Clotilde, LLC
PO Box 7500
Big Sandy, TX 75755-7500
1-800-545-4002
E-mail: customer_service@clotilde.com

Quilting supplies, sewing notions, needle threaders, regular and adaptive sewing supplies.

Copper Dots
Craft Books in Braille
Marjorie Arnott
4233 East La Costa Drive
Sungroves, AZ 85249
480-345-8773
E-mail: marnott@extremezone.com

Copper Dots offers patterns and books in braille for knitting and crocheting. Recipe books are also available.

NEW INDEPENDENCE! Craft Adaptations for Adults With Vision Impairments (Revised)

Author: Stephanie Stephens Van
Editor: Maureen A. Duffy
150 pages, available in Acrobat PDF format

$25 US: Purchase and Download Here

Note: We recommend Adobe Acrobat 7.0 to view PDF files. Acrobat Reader 7.0 is free and has built-in accessiblity functions that work with access technology.

Crafting keeps the creative spirit active and energized and is a source of great satisfaction, joy, pride, and accomplishment for many participants. Crafts can be used for therapeutic or social purposes, and can be enjoyed as solo or group experiences. The emphasis, however, should always be enjoyment!

People who have enjoyed making crafts at different times in their lives prior to vision loss may think they can no longer continue. Also, individuals who would like to begin making crafts for the first time may hesitate because of reduced vision. But we know, from years of teaching experience with individuals who have little or no sight, that it is possible to continue the enjoyable activity of craft-making. This book — with its extensive range of easy adaptations — will show you how it can be done!

The contents have been tried and tested over many years by Vision Rehabilitation Therapist and author Stephanie Stephens Van. Stephanie is a highly qualified, experienced, and respected professional within the field of vision rehabilitation. This updated and expanded version includes five additional crafts, and a new introduction, resource section, and hints list.

About the Author

Stephanie Stephens Van, M.A., CVLT has 25 years experience as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, Rehabilitation Teacher, and Certified Low Vision Therapist. She has been an Activities Director, Supervisor of Rehabilitation and Social Services, and consultant for a variety of public and private vision rehabilitation agencies. Stephanie has a Master's degree in Blind Rehabilitation from Western Michigan University.

She also wrote A Day on the Road with Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT) Stephanie Stephens Van, an informative article that explains to readers of VisionAWARE what a VRT does to help people cope with vision impairment.

Stephanie has lectured nationally on adapted crafts and leisure activities; adjustment to blindness and low vision; functional vision skills; and activities of daily living. She is also an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment at Salus University (formerly the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.)

NEW INDEPENDENCE! Craft Adaptations for Adults with Vision Impairments (Revised) is published by AWARE (Associates for World Action in Rehabilitation and Education), PO Box 96, Mohegan Lake, New York, 10547, USA; 914-528-5120.

Our sincere thanks also go to Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation for supporting the original and revised versions of New Independence! Craft Adaptations for Adults with Vision Impairments

For more information, contact the above address or visit www.visionaware.org. E-mail: info@visionaware.org

This and other publications may be ordered from AWARE. All requests for reprint permissions should also be addressed to AWARE.

1997 AWARE; Revised 2007
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-882503-08-7

P.O. Box 5282
Madison, WI 53705
888-444-7728 (Toll free)
888-444-6762 (Fax)
http://craftoptics.com
E-mail: info@craftoptics.com

CraftOptics Telescopes offer clear, hands-free magnification at an ergonomic working angle and distance. The telescopes are designed for artists, craftspeople, and hobbyists