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Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired - Located in Palo Alto

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Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired - Located in Palo Alto

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Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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Sight Tech Global is the first global, virtual conference dedicated to fostering discussion among technology pioneers on how rapid advances in AI and related technologies will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility.

Sight Tech Global started out in 2020 as a purely virtual event, but our partners told us they were eager for a small, in person event that brought together top technologists, designers and product people working in assistive tech. We thought that sounded like a lot of fun...

Two years after discovering a minor abnormality in her eyes, Jackye realized she could no longer read traffic signs and soon had to stop working. At Vista, she found a community of people who share her realities, fears, and tears - as well as compassion, respect, and empathy.
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For Luke Lin, as an avid golfer and aspiring computer engineer, losing his sight in 9th grade triggered depression and grief as the future Luke dreamed of suddenly felt unattainable. Today, he is a successful college student.
READ MORE

After completely losing his vision following a surgical procedure, Graham began to struggle to perform on stage or pursue his education. Vista Center helped him regain a sense of capability and to go out into a complex world and do anything he wanted to do.
READ MORE

John Larijani first discovered Vista Center fourteen years ago, fresh from a too-early retirement and needing to learn more about computers. Today, you'll find him in San Jose three days a week, in ceramics class, in tech training, taking recreation or enjoying the Wednesday lunch with friends.
READ MORE

As a client, I received orientation and mobility training, took advantage of computer training, and attended support groups to learn to cope with my vision loss. I will do everything I can to make sure others get the help I received.

SUZANNE WILCOX Client and Past Board Member

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Sight Tech Global is the first global, virtual conference dedicated to fostering discussion among technology pioneers on how rapid advances in AI and related technologies will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility.

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Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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Located in San Francisco.

Provide training for highschool students and adults.

Provide Employment Services.

This link below for office Ed Roberts Campus
3075 Adeline, Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94703

https://lighthouse-sf.org/lighthouse-satellite-offices/

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The mission of the Lighthouse is to educate, empower, and employ people who are visually impaired and blind. We have provided residents of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties with no cost vision rehabilitation since 1983.
COVID-19 UPDATE:
Lighthouse remains committed to supporting our clients and the community. Programs and services are provided in-person and we also offer Hot Topics by conference call to keep our adults and seniors connected. We encourage anyone in need of LVIB training & services to call us to find out how we can help.
Heather & Valencia were interviewed by Sarah Blazonis of Bay News 9 about the challenges of being blind during COVID-19 & how LVIB has added services to meet the emerging needs of our clients. Here's a link to that video & article.

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Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind

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The mission of the Lighthouse is to educate, empower, and employ people who are visually impaired and blind. We have provided residents of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties with no cost vision rehabilitation since 1983. COVID-19 UPDATE: Lighthouse remains committed to supporting our clients and the community.

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DOR THE ORIENTATION CENTER FOR THE BLIND 

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DOR THE ORIENTATION CENTER FOR THE BLIND 

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The Orientation Center for the Blind is a DOR owned and operated training facility in Albany, CA that assists job-seekers from across California who are visually impaired and blind to adjust to their vision loss and acquire the skills and tools necessary to pursue competitive integrated employment. A specialized staff of qualified teachers, trainers and rehabilitation professionals provide comprehensive training and experiences tailored to assist each participant to reach their full potential for independence. At no cost to DOR consumers, training is provided in daily living skills including cooking, independent travel, Braille and communication, assistive technology use, and the work readiness skills necessary for vocational success. Options for training include residential, individualized day programs, two-week skills assessments, or a combination of any of the above. The residential facility can support 36 participants at any given time.

How to Apply

To find a DOR counselor near you, contact the Blind Field Services section at 916-558-5480 or email Blind.Services@dor.ca.gov.

Blind Field Services maintains a core group of Counselors and Managers skilled in understanding the barriers people who are blind and visually impaired face in achieving meaningful employment and independence.

For more information on OCB and to book a tour, contact OCB directly at 1-510-559-1200 or email OCBinfo@dor.ca.gov.

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The Orientation Center for the Blind is a DOR owned and operated training facility in Albany, CA that assists job-seekers from across California who are visually impaired and blind to adjust to their vision loss and acquire the skills and tools necessary to pursue competitive integrated employment.

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INTRODUCTION

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 ("Amendments Act" or "ADAAA"), is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities include those who have impairments that substantially limit a major life activity, have a record (or history) of a substantially limiting impairment, or are regarded as having a disability.[1]

Title I of the ADA covers employment by private employers with 15 or more employees as well as state and local government employers. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act provides similar protections related to federal employment. In addition, most states have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of disability. Some of these state laws may apply to smaller employers and may provide protections in addition to those available under the ADA.[2]

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the employment provisions of the ADA. This document, which is one of a series of question-and-answer documents addressing particular disabilities in the workplace,[3] explains how the ADA applies to job applicants and employees with vision impairments. In particular, this document explains:

when an employer may ask an applicant or employee questions about his vision impairment and how it should treat voluntary disclosures;

what types of reasonable accommodations employees with visual disabilities may need;

how an employer should handle safety concerns about applicants and employees with visual disabilities; and

how an employer can ensure that no employee is harassed because of a visual disability or any other disability.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VISION IMPAIRMENTS

Estimates vary as to the number of Americans who are blind and visually impaired. One reason for the different estimates is that different terminology is used to assess the number of individuals with some degree of vision problems. According to one estimate, approximately 6.6 million people in the United States are blind or visually impaired.[4] Another estimate concluded that there are 10 million blind or visually impaired people in the U.S. and of these 1.3 million are considered legally blind.[5] The 2011 National Health Interview Survey Preliminary Report estimated that 21.2 million American adults (over 10% of all American adults) reported that they had trouble seeing even when wearing corrective lenses or that they were blind or unable to see.[6] Only 36.8% of non-institutionalized working age adults (21-64) with a significant vision loss are employed.[7]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define "vision impairment" to mean that a person's eyesight cannot be corrected to a "normal level."[8] Vision impairment may result in a loss of visual acuity, where an individual does not see objects as clearly as the average person, and/or in a loss of visual field, meaning that an individual cannot see as wide an area as the average person without moving the eyes or turning the head. There are varying degrees of vision impairments, and the terms used to describe them are not always consistent. The CDC and the World Health Organization define low vision as a visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/400 with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.[9]Blindness is described as a visual acuity worse than 20/400 with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 10 degrees or less. In the United States, the term "legally blind," means a visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Although there are varying degrees of vision impairments, the visual problems an individual faces cannot be described simply by the numbers; some people can see better than others with the same visual acuity.[10]

There are many possible causes for vision impairment, including damage to the eye and the failure of the brain to interpret messages from the eyes correctly. The most common causes of vision impairment in American adults are: diabetic retinopathy,[11] age-related macular degeneration,[12] cataracts,[13] and glaucoma.[14] Additionally, many individuals have monocular vision - perfect or nearly perfect vision in one eye, but little or no vision in the other. Vision impairment can occur at any time in life, but adults aged 40 and older are at the greatest risk for eye diseases, such as cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.[15]

Persons with vision impairments successfully perform a wide range of jobs and can be dependable workers. Yet, many employers still automatically exclude them from certain positions based on generalizations about vision impairments and false assumptions that it would be too expensive, or perhaps even too dangerous, to employ them. Thus, employers may erroneously assume that any accommodation that would allow a person with a vision impairment to do her job would be too costly. Employers also may have liability concerns related to the fear of accidents and/or injuries.

