Adjusting to life in the dark is challenging at best, even terrifying, or just the mere thought of living a life in darkness can be overwhelming. And yet, people from all levels of society, social classes, anywhere in the world, of any age, or race, have somehow faced the challenge head on to adjust to a new way of life.
The findings from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data release conducted in 2018, established that an estimated 32.2 million adult Americans reported they either “have trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or that they are blind or unable to see at all.
Firsthand accounts of descriptions vary from seeing complete darkness, like being in a cave, to seeing sparks or experiencing vivid visual hallucinations that may take to form of recognizable shapes, colors, or flashes of light.
Adopting to vision loss is a sequential process. It parallels the pattern of adjusting to any of life’s traumas or crises and can be a lengthy process or a quicker response for adjustment.
Back in time, there was not available the vast resources of today available to the vision impaired or blind to help adjust and live in a vastly different environment. But the challenges remain.
Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IBVI) has a page on their blog entitled, “How to Prepare When You Are Going Blind”
https://ibvi.org/blog/how-to-prepare-when-you-are-going-blind/
American Federation for the Blind www.afb.org The AFB launched VisionAware with a comprehensive resource about adjusting to vision loss and adapting your home and daily living.
National Federation of the Blind www.nfb.org The NFB has many programs and services for people who are blind and is the most distinguished advocacy organization for the blind and low vision individuals in the United States. https://nfb.org/our-community/people-who-are-blind/
Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired https://www.in.gov/isbvi/
Since 1847, this institution has provided educational resources that includes a residential program and day school, outreach services, and consultative services to those in local agencies, and one of the largest in the country.
Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation https://www.indianabcf.org/index.php
Founded in 1993, the mission of the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation (IBCF) is to invest in children with visual impairments so each child will thrive in school and daily life. IBCF is a philanthropic foundation that financially supports the unique work of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
BOSMA https://www.bosma.org/
For over 100 years, Bosma has helped Indiana folks navigate blindness. Through a social enterprise model, Bosma provides vital products & services to the government and private companies. This in turn provides employment for people with vision loss who would otherwise face a 70% unemployment rate.
My Vision www.myvision.org A challenge for millions of people with a visual impairment is how they can effectively use the internet for e-learning, shopping, remote working, business, and other key aspects of their everyday living. We recently published a guide on internet accessibility for the blind and impaired. myvision.org/guides/internet-accessibility-guide/
American Action Fund https://www.actionfund.org/ We provide programs and services to the blind and deafblind mostly without cost and always with an emphasis on Braille. We inspire the fundamental importance of independence.
SingleCare: Visually impaired people are more than twice as likely to need help with medication management. Our guide is designed to help navigate this complicated process safely providing advice on tips for organization & storage, medication safety tips & dosage information, scheduling reminders, and much more. https://www.singlecare.com/blog/medication-management-for-people-who-are-visually-impaired/
Boca Recovery Center
https://bocarecoverycenter.com/addiction/physical-disability-addiction/ offers accessible
treatment options for anyone with physical disabilities which can be substantially more limited because the tools normally used to screen, diagnose, or treat addiction may need to be modified or simply will not work, depending on a person’s disability. We at Boca can accommodate individuals with physical disabilities so they can get the life-changing care they need to effectively manage their addictions.
Lions Clubs International https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-global-causes/vision Ever since Helen Keller inspired us to champion the cause in 1925, we’ve served and advocated for the blind and visually impaired. Nearly a century later, this long-standing mission continues unhindered.
The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. https://lhblind.org/who-we-are/ is a private, not-for-profit social enterprise providing employment, support, and training opportunities for people who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities.
Valley Center for the Blind https://myvcb.org/ Turning blindness into a mere inconvenience rather than a barrier to success by helping clients surpass expectations by instilling confidence and ensuring abilities.
Blindness Support Services, Inc. http://www.blindnesssupport.com/resources.html
And for our veterans is Blinded Veterans Association www.bva.org
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