape, and Braille Transcription Services. Braille Plus has been in continuous operation for the sole purpose of providing alternate format documents to print-disabled individuals since August 1992.

Ideal Jacobs-Screen Printing and Other Manufacturing

Makes Braille and embossed labels and signs for the visually impaired.

Independent Living Aids

We carry everything for the blind and visually impaired including canes, magnifiers, talking watches, talking clocks, large print books, Braille products, talking cooking gadgets and much, much more. Order easily through our online store and our low vision products will be conveniently delivered right to your door.

NFB Independence Market

This is the source for Aids and Appliances from the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland. Our online store is now available for taking orders to be shipped within the United States.

OTHER BUSINESSES

Descriptive Video Services

DVS provides A variety of services that help to make television, movies and more accessible for all.

Vispero

This is the parent organization of Freedom Scientific, AI Squared, GW Micro, and Optelec. Distributors of JAWS for Windows, Magic, Windows-Eyes, and ZoomText. Also the distributors of OpenBook Scanner Software, The PAC Mate, the L Braille, and other software and hardware products.

National Braille Press (NBP)

Welcome! National Braille Press promotes literacy as a bookseller and printer of fine Braille products.

The Braille Book Store

This wonderful online store has Braille books for children, older readers, youth and adults. They also carry gift items and due Braille transcribing. The Braille Book Store understands The Importance of Braille Literacy.

Mackey Enterprises, LLC

Mackey Enterprises, LLC “sees” things from a different perspective to perform personal and business related data entry, bookkeeping, and WordPress or Drupal website design services for individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits. All projects are completed with a “Blind With Vision” attitude. Contact Mackey Enterprises, LLC at 609-680-8488 or brian@mackeyenterprisesllc.com for more information.

OTHER INTERESTING AND HELPFUL LINKS

7-128 Software

7-128 Software has just released the 2014 edition of Top Web Sites for Gamers who are Blind.

This resource Includes where to find:
– FREE and commercial games that are blind accessible
– Game reviews and information regarding games that are blind accessible.
– Forums and blogs visited by the blind gaming community

The Web sites are ranked, and detailed descriptions make it easier to find what you need. There is a direct link to each site. This information is totally FREE. No registration is required.

7-128 Software is a small independent developer of accessible computer games. The list is our attempt to give back to the blind and VI community. Because of frequent changes in the community, we have updated the list annually since 2007.

American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is a service agency which specializes in providing to blind people help which is not readily available to them from government programs or other existing service systems. The services of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults are planned especially to meet the needs of blind children, the elderly blind, and the deaf-blind.

Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) Resources

This has a list of audio described performances in Chicago among other things.

City of Chicago

Links to all departments and goings on in Chicago.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

Get bus and train schedules, fares, rerouting schedules, station construction and other updates for the greater Chicago area.

Daylight Saving Time

When do we change our clocks? This is a great web site where you can research time changes around the world clear up to 2009.

DirectionsForMe

Horizons for the Blind launched an innovative new website called Directions for Me. This website provides a complete, consistent, reliable source of packaging information, for everything from preparation instructions to ingredients and nutrition facts, for over 400,000 grocery, health and beauty products. Directions for Me was designed to be completely accessible to those who use adaptive technology. It also offers adjustable fonts for those who would prefer larger print.

Whether you are using a PC, a Mac, a notetaker or even a cell phone, you can take advantage of all the information this website has to offer. For more information, go to: www.directionsforme.org.

Guide Dog Schools around the World

This is quite an extensive list.

How Far is It

This service uses data from the US Census and a supplementary list of cities around the world to find the latitude and longitude of two places, and then calculates the distance between them (as the crow flies in miles, kilometers and nautical miles).

NFB Training Centers

A list and contact information for all NFB Training Centers.

SuperPages

Yellow Pages, White Pages, Reverse Phone Book, People Finder, Phone Numbers Search.

The World Factbook

This is a great web site to learn more about the world. It contains information like population, government structure, currency, Geography, Climate, and language of any particular country.

Whitestick Website

This site has been set up to assist the Visually Impaired computer user locate information and services relating to blindness. Included in this site are games, shareware programs, magazines and international newspapers.

World Blind Union

The World Blind Union (WBU) is the only organization entitled to speak on behalf of blind and partially sighted persons of the world, representing 180 million blind and visually impaired persons from about 600 different organizations in 158 countries.

SPORTS