1. When does someone with a vision impairment have a disability within the meaning of the ADA?

As a result of changes made by the ADAAA, people who are blind should easily be found to have a disability within the meaning of the first part of the ADA's definition of disability because they are substantially limited in the major life activity of seeing.[16] Individuals with a vision impairment other than blindness will meet the first part of the ADA's definition of disability if they can show that they are substantially limited in seeing or another major life activity ( e.g., the major bodily function of special sense organs).[17] A determination of disability must ignore the positive effects of any mitigating measure that is used. For example, a mitigating measure may include the use of low vision devices that magnify, enhance, or otherwise augment a visual image.[18] Another type of mitigating measure is the use of learned behavioral modifications (for example, a person with monocular vision may turn his head from side to side to compensate for the lack of peripheral vision).[19] A person with monocular vision, regardless of such compensating behaviors, will be substantially limited in seeing compared to most people in the general population.

2. Is everyone who wears glasses a person with a disability?

No, not everyone who wears glasses is a person with a disability under the ADA. Although the ADA generally requires that the positive effects of mitigating measures be ignored in assessing whether someone has a disability, the law requires that one consider the positive effects of the use of ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses (that is, lenses that are intended to fully correct visual acuity or to eliminate refractive error).[20] If the use of ordinary lenses results in no substantial limitation to a major life activity, then the person's vision impairment does not constitute a disability under the first part of the ADA's definition of disability.

Even though individuals who use ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses that are intended to fully correct their vision will not be covered under the first definition of disability, they are protected from discrimination based on an employer's use of uncorrected vision standards that are not job-related and consistent with business necessity.

Individuals with a history of a vision impairment will be covered under the second part of the definition of disability if they have a record of an impairment that substantially limited a major life activity in the past (for example, where surgery corrected a past substantially limiting vision impairment). Finally, an individual is covered under the third ("regarded as") prong of the definition of disability if an employer takes a prohibited action (for example, refuses to hire or terminates the individual) because of a vision impairment or because the employer believes the individual has a vision impairment, other than an impairment that lasts fewer than six months and is minor.[21]

OBTAINING, USING, AND DISCLOSING MEDICAL INFORMATION

Title I of the ADA limits an employer's ability to ask questions related to blindness and other disabilities and to conduct medical examinations at three stages: pre-offer, post-offer, and during employment.

Job Applicants

Before an Offer of Employment Is Made

3. May an employer ask a job applicant whether he has or had a vision impairment or about his treatment related to any vision impairment prior to making a job offer?

No. An employer may not ask questions about an applicant's medical condition[22] or require an applicant to have a medical examination before it makes a conditional job offer. This means that an employer cannot legally ask an applicant such questions as:

whether she has ever had any medical procedures related to her vision (for example, whether the applicant ever had eye surgery);

whether she uses any prescription medications, including medications for conditions related to the eye; or

whether she has any condition that may have caused a vision impairment (for example, whether the applicant has diabetes).

Of course, an employer may ask questions pertaining to the applicant's ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, such as:

whether the applicant can read labels on packages that need to be stocked

whether the applicant can work the night shift

whether the applicant can inspect small electronic components to determine if they have been damaged.

4. Does the ADA require an applicant to disclose that she has or had a vision impairment or some other disability before accepting a job offer?

No. The ADA does not require applicants to disclose that they have or had a vision impairment or another disability unless they will need a reasonable accommodation for the application process (for example, written application materials to be printed in a larger font). Some individuals with a vision impairment, however, choose to disclose or discuss their condition to dispel myths about vision loss or to ensure that employers do not assume that the impairment means the person is unable to do the job.

Sometimes, the decision to disclose depends on whether an individual will need a reasonable accommodation to perform the job (for example, specialized equipment, removal of a marginal function, or another type of job restructuring). A person with a vision impairment, however, may request an accommodation after becoming an employee even if she did not do so when applying for the job or after receiving the job offer.

5. May an employer ask questions about an obvious vision impairment, or follow-up questions if an applicant discloses a non-obvious vision impairment?

No. An employer generally may not ask an applicant about obvious impairments. Nor may an employer ask an applicant who has voluntarily disclosed that he has a vision impairment any questions about the nature of the impairment, when it began, or how the individual copes with the impairment. However, if an applicant has an obvious impairment or has voluntarily disclosed the existence of a vision impairment and the employer reasonably believes that he will require an accommodation to perform the job because of the impairment, the employer may ask whether the applicant will need an accommodation and what type. The employer must keep any information an applicant discloses about his medical condition confidential. ( See "Keeping Medical Information Confidential.")

Example 1: A woman appears with her guide dog for an interview for a job as a school principal. The position requires significant reading. Because her vision impairment is obvious, the employer may ask her if she will need an accommodation to perform functions that involve reading and, if so, what type.

After an Offer of Employment Is Made

After making a job offer, an employer may ask questions about the applicant's health (including questions about the applicant's disability) and may require a medical examination, as long as all applicants for the same type of job are treated equally (that is, all applicants are asked the same questions and are required to take the same examination). After an employer has obtained basic medical information from all individuals who have received job offers, it may ask specific individuals for more medical information if the request is medically related to the previously obtained medical information. For example, if an employer asks all applicants post-offer about their general physical and mental health, it can ask individuals who disclose a particular illness, disease, or impairment for medical information or require them to have a medical examination related to the condition disclosed.

6. What may an employer do when it learns that an applicant has or had a vision impairment after she has been offered a job but before she starts working?

When an applicant discloses after receiving a conditional job offer that she has or had a vision impairment, an employer may ask the applicant additional questions, such as how long she has had the vision impairment; what, if any, vision the applicant has; what specific visual limitations the individual experiences; and what, if any, reasonable accommodations the applicant may need to perform the job. The employer also may send the applicant for a follow-up vision or medical examination or ask her to submit documentation from her doctor answering questions specifically designed to assess her ability to perform the job's functions safely. Permissible follow-up questions at this stage differ from those at the pre-offer stage when an employer only may ask an applicant who voluntarily discloses a disability whether she needs an accommodation to perform the job and what type.

An employer may not withdraw an offer from an applicant with a vision impairment if the applicant is able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, without posing a direct threat (that is, a significant risk of substantial harm) to the health or safety of himself or others that cannot be eliminated or reduced through reasonable accommodation. ("Reasonable accommodation" is discussed in Questions 10 through15. "Direct threat" is discussed in Question 16.)

Example 2: A county sheriff with monocular vision applied for a position with the state police as a criminal investigator. He was highly qualified for the job and was conditionally offered a position pending qualification under the state police department's medical criteria for criminal investigators. The doctor who conducted the medical examination of the applicant determined that because of his monocular vision he did not meet the state's safety standards, and the conditional offer of employment was withdrawn. The state police department did not violate the ADA by requiring the medical exam. However, the department must be prepared to show that the applicant was unable to do the essential functions of the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation, or that he would have posed a direct threat to safety that could not be reduced or eliminated by a reasonable accommodation if he had been hired.

The ADA strictly limits the circumstances under which an employer may ask questions about an employee's medical condition or require the employee to have a medical examination. Once an employee is on the job, his actual performance is the best measure of ability to do the job.

7. When may an employer ask an employee if a vision impairment, or some other medical condition, may be causing her performance problems?

Generally, an employer may ask disability-related questions or require an employee to have a medical examination when it knows about a particular employee's medical condition, has observed performance problems, and reasonably believes that the problems are related to a medical condition. At other times, an employer may ask for medical information when it has observed symptoms, such as difficulties visually focusing, or has received reliable information from someone else (for example, a family member or co-worker) indicating that the employee may have a medical condition that is causing performance problems. Often, however, poor job performance is unrelated to a medical condition and generally should be handled in accordance with an employer's existing policies concerning performance.[23]

Example 3: A data entry clerk has recently been making numerous errors when entering information into the employer's computer system. For example, he seems to be confusing the numbers 1, 7, and 9. The clerk's supervisor also has begun to see the clerk rubbing his eyes frequently and looking more closely at both his computer screen and printed materials. The employer has a reasonable belief based on objective evidence that the clerk's performance problems are related to a medical condition (i.e., an eye problem) and, therefore, may ask for medical information.

