The Self-help Resource Center for Vision LossAZ - Arizona Vision Services
Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc.
3100 East Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008
602-273-7411
602-273-7410 (Fax)
www.acbvi.org
E-mail contacts: www.acbvi.org/contact/email.html
The mission of the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is to enhance the quality of life of people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired, by providing a wide range of services, which include:
- Assistive technology training
- Counseling/Social work
- Orientation and Mobility
- Rehabilitation Teaching/Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
- Social recreation
- Assistive Technology Arizona Program
- Vocational Rehabilitation Job Training Program
Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration
1789 West Jefferson 2, NW
Phoenix, AZ 85007
800-563-1221 (Toll free)
602-542-3332
602-542-3778 (Fax)
www.azdes.gov
Programs and services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired:
www.azdes.gov/rsa/blind.asp
Programs and services include:
- Arizona Industries for the Blind
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation Instructional Services
- Independent Living
- The Business Enterprise Program
Assistech Special Needs
4801 W. Calle Don Miguel
Tucson, AZ 85757
866-674-3549 (Voice/TTY)
520-883-5926 (Fax)
www.assistech.com
Send e-mail
Assistech™ carries a complete line of assistive products for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired, speech impaired, and physically challenged. They also feature products for the general public, such as medicine reminder watches and electronic language translators.
Bossert Specialties, Inc.
The Magnifying Center
5130 North 19th Avenue, Suite 7
Phoenix, AZ 85015
800-776-5885 (Toll free)
602-956-6637
602-956-1008 (Fax)
www.wemagnify.com
E-mail: info@magnifyingcenter.com
Offers a range of low vision and magnifying products, including magnifying glasses, hand-held magnifiers, reading lamps, video magnifiers for reading and writing, canes, protective eyewear, talking products, and products for people with hearing impairments.
Chism Low Vision
888-243-2020 (Toll free)
www.chismlowvision.com
E-mail: visionsource-tyler@suddenlinkmail.com
Dr. Larry Chism speaks to every patient on the telephone before scheduling a one-hour low vision evaluation appointment. Dr. Chism travels to multiple locations throughout Texas and Arizona to provide advanced low vision services. He presently sees patients on selected days in the following locations:
- Texas: Georgetown, Grand Prairie, Houston, New Braunfels, Tyler, and Austin
- Arizona: Phoenix
Educating Mentoring Visually Impaired Association (EMVIA)
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-290-4770
520-290-4170 (Fax)
www.emviatucson.org
E-mail: info@emviatucson.org
EMVIA is a comprehensive resource in Tucson, Arizona for people with visual impairments, their families, and their friends. The mission of EMVIA is to educate, mentor, inform, and help visually impaired people and their families deal with the many issues they face.
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
National Office Headquarters:
141 Middle Neck Road
Sands Point, NY 11050-1218
Switchboard hours: 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
516-944-8900 (Voice)
516-944-8908 (VP)
516-944-8637 (TTY)
516-944-7302 (Fax)
E-mail: hkncinfo@hknc.org
Regional Representative contact information: www.hknc.org/FieldServicesREGREPADD.htm
The Center provides services to youth and adults who are deaf-blind according to the definition of deaf-blindness in the Helen Keller Act. The national center in New York and regional offices that serve each state provide advocacy, support groups, information, and services to people who have both a vision and a hearing loss.
The mission of the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC) is to enable each person who is deaf-blind to live and work in his or her community of choice. Authorized by an Act of Congress in 1967, the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults is a national rehabilitation program serving youth and adults who are deaf-blind.
Midwestern University Eye Institute
19379 North 59th Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85308
623-537-6000
www.mwuclinic.com/Eye_Institute.html
The faculty and students from the Arizona College of Optometry offers a wide range of services, including infant vision testing and seniors with low vision.
Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired
3767 East Grant Road
Tucson, AZ 85716
520-795-1331
520-795-1336 (Fax)
www.saavi.us
E-mail: reception@saavi.us
Programs and services include:
- Aids and Appliances
- Assistive Technology Center
- Comprehensive Day Based Training Program
- Fitness Center
- Independent Living Skills and Orientation and Mobility
- Social Clubs
- Steppin' Out: Independent Community Living Program
- Vocational Adjustment Services
Southwest Low Vision, Inc.
6595 North Oracle Road, Suite 123
Tucson, AZ 85704-7736
888-534-4321 (Toll free)
520-297-0027
www.southwestlowvision.com
E-mail: southwest.vision@gmail.com
Southwest Low Vision offers a range of low vision solutions, including magnifying glasses, reading lamps, video magnifiers for reading and writing, and links to resources and organizations.
A new mobile service will now include portions of New Mexico.
Sun Sounds of Arizona
http://sunsounds.org
E-mail: info@sunsounds.org
Additional contact information
Sun Sounds of Arizona provides audio access to information to people in the Southwest who cannot read print due to a disability. Sun Sounds of Arizona has recording facilities in Flagstaff, Tucson, and Tempe, and also serves listeners in Yuma with daily local and national newspapers, magazines, and books. There is no cost to listeners for this service.
United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs
The mission of the Veterans' Healthcare System (VHA) is to serve the needs of America's veterans by providing primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services. Approximately a quarter of the nation's population -- approximately 70 million people -- are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.
Facilities Locator Home Page:
Use this search feature to locate VA facility-related information quickly and accurately.
Fact Sheets about VA Services:
Use this search feature to locate VA News Releases and Fact Sheets on topics that include health care and benefits.
Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Veterans:
The mission of the VA Blind Rehabilitation Service is to coordinate a healthcare service delivery system that provides a continuum of care for blinded veterans extending from their home environment to the local VA facility and to the appropriate rehabilitation setting.
Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST):
The Visual Impairment Service Team (VIST) Coordinator serves as the initial contact person for getting help with vision loss. VIST Coordinators are located at local VA Medical Centers across the country. They work to ensure that veterans with visual impairments receive appropriate benefits and services.
The VIST Coordinator is a case manager who has major responsibility for the coordination of all services for legally blind veterans and their families. Duties include providing and/or arranging for the provision of appropriate treatment plans and programs in order to enhance a blinded veteran's functioning level.
Other duties include identifying new cases of blindness, providing professional counseling, resolving problems, arranging annual healthcare reviews, and conducting education programs relating to blindness.
Services for blind and visually impaired veterans include:
- Orientation and Mobility
- Independent Living Skills
- Manual Skills
- Visual Skills and Low Vision Services
- Computer Access Training
- Physical Conditioning
- Recreation
- Adjustment to Blindness
- Family Program
ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center
1830 South Alma School Road, Suite 131
Mesa, AZ 85210
866-924-8755 (Toll free)
480-924-8755
480-854-1864 (Fax)
10001 West Bell Road, Suite 115
Sun City, AZ 85351
866-924-8755 (Toll free)
623-583-2800
623-583-1556 (Fax)
www.viewfinderlowvision.com
E-mail: info@ViewFinderLowVision.com
ViewFinder offers a comprehensive selection of magnification products and daily living aids to assist people with visual impairment. ViewFinder also serves as a low vision resource center to provide information on other services and agencies available to assist people with visual impairment.
Copyright ©2011 by American Foundation for the Blind. All rights reserved.