Example 4: A receptionist, with a known degenerative eye condition, has not been answering all the calls that come in to the office in her usual friendly manner. The employer may counsel the receptionist about how she answers the phone, but may not ask her questions about her eye condition unless there is evidence that this may be the reason for her changed demeanor.

8. Are there any other instances when an employer may ask an employee with a vision impairment about her condition?

Yes. An employer also may ask an employee about a vision impairment when it has a reasonable belief that the employee will be unable to safely perform the essential functions of her job because of the vision impairment. In addition, an employer may ask an employee about her vision impairment to the extent the information is necessary:

to support the employee's request for a reasonable accommodation needed because of her vision impairment;

to verify the employee's use of sick leave related to her vision impairment if the employer requires all employees to submit a doctor's note to justify their use of sick leave;[24] or

to enable the employee to participate in a voluntary wellness program.[25]

Example 5: An employer's leave policy requires all employees who are absent because of a medical appointment to submit a note from their doctor verifying the appointment. Jack, an employee, uses sick leave for an ophthalmological examination. In accordance with its policy, the employer can require Jack to submit a doctor's note for his absence; however, it may not require the note to include any information beyond that which is needed to verify that Jack used his sick leave properly (such as, the results of the examination, or a statement about the employee's diagnosis or any treatment).

KEEPING MEDICAL INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL

With limited exceptions, an employer must keep confidential any medical information it learns about an applicant or employee. Under the following circumstances, however, an employer may disclose that an employee has a vision impairment:

to supervisors and managers, if necessary to provide a reasonable accommodation or meet an employee's work restrictions;

to first aid and safety personnel if an employee may need emergency treatment or require some other assistance at work;

to individuals investigating compliance with the ADA and similar state and local laws; and

where needed for workers' compensation or insurance purposes (for example, to process a claim).

9. May an employer tell employees who ask why their co-worker is allowed to do something that generally is not permitted (such as working at home or working a modified schedule) that she is receiving a reasonable accommodation?

No. Telling coworkers that an employee is receiving a reasonable accommodation amounts to a disclosure that the employee has a disability. Rather than disclosing that the employee is receiving a reasonable accommodation, the employer should focus on the importance of maintaining the privacy of all employees and emphasize that its policy is to refrain from discussing the work situation of any employee with co-workers. Employers may be able to avoid many of these kinds of questions by training all employees on the requirements of equal employment laws, including the ADA.

Additionally, an employer will benefit from providing information about reasonable accommodation to all of its employees. This can be done in a number of ways, such as through written reasonable accommodation procedures, employee handbooks, staff meetings, and periodic training. This kind of proactive approach may lead to fewer questions from employees who misperceive co-worker accommodations as "special treatment."

Example 6: Most of the paralegals in a large firm have outdated computer monitors. A paralegal who is on medication for a disability that causes vision problems requests, and is given, a new monitor with a special program that allows her to see the screen better. If the other paralegals ask why she has a new screen and they do not, the employer may not divulge any information about her impairment, including the fact that the monitor is a reasonable accommodation.

ACCOMMODATING EMPLOYEES WITH VISUAL DISABILITIES

The ADA requires employers to provide adjustments or modifications - called reasonable accommodations - to enable applicants and employees with disabilities to enjoy equal employment opportunities unless doing so would be an undue hardship (that is, a significant difficulty or expense). Accommodations vary depending on the needs of the individual with a disability. Not all employees with a visual disability will need an accommodation or require the same accommodations.

10. What types of reasonable accommodations may employees with visual disabilities need?

Some employees may need one or more of the following accommodations:

assistive technology, including:

a closed circuit television system (CCTV) for reading printed materials

an external computer screen magnifier

digital recorders

software that will read information on the computer screen

an optical scanner that can create documents in electronic form from printed ones

a refreshable Braille display

a Braille embosser

written materials in an accessible format, such as in large print, Braille, in a recorded format, or on a computer disk

modification of employer policies to allow use of a guide dog in the workplace

modification of an employment test

a person to read printed materials

a driver or payment for the cost of transportation to enable performance of essential functions

an accessible website

permission to work at home[26]

modified training or training in the use of assistive technology.

Example 7: An employer has decided to upgrade its computer programs. In order to teach its staff about the new systems, it has set up five "hands-on" training classes in which groups of employees will be shown how to execute various functions using the new software and then will have an opportunity to complete a series of exercises using those functions with guidance from the instructor. Most of the demonstrations and exercises will involve use of a computer mouse to execute functions. A blind employee who uses a screen reading program is unable to use a computer mouse effectively and will require individualized instruction that will enable her to learn how to perform necessary functions using keyboard commands. The employer must grant this accommodation as long as it would not result in undue hardship.

Example 8: A blind employee does not have easy access to public transportation and must rely on paratransit service to get to work most mornings. He asks that, on days when his ride to work arrives after the employer's usual 8:30 a.m. start time, he be allowed to work later in the evening to make up the time rather than being required to take annual leave or face discipline for tardiness. The employer must grant this accommodation as long as it would not result in undue hardship.

time off, in the form of accrued paid leave or unpaid leave if paid leave has been exhausted or is unavailable

Example 9: An employer provides a total of three weeks of leave (sick and annual leave) per employee each year. An employee with a degenerative eye condition has, over time, lost most of her vision and has decided to start using a guide dog. Training the guide dog will require her to attend a six-week residential program. Although the six weeks of leave that are needed exceed the amount of leave provided to each employee, the employer must provide additional unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation as long as it would not result in undue hardship. The same rule would apply if the employee needs time off for treatment related to a visual disability.

reassignment to a vacant position

Example 10: A city police officer is shot and blinded during an attempt to stop a robbery. He no longer is able to perform his job as a police officer, but he is qualified for a vacant 9-1-1 emergency operator position. The job pays less than a police officer, but it is the closest vacant position in terms of pay, status, and benefits for which the officer is qualified. The city must reassign the officer to the 9-1-1 emergency operator position as a reasonable accommodation as long as it would not result in undue hardship.

Although these are some examples of the types of accommodations commonly requested by employees with visual disabilities, other employees may need different changes or adjustments.[27] Employers should ask the particular employee requesting an accommodation what he needs that will help him do his job. There also are extensive public and private resources to help employers identify reasonable accommodations. For example, the website for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) ( http://askjan.org) provides information about many types of accommodations for employees with visual disabilities.

11. How does an employee with a visual disability request a reasonable accommodation?

There are no "magic words" that a person has to use when requesting a reasonable accommodation. A person simply has to tell the employer that she needs an adjustment or change at work because of her visual impairment. A request for reasonable accommodation also can come from a family member, friend, health professional, or other representative on behalf of a person with a visual disability. If an employer requires more information about the disability and why an accommodation is needed, it should engage in an "interactive process" -- a dialogue with the employee -- to obtain information that will help the employer in handling the request.

Example 11: A blind man calls regarding a job opening he heard advertised on the radio. The employer explains that part of the application process is a written exam and part is an in-person interview. The man says that he will need some help with the exam because of his impairment. This is a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Example 12: While an employee has been out on extended medical leave for her diabetes, her visual disability has gradually gotten worse. When she returns to work, she presents a note from her doctor stating that she will need "some assistance" in order to perform the essential functions of the job. This is a request for a reasonable accommodation.

12. May an employer request documentation when an employee who has a visual disability requests a reasonable accommodation?

Sometimes. When a person's vision impairment is not obvious, the employer may ask the person to provide reasonable documentation about how the condition limits major life activities (that is, whether the person has a disability) and why a reasonable accommodation is needed. An employer, however, is entitled only to documentation sufficient to establish that the employee has a visual disability and to explain why an accommodation is needed. A request for an employee's entire medical record, for example, would be inappropriate, as it likely would include information about conditions other than the employee's visual disability.[28]

Example 13: A customer service representative with a non-obvious vision impairment requests a larger computer monitor. The employee's ophthalmologist provides a letter describing the employee's impairment and its limitations. The letter explains that the employee cannot drive and can read standard-sized print but only very slowly, for short periods of time, and with considerable effort. The condition is not expected to deteriorate further, but no improvement is expected either. The ophthalmologist concludes that providing some kind of magnification device for the computer or a larger monitor would be helpful. The employee has provided sufficient documentation that his eye condition is an ADA disability and that he needs a reasonable accommodation. The employer may not request further documentation, such as the results of all the tests conducted to diagnose the condition.

13. Does an employer have to grant every request for a reasonable accommodation?

No. An employer does not have to provide an accommodation if doing so would be an undue hardship. Undue hardship means that providing the reasonable accommodation will result in significant difficulty or expense. An employer also does not have to eliminate an essential function of a job as a reasonable accommodation, tolerate performance that does not meet its standards, or excuse violations of conduct rules that are job-related and consistent with business necessity and that the employer applies consistently to all employees (such as rules prohibiting violence, threatening behavior, theft, or destruction of property). Nor do employers have to provide employees with personal use items, such as eyeglasses or other devices that are used both on and off the job.

If more than one accommodation would be effective, the employee's preference should be given primary consideration, although the employer is not required to provide the employee's first choice of reasonable accommodation. If a requested accommodation is too difficult or expensive, an employer may choose to provide an easier or less costly accommodation as long as it is effective in meeting the employee's needs.

Example 14: An editor for a publishing company has a visual disability and needs magnification to read text. She asks the company to hire a full-time reader for her. The employer is able to purchase a computer program that will magnify text on the screen and speak the words to her. If this is cheaper and easier for the employer to do, and allows the editor to do her work just as effectively, then it may be provided as a reasonable accommodation.

Example 15: A blind job applicant requests a reader for an employment test. The employer requires the applicant to take the test in Braille instead, although he has told the employer he is not proficient in Braille. In this situation, because providing the test in Braille is not an effective accommodation, the employer must provide a reader unless to do so would be an undue hardship.

14. May an employer be required to provide more than one accommodation for the same employee with a visual disability?

Yes. The duty to provide a reasonable accommodation is an ongoing one. Although some employees with visual disabilities may require only one reasonable accommodation, others may need more than one. An employer must consider each request for a reasonable accommodation and determine whether it would be effective and whether providing it would pose an undue hardship.

Example 16: An employee who is blind has assistive technology for his computer that works with the employer's network and enables him to send and receive email messages easily. When the employer upgrades computer equipment for all employees, it must provide new or updated assistive technology so that the blind employee will be integrated into the new networks, absent undue hardship.

Example 17: An employee with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that results, over time, in total or near total blindness, has been able to read printed materials related to her job with a magnifier and some adjustments to the lighting in her work area. When she is no longer able to do this, she asks for a reader. Absent undue hardship, the employer must provide a reader or some other effective accommodation.

15. What kinds of reasonable accommodations are related to the benefits and privileges of employment?

Reasonable accommodations related to the benefits and privileges of employment include accommodations that are necessary to provide individuals with disabilities access to facilities or portions of facilities to which all employees are granted access (for example, employee break rooms and cafeterias), access to information communicated in the workplace, and the opportunity to participate in employer-sponsored training and social events.

Example 18: An employer offers employees opportunities to accept six-month assignments to jobs outside of their work group or department. The temporary assignments are considered valuable training opportunities that can lead to employee advancement. An employee with a visual disability, who has worked successfully in her current position with only slight modifications to her computer equipment, requests a temporary assignment to a position that will involve considerably more reading and asks that a part-time reader be provided. The employer may not deny the temporary assignment because of the need to make a reasonable accommodation, but must provide a reader or some other effective accommodation if this would not result in undue hardship.

Example 19: An employer typically posts job openings on bulletin boards. An employee with a visual disability requests that electronic notices of all job postings be emailed to him so that he will have timely notice of the postings. Unless this would result in undue hardship, the employer must provide this accommodation.

Example 20: An employer holds a retirement party for a long-time employee. The event includes a dinner and various presentations by the employee's co-workers and company management. A formal program is printed for the event, and an employee with a visual disability requests a copy of the program in large print. The employer must provide this accommodation, absent undue hardship.

An employer will not be excused from providing an employee with a visual disability with a necessary accommodation because the employer has contracted with another entity to conduct the event.

Example 21: An employer offers its employees a training course on organization and time management provided by a local company with which the employer has contracted. An employee who is blind wants to take the course and asks that materials be made available in Braille. The employer claims that the company conducting the training is responsible for providing what the blind employee needs, but the company responds that the responsibility is the employer's. Even if the company conducting the training has an obligation, under Title III of the ADA,[29] to provide "auxiliary aids and services," which would include providing written materials in Braille, this fact does not alter the employer's obligation to provide the employee with a reasonable accommodation for the training.[30]

CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY

When it comes to safety concerns, an employer should be careful not to act on the basis of myths, fears, or stereotypes about vision impairments. Instead, the employer should evaluate each individual on her skills, knowledge, experience, and how the visual disability affects her.

16. When may an employer refuse to hire, terminate, or temporarily restrict the duties of a person who has or had a vision impairment because of safety concerns?

An employer only may exclude an individual with a vision impairment from a job for safety reasons when the individual poses a direct threat. A "direct threat" is a significant risk of substantial harm to the individual or others that cannot be eliminated or reduced through reasonable accommodation.[31] This determination must be based on objective, factual evidence, including the best recent medical evidence.

In making a direct threat assessment, the employer must evaluate the individual's present ability to safely perform the job. The employer also must consider:

(1) the duration of the risk;

(2) the nature and severity of the potential harm;

(3) the likelihood that the potential harm will occur; and

(4) the imminence of the potential harm.[32]

The harm must be serious and likely to occur, not remote or speculative. Finally, the employer must determine whether any reasonable accommodation would reduce or eliminate the risk.[33]

Example 22: An assembly line worker has lost much of his vision, but because he has held his job for more than ten years, he can effectively perform the job's functions using a combination of his remaining limited vision and touch. The employer's normal practice is to flash an alarm light when there is an assembly line malfunction that could cause injuries to workers. Rather than discharging the employee because he no longer is able to see the flashing light and may therefore be in harm's way, the employer should consider installing an audio alarm to accommodate him.

Example 23: A blind sous-chef who began working as a line cook and has worked in restaurants for 15 years in positions of increasing levels of responsibility applies for a job at a newly opened restaurant. Although it initially takes him slightly more time than other workers to learn the layout of the kitchen, once he does so he is able to move about easily and safely. The combination of his experience, his use of touch to perform some tasks that other workers perform visually, and a few simple accommodations, such as Braille labels on oven controls, enables him to use all kitchen equipment and to supervise kitchen staff. The restaurant may not refuse to hire this chef on the ground that he cannot work safely in a busy kitchen.

Example 24: A line cook develops a severe visual disability and has difficulty adjusting to his vision loss. As a result, he has problems navigating in the kitchen and barely avoids bumping into three different co-workers, two of whom were carrying trays of food just removed from the oven and one who was carrying a pot of boiling water. He also was warned twice about placing his hands too close to open flames and fryers filled with hot oil. Reasonable accommodations have not eliminated or reduced these problems. This individual poses a direct threat to his own health and safety and to the health and safety of others, and therefore the employer may terminate his employment as a line cook.

17. What should an employer do when another federal law prohibits it from hiring anyone with a vision impairment?

If a federal law prohibits an employer from hiring a person with a vision impairment, the employer would not be liable under the ADA. The employer should be certain, however, that compliance with the law actually is required, not voluntary. The employer also should be sure that the law does not contain any exceptions or waivers.

Example 25: A courier service that uses vans and small trucks weighing less than 10,000 pounds may not use the DOT standards applicable to commercial motor vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds to automatically exclude applicants with monocular vision from driver jobs. The employer may exclude a particular applicant with monocular vision only if it can demonstrate that she would pose a direct threat. (See Question 16, above.)

HARASSMENT

The ADA prohibits harassment, or offensive conduct, based on disability just as other federal laws prohibit harassment based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, and genetic information. Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slur, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance. Although the law does not prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).

Example 26: A grocery store cashier with a visual disability is frequently taunted by his co-workers. They regularly ask him how many fingers they are holding up and take away his white cane and tell him to go find it. The cashier complains to his supervisor in accordance with his employer's anti-harassment policy. The employer must promptly investigate and address the harassing behavior.

18. What should employers do to prevent and correct harassment?

Employers should make clear that they will not tolerate harassment based on disability or on any other basis. This can be done in a number of ways, such as through a written policy, employee handbooks, staff meetings, and periodic training. The employer should emphasize that harassment is prohibited and that employees should promptly report such conduct to a manager. Finally, the employer should immediately conduct a thorough investigation of any report of harassment and take swift and appropriate corrective action. For more information on the standards governing harassment under all of the EEO laws, see http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/harassment.html.

RETALIATION

The ADA prohibits retaliation by an employer against someone who opposes discriminatory employment practices, files a charge of employment discrimination, or testifies or participates in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation related to a charge of employment discrimination. It is also unlawful for an employer to retaliate against someone for requesting a reasonable accommodation. Persons who believe that they have been retaliated against may file a charge of retaliation as described below.

HOW TO FILE A CHARGE OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Against Private Employers and State/Local Governments

Any person who believes that his or her employment rights have been violated on the basis of disability and wants to make a claim against an employer must file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC. A third party may also file a charge on behalf of another person who believes he or she experienced discrimination. For example, a family member, social worker, or other representative can file a charge on behalf of someone with a vision impairment. The charge must be filed by mail or in person with the local EEOC office within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation. The 180-day filing deadline is extended to 300 days if a state or local anti-discrimination agency has the authority to grant or seek relief as to the challenged unlawful employment practice.[34]

The EEOC will send the parties a copy of the charge and may ask for responses and supporting information. Before formal investigation, the EEOC may select the charge for EEOC's mediation program. Both parties have to agree to mediation, which may prevent a time consuming investigation of the charge. Participation in mediation is free, voluntary, and confidential.

If the mediation is unsuccessful, the EEOC investigates the charge to determine if there is "reasonable cause" to believe discrimination has occurred. If reasonable cause is found, the EEOC will then try to resolve the charge with the employer. In some cases, where the charge cannot be resolved, the EEOC will file a court action. If the EEOC finds no discrimination, or if an attempt to resolve the charge fails and the EEOC decides not to file suit, it will issue a notice of a "right to sue," which gives the charging party 90 days to file a court action. A charging party can also request a notice of a "right to sue" from the EEOC 180 days after the charge was first filed with the Commission, and may then bring suit within 90 days after receiving the notice. For a detailed description of the process, you can visit our website at http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge.cfm.

Against the Federal Government

If you are a federal employee or job applicant and you believe that a federal agency has discriminated against you, you have a right to file a complaint. Each agency is required to post information about how to contact the agency's EEO Office. You can contact an EEO Counselor by calling the office responsible for the agency's EEO complaints program. Generally, you must contact the EEO Counselor within 45 days from the day the discrimination occurred. In most cases the EEO Counselor will give you the choice of participating either in EEO counseling or in an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program, such as a mediation program.

If you do not settle the dispute during counseling or though ADR, you can file a formal discrimination complaint against the agency with the agency's EEO Office. You must file within 15 days from the day you receive notice from your EEO Counselor about how to file.

Once you have filed a formal complaint, the agency will review the complaint and decide whether or not the case should be dismissed for a procedural reason (for example, your claim was filed too late). If the agency doesn't dismiss the complaint, it will conduct an investigation. The agency has 180 days from the day you filed your complaint to finish the investigation. When the investigation is finished, the agency will issue a notice giving you two choices: either request a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge or ask the agency to issue a decision as to whether the discrimination occurred. For a detailed description of the process, you can visit our website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-fed.cfm.

[16] 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(j)(3)(iii).

[17] See 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(i)(1)(ii).

[18] 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(j)(5)(i).

[19] 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(j)(5)(iv).

[20] 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(j)(1)(vi).

[21] 29 C.F.R. §1630.2(l).

[31] 29 C.F.R. § 1630.2(r).

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Blindness and Vision Impairments in the Workplace and the ADA

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INTRODUCTION The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 ("Amendments Act" or "ADAAA"), is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities.

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An individual with a vision impairment may be blind or have vision loss. These limitations vary depending on the individual. Vision impairment is a term that encompasses various limitations in eye function. This can include low vision, blindness, limited visual field, photosensitivity, color vision deficiency, or night blindness.

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An individual with a vision impairment may be blind or have vision loss. These limitations vary depending on the individual. Vision impairment is a term that encompasses various limitations in eye function. This can include low vision, blindness, limited visual field, photosensitivity, color vision deficiency, or night blindness.

Eye Strain / Asthenopia

Eye strain is a term that describes the overuse of the eyes. Typically, the eyes become tired from excessive use of a targeted activity, such as using the computer or monitoring a security system.
Read more about Eye Strain / Asthenopia

Blind

An individual who is blind has no vision, but may be able to see light and shadows. In other words, the individual has no useful sight. This limitation describes someone who is unable to see because of an injury, disease, or congenital condition. It may be temporary or permanent.
Read more about Blind

Vision Loss

An individual with vision loss could have a limited visual field, be unable to distinguish colors, have limitations after nightfall, be photosensitive, have low vision, or have progressive vision loss. Individuals with vision loss experience some degree of difficulty seeing even with the use of corrective lenses. Some individuals with vision loss may have usable vision remaining, while others may be unable to see at all. Vision loss is generally the result of errors of refraction, diseases of the eye, and other vision-related conditions. Accommodations may include the use of accessible materials, magnification, and text-to-speech technologies.
Read more about Vision Loss

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An individual with a vision impairment may be blind or have vision loss. These limitations vary depending on the individual. Vision impairment is a term that encompasses various limitations in eye function. This can include low vision, blindness, limited visual field, photosensitivity, color vision deficiency, or night blindness.

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Career Connect- For job seeker who are visually impaired

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Career Connect- For job seeker who are visually impaired

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The APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub is a one-stop, easy-to-use, searchable resource of transition programs across the United States. The resource is available for school-age students, teachers of the visually impaired, vocational rehabilitation professionals, and family members. Users can search for programs by state and program type; attendance fees or if the program is offered
year-round or seasonally.

Click HERE to go to the APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub.

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The APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub is a one-stop, easy-to-use, searchable resource of transition programs across the United States. The resource is available for school-age students, teachers of the visually impaired, vocational rehabilitation professionals, and family members. Users can search for programs by state and program type; attendance fees or if the program is offeredyear-round or ...

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National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

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National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

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

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NLS at the
Library of Congress

National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats, that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail free of charge.

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NLS at the Library of Congress - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress

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National Library Service is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent disability

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Bookshare | An Accessible Online Library for people with print disabilities

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Bookshare makes reading easier. People with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers can customize their experience to suit their learning style and find virtually any book they need for school, work, or the joy of reading.

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Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

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​As the student advances through high school, and particularly in the student's senior year, the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) will gradually expect the student to do more for themselves. At this point the student with low vision should be using their optical devices without difficulty and problem solving when to use them. The student should be able to advocate for their own visual needs and become increasingly independent to the extent possible. This includes expecting the student to be increasingly responsible for their own needs and solve problems independently.

As the student advances through high school, and particularly in the student's senior year, the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) will gradually expect the student to do more for themselves. At this point the student with low vision should be using their optical devices without difficulty and problem solving when to use them. The student should be able to advocate for their own visual needs and become increasingly independent to the extent possible. This includes expecting the student to be increasingly responsible for their own needs and solve problems independently.

As part of the transition plan and as part of developing self determination, encourage the student to:

Set goals for the future.

Develop a plan to achieve their goals.

Make choices about everyday activities.

Know their rights and responsibilities.

Understanding their strengths, challenges, likes and dislikes.

Understanding their accommodations.

Assist the student in developing career awareness, completing career interest inventories, and information to assist students in evaluating their academic skills and career interests. The plan should be flexible enough to allow changes in the course of study and still meet graduation requirements.
Transition services are a coordinated set of outcome-oriented activities for a student that promotes the movement (or transition) from school to post-school activities. The coordinated set of activities is based on a student's needs, preferences, and abilities and may include: Instruction and related services; community experiences; development of employment; post-school adult living objectives; daily living skills instruction; and a functional vocational evaluation.

The outcome-oriented process for the transition aged student means working at a job. The post-school activities presented by transition may include:

Post-secondary education,

Vocational training,

Integrated and/or supported employment,

Continuing and adult education,

Adult services,

Independent living services, and

Community participation. Transition services are a coordinated set of outcome-oriented activities for a student that promotes the movement (or transition) from school to post-school activities. The coordinated set of activities is based on a student's needs, preferences, and abilities and may include: Instruction and related services; community experiences; development of employment; post-school adult living objectives; daily living skills instruction; and a functional vocational evaluation.

Individual Plan for Employment (IPE)
The student along with the educational team will define an employment goal and develop an IPE. The IPE is designed to match a student's unique vocational strengths, abilities, and interests. The IPE and related individualized education program (IEP) should be aligned to ensure a unified plan of employment for the student.

Transitioning to College
For some transition age students, obtaining college degree is necessary step towards reaching the employment goal. In this situation, the team will guide student's choice of where to attend college.

How Can the School Help?
Helping students prepare for competitive employment requires a systematic approach to career development. To prepare students for employment, the IEP team can:

Create work-based learning opportunities such as job shadowing, mentoring, and work experiences with the student;

Utilize assessments to effectively assist students prepare for employment;

Make academics relevant to the world of work by noting employment applications or reading, writing, computing, thinking, etc;

Discuss a student's strengths and needs

Help students understand their disability and how to request accommodations in higher education and employment settings; and

Align accommodations provided in school with those the student may realistically receive in post-secondary education and employment settings.

Additional Transition Resources...

Trief, E., & Feeney, ​R. College bound: A guide for students with visual impairments. This resource book by AFB Press addresses everything a student needs to know to prepare them for the transition from high school to college. Topics include developing organization, note-taking, test-taking, study skills, managing living space, student-teacher relationships, social life, academic life, and extracurricular and leisure time activities.

Career Connect is an employment information resource developed by the American Foundation for the Blind for job seekers who are blind or visually impaired. Provides employment information, career exploration tools, and extensive job seeking guidance for students and adults with vision loss and the professionals who work with them.

The National Technical Center on Blindness and Visual Impairment focuses on providing employment outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Whether you are interested in employing someone who is blind or visually impaired, provide services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, or have a visual impairment yourself, this site will serve as your headquarters for resources and technical assistance.

College Success @ Perkins is a new program, designed for high school graduates who want to be fully prepared for college. The program goal is to equip students to get the most out of college by encouraging academic and personal growth, with a focus on preparing students to live on their own. The nine month program, which takes place on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA, instructs students in how to navigate a college campus, how to join clubs and sports teams and how to cook meals in a campus apartment.

Free Membership

Sign up for free membership to access the FREE downloadable templates, handbooks and handouts on the Printables page. Simply click on the Log In | Register link in the navigation bar. If you haven't joined yet, you will be prompted to create a password. ​

TVI's Guide Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources

Buy together at a reduced price and get BONUS resources!

TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI's), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student's learning objects based on the student's unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years' worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:
· TVI's Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist
· TVI's Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist

For complete product details and additional images, visit theTVI's Guide product page.

TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details
· Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)
· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
· Author: Carmen Willings
· Language: English

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements
The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.

For complete product details and additional images, visit theVisual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:
· Digital pdf download: 210 pages
· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
· Author: Carmen Willings
· Language: English

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement
The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH's Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

For complete product details and additional images, visit theThematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:
· Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
· Author: Carmen Willings
· Language: English

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement
The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide.

Additional Use:
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.

For complete product details and additional images, visit theThematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:
· Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource
· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
· Author: Carmen Willings
· Language: English

BONUS!
Lotto Cards
The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.

On My Way File Folder Cards
Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

NEW! Access to TVI's Guide Bonus Membership Pages

Note:
All products are digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number. If you encounter any difficulty, please let me know and I can assist you.

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Transition Planning for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

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Not all students will have the same transition needs. The students interests, needs, and additional disabilities will guide the transition process. It is important to involve the student in planning the IEP as well as involved in planning for their future

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You’re not alone in your journey through vision loss and blindness. American Council of the Blind (ACB) welcomes and accepts you. Guided by its members, ACB advocates for equality of people who are blind and low vision, inspires community, and connects you with education, resources, and each other t…

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The American Printing House for the Blind

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The American Printing House for the Blind

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Life with vision loss certainly comes with its own challenges. But those challenges are surmountable. In fact, there are people and organizations, like APH, advocating and innovating every day to help people with vision loss thrive.

Reliable, free information for all ages on virtually every aspect of vision loss.

Questions about vision loss?

Free APH ConnectCenter helpline:
1‑800‑232‑5463 or emailconnectcenter@aph.org

Hours of operation:
8am - 8pm

The future belongs to everyone.

New products, new technology, and new information are regularly being rolled out to make life more accessible than ever for people with vision loss.

A wealth of knowledge.

APH is as much about providing people with resources and information as it is about inventing new and helpful products. From our publication to our websites packed with useful information, we're here to help educate and advocate - always.

Accessible Magazines from APH.

APH is proud to provide Reader's Digest® in braille. Subscribers will receive a free Reader's Digest® in braille magazine every month through the mail. If you would like to sign up, contact magazines@aph.org or call 502-899-2387.

The National Library Service (NLS) provides Reader's Digest® in an audio-only form. If you already receive NLS books, you may request Reader's Digest® in audio. To sign up for an NLS account, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/.

Make a donation.

Young children, students, job seekers, adults, and seniors depend on valuable information from APH-please consider donating.

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Vision Loss - APH | The American Printing House for the Blind

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Life with vision loss certainly comes with its own challenges. But those challenges are surmountable. In fact, there are people and organizations, like APH, advocating and innovating every day to help people with vision loss thrive. Reliable, free information for all ages on virtually every aspect of vision loss.

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TapTapSee is designed to help the blind and visually impaired identify objects they encounter in their everyday lives.

Simply tap anywhere on the screen to take a picture. TapTapSee can photograph any two or three-dimensional object at any angle and speak the identification back to the user (Note: Spoken identification requires VoiceOver to be turned on).

TapTapSee helps blind and visually impaired users become more independent in their day-to-day activities.

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Blind Square - Cost 39.99, Use BlindSquare as a GPS solution

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Blind Square - Cost 39.99, Use BlindSquare as a GPS solution

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BlindSquare is pioneering accessible navigation both indoors and outdoors. Know where you are, know where you're going, travel with confidence.
Start APP, it will:

tell you the interesting places and street crossings around you

You can also search by search term or by category and g

Get contact info (address, phone number)

Open twitter feed or restaurant menu (if provided)

Make a phone call

Start tracking the place (BlindSquare will assist you by repeating the distance and the clock face direction)

Start your favorite navigator for turn-by-turn instructions (TomTom, Navigon or Apple Maps)

BlindSquare is aware of when you travel by car, bus or train and starts to report interesting places in front of you (for example, the next stops) and street crossings when you are passing them.

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BlindSquare is pioneering accessible navigation both indoors and outdoors. Know where you are, know where you're going, travel with confidence.

BlindSquare is a new solution that combines the latest technology to help the blind with their daily lives. It has been developed in collaboration with blind people and carefully field tested. You need either an iPhone or an iPad to get started. It also supports some additional accessories to enhance the experience.

How does it work?

BlindSquare uses GPS and the compass to locate you. It then gathers information about the surrounding environment from FourSquare. BlindSquare has some unique algorithms to decide what information is the most relevant and then speaks it to you with high quality speech synthesis.
"What's the most popular café within 200 meters radius? Where is the post office or the library?"

You can control BlindSquare also through voice commands. The Voice Command feature is a premium service requiring purchase of credits for continuous use. Voice Command Credits are available as an in-app purchase on the App Store.

Using BlindSquare as a GPS solution:

When you start the app, it will start telling you the interesting places and street crossings around you. By changing the radius, you can limit the area you are interested in. You can also search by search term or by category. You can select an interesting place from the search results and perform the following tasks:

1) Get contact info (address, phone number)
2) Open twitter feed or restaurant menu (if provided)
3) Make a phone call
4) Start tracking the place (BlindSquare will assist you by repeating the distance and the clock face direction)
5) Start your favourite navigator for turn-by-turn instructions (TomTom, Navigon or Apple Maps)

BlindSquare is aware of when you travel by car, bus or train and starts to report interesting places in front of you (for example, the next stops) and street crossings when you are passing them.

You can also save your own private places to iCloud so they will be found with your every device.

Using BlindSquare as a Foursquare client:

If you like to play Foursquare, you can do the following with BlindSquare:

1) Get a list of nearby FourSquare venues
2) When you are in a place, you can check in by shaking your device
3) Do a check in with commenting and twitter/facebook sharing
4) Correct the location of the place

BlindSquare supports the following languages: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean (South Korea), Norwegian, Polish, Portugues, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

VoiceOver usage is supported but it also includes higher quality additional speech synthesis by Acapela Text-To-Speech from Acapela Group.

Instructions in English: https://www.blindsquare.com/user-guide/ and https://www.blindsquare.com/faq/

Please note: This app retrieves data in real time from Foursquare and Open Street Map. Use of a flat rate data plan is highly recommended.

Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Having only been released in May 2012, BlindSquare has already received several prizes and awards:

- GSMA: Global Mobile Awards 2013, Best Mobile Health Product or Service
- Apps4Finland 2012
- OpenCities App Challenge 2012
- The Finnish Information Processing Association: Best Product 2012

Please note: To use BlindSquare, your iCloud account has to be active so BlindSquare can access it to save your settings and places.

Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Version 4.9960

- Support for Dark mode
- Bug fixes

Still my first go to app when figuring out where I am and what's around me.

Even though the GPS is not great in my area, this is the first app I open when I get turned around in my town or need to know which train stop I am coming up to. I also used this app extensively to mark my tent and other landmarks on camping trips. This app gave me the option of being far more independent while camping.
This is also the best app for identifying both the walking paths and parks along side the cafes and businesses that dot my town.
I have 2 complaints.
1 The bluetooth connectivity warning should not open every time that I open the app. Once is enough.
2. The Tracking a location using the clock face or cardinal coordinates takes a lot of practice and concentration. It was very cool once I figured it out.

Street Notification vacations

This app is pretty good but you have to know where you're going in order for this app to be successful, I would like to see when it announces upcoming streets what side of the street they are on Briggs ample if you were walking along the right hand side of the street and it says Apple Street 10 o'clock it would be nice to know if it's only on your left-hand side or straightahead of you anyway other than that pretty good app besides getting turn by turn

Great App, But Needs Improvement

I'vb used this app since 2013 and I love it. The biggest problem I've run into is that it reports inaccurate addresses and street names when I make turns. The only correct information it reports for a time is the direction I'm going, and that's how I know what street I'm on. Like someone said in another review, you have to have familiarity with where you are or you'll be totally confused. I live in the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles area.

Information

Compatibility

Requires iOS 9.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Languages

English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Location

This app may use your location even when it isn't open, which can decrease battery life.

In-App Purchases

1. 200 Voice Command credits $5.99

2. 400 Voice Command credits $9.99

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎BlindSquare is pioneering accessible navigation both indoors and outdoors. Know where you are, know where you're going, travel with confidence. BlindSquare is a new solution that combines the latest technology to help the blind with their daily lives. It has been developed in collaboration with bli...

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Be My Eyes connects you with a global community of volunteers and company representatives who are ready at a moment’s notice to help you see – to lend their eyesight and support with everyday tasks.

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Need a pair of sharp eyes? Or have some sight to lend? Be My Eyes is a simple, free tool to see the world better, together.

Be My Eyes connects you with a global community of volunteers and company representatives who are ready at a moment's notice to help you see - to lend their eyesight and support with everyday tasks.

FREE. GLOBAL. 24/7.
Be My Eyes is a multi-lingual support community millions strong, available globally day or night, and has volunteers answering calls in more than 185 languages. Join the community today!

Sign up to get free visual support with tasks like reading small print, matching clothes, troubleshooting technology, setting up home appliances, or any other simple task a volunteer can complete over live video. If a task is too complicated or requires expertise, call one of our company partners for on-demand video customer support via Specialized Help.

If you have eyesight you want to share, sign up as a volunteer and answer calls from a person in need! Tasks are usually completed in just a few minutes, and if you're busy there's no need to answer - someone else will get it.

HOW IT WORKS:
1. Anyone 17 or older may sign up as a user or volunteer.
2. Calls are connected based on daytime timezone and language. Average wait time is about 15 seconds.
3. When a call is answered, a live one-way video (two-way audio) is initiated, allowing volunteers or company reps to see what's in front of the user's camera and provide verbal support.
Note: Specialized Help availability varies by region and company opening hours.

WHAT CAN VOLUNTEERS HELP YOU WITH?
* Reading home appliances
* Reading product labels
* Matching outfits and identifying clothes
* Help in the kitchen
* Reading digital displays or computer screens
* Navigating TV or game menus
* Operating vending machines or kiosks
* Sorting music collections or other libraries
* Picking jewelry or crafts

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH SPECIALIZED HELP?
* Web and Computer Technology
* Health and Beauty Products
* Banking and Finance
* Nonprofit Organizations
* More

WHAT'S NEW:
* We've just reached 3 million volunteers! Thank you for making Be My Eyes the biggest community support micro-volunteering platform ever.

SELECTED AWARDS:
* 2020 Dubai Expo Global Innovator.
* 2018 Winner of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards at the NFB National Convention.
* 2018 Winner of AbilityNet Accessibility Award at the Tech4Good Awards.
* 2017 Winner of World Summit Awards - Inclusion and Empowerment.

Version 4.0.2

- Minor bug fixes and improvements
- Translated into even more languages

We release updates regularly and we're always looking for ways to make things better. If something is not working, if you have a great idea, or if you just want to say hello, then email us at info@bemyeyes.com, we would love to hear from you!

Be My Eyes will not prompt you for a review. If you feel generous or have a couple of minutes, please leave a review. It makes a huge difference to us. Thank you in advance.

Editors' Choice

There's a special place in the App Store's heart for altruistic apps, and Be My Eyes is an instantly effective example of one. It connects people who are blind or who have low vision with sighted volunteers who can help with day-to-day tasks. You'll choose whether you'd like to join the thousands of people receiving assistance or the millions of volunteers providing it. Both parties will select their preferred language(s), and video calls can be initiated with a tap.

I am a volunteer and it brightens up my day!

I love answering calls because it humbles me that low vision or blind people go through a lot of extra work just to get through daily life. And to be able to make it easier for them means the world to me. It ALWAYS makes me smile even if I'm having a bad day by helping. Everyone is so grateful and wonderful to work with. I even helped out a man with narrowed vision who voluntarily goes out and helps homeless people and needed help reading a SUPER small print sheet that had all the resources for people in need. He just needed to find the one for housing to help people get back on their feet. Not only are they giving back and volunteering, but I felt a part of it at the same time because I was able to help him find the resources he needed so he could give out to those he helps who are homeless. Someone with a disability giving back in the way they receive help themselves is the definition of giving forward. And I just think this is Suh an amazing app, with amazing people all over the world. I can't want until my next call to help out someone new. Now if I could also meet them, that would just mean the world to me to meet these incredible people. They inspire me.

Wonderful Concept

I love having this app on my phone. While I have only received two calls in the last 6 months (I was too late to answer my first call, but successfully answered the second call today!), it's still amazing that I was able to help someone with something so small; something the rest of us take for granted every day.

Today a woman called asking if I could help her adjust her thermostat. When she pointed the camera, it was a little low. I asked her to hold the phone up a little, and then I was able to see the thermostat clearly. Her heat was set on 70°, so she counted the buttons up to 75° and I let her know she had successfully turned her heat up. She said she didn't need anymore help and thanked me for helping! I told her she was welcome and to have a great day. She was very sweet and I was glad I got to help:)

A lot of these reviews seem to forget this app is for the visually impaired. It isn't about how many calls you get to answer, or how great you feel because you volunteered. This app is designed to help those who need it. I think it's wonderful that so many people volunteer, regardless of the number of people that need help.

The developer, Be My Eyes, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 13.6 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 13.6 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 13.6 or later.

Languages

English, Afrikaans, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese

Age Rating

17+ Unrestricted Web Access

In-App Purchases

1. Support Be My Eyes $9.99

2. Support Be My Eyes $19.99

3. Support Be My Eyes $0.99

4. Support Be My Eyes $1.99

5. Support Be My Eyes $2.99

Siri

Get things done within this app using just your voice.

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‎Need a pair of sharp eyes? Or have some sight to lend? Be My Eyes is a simple, free tool to see the world better, together. Be My Eyes connects you with a global community of volunteers and company representatives who are ready at a moment's notice to help you see - to lend their eyesight and suppo...

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Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world and describe nearby people, text and objects.

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‎Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed with and for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world by describing nearby people, text and objects. Seeing AI provides tools to assist with a variety…

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Teaching Resource -  Free - Learn and train touch reading

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Teaching Resource -  Free - Learn and train touch reading

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Effectively learn, practice and test Unified English Braille (UEB, a system of touch reading for visually impaired people) with a unique method. Learn while playing.

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Effectively learn, practice and test Unified English Braille (UEB, a system of touch reading for visually impaired people) with a unique method. Learn while playing.

Features:
- 13 chapters, namely Letters, Numbers, Basic Punctuations, Special Symbols, Alphabetic Wordsigns, Strong Contractions, Strong Wordsigns, Strong Groupsigns, Lower Groupsigns, Lower Wordsigns, Initial Letter Contractions, Final Letter Groupsigns and Shortform Words.
- Teaches strategically Braille of all 26 letters of the English alphabet, numbers 0 - 9, 12 most frequently used punctuation marks, 8 most frequently used special symbols, 23 alphabetic word signs, 38 contractions, 12 wordsigns, 34 groupsigns and 75 short-form words.
- 59 levels and 29 challenges in total teach, train and test more than 90% of the entire Unified English Braille knowledge.
- Various themes to choose from including the Contrast theme (more contrast and bolder text) for visually impaired.
- Absolutely no disturbing ads.
- On the Explore page, you can click and see the Braille representations of all the 26 letters, numbers 0 - 9, 12 punctuation marks and 8 special symbols.
- After passing all the levels and challenges in one chapter, you can get a certificate on the Certificate page.
- On the Settings page, you can switch on and off button sound, key sound, button vibration, key vibration vibration on error and keyboard layout.
- More learning and training materials will be added in the future updates.
- Works completely offline.

Please note, this app is not specially designed for people with severe visual impairment, but with feedback and suggestions from them, we are certainly working in that direction (improving talkback/voiceover experiences).

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What's Braille?

Braille is a system of touch reading and writing for visually impaired people, in which raised dots represent the letters of the alphabet, numbers, punctuation marks, special symbols and so on. It is named after its creator, Louis Braille, a Frenchman who lost his sight in his childhood and later developed a code for the French alphabet. These characters have rectangular blocks called cells which have tiny bumps called raised dots. The number and arrangement of these dots distinguish one character from another.

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What's Braille Academy?

Braille Academy is developed to help those who are curious about and interested in learning the Braille system. The two key teaching concepts are gradual introduction and focused repetition. The learning material is categorized into chapters and then levels to ensure efficient learning and training. If you are not particularly interested in Braille but in training and improving your memory in general, Braille Academy is also a useful tool.

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Levels and challenges?

In short, a level focuses on introducing new characters with a small amount of repetition while a challenge trains what you've learnt already. In a level, you can click the INFO BUTTON (on the left) to read some TIPS and the hint button (on the right) to see the correct answer. The hints are infinite and always free. In a challenge, you can't use the hint button anymore and you must make less than 3 mistakes to pass it.

In conclusion, I wish you a lot of success and a lot of fun in learning Braille!

Privacy Policy: https://dong.digital/braille/privacy
Terms of Use: https://dong.digital/braille/tos

Incredibly simple - in a good way!

I've always wanted to learn braille but I thought it would take a massive amount of time and I found it to be a bit intimidating. I found this app and it really simplified the process for me to the point where I'm almost laughing at the fact that I waited so long to to learn it. This app isn't overly stimulating like so many of the others. I found it to be basic enough to where it actually serves its purpose and it's also not overly boring. To be honest, it's just right! It makes the learning part easy. Thank you to the developer!

Enjoyable so far

Just a few minutes into using the app, but the format and pace seem enjoyable. Haven't been pressured yet to make in-app purchases.

Great app

I learned the entire braille alphabet in just an hour! I'm probably going to get premium so i can learn everything else. This makes braille super easy to learn at a great pace, thanks :)

The developer, Xiang Dong, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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Effectively learn, practice and test Unified English Braille (UEB, a system of touch reading for visually impaired people) with a unique method. Learn while playing.

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If you serve students in the San Francisco Bay Area, you are eligible under 5310 to receive free tactile maps of BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) stations and Salesforce Transit Center.

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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Paratransit is available in cities with fixed bus/train routes for those with disabilities. Paratransit is available to those who are not able to use the fixed bus or train routes in the city. Paratransit allows you to schedule rides and they will pick you up and drop you off at certain locations.

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Welcome to East Bay Paratransit

East Bay Paratransit is a public transit service for people who are unable to use regular buses or trains, like those operated by AC Transit and BART, because of a disability or a disabling health condition. East Bay Paratransit transports riders from their origin to their destination in vans equipped with a wheelchair lift. East Bay Paratransit was established by AC Transit and BART to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Contact Information

Phone Numbers:

Main Phone Number (510) 287-5000

Toll Free 1-800-555-8085

Fax (510) 287-5069

Alternative Formats

Information found on this website can be provided in an alternative format upon request. Please contact Customer Service at 510-287-5000 to speak to a representative or email the Quality Assurance Manager Jasher Nowland at Jasher.Nowland@transdev.com. East Bay Paratransit will do its best to provide the requested alternative format within a reasonable time.

Address & Directions

Rider Informational Documents:

East Bay Paratransit Riders Guide

All About East Bay Paratransit

Standing Orders

Tips for Dialysis

Celebrating the 32nd Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

A Special Message Celebrating 32 Years of the ADA

COVID-19 Updates

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Welcome to East Bay Paratransit East Bay Paratransit is a public transit service for people who are unable to use regular buses or trains, like those operated by AC Transit and BART, because of a disability or a disabling health condition. East Bay Paratransit transports riders from their origin to their destination in vans equipped with a wheelchair lift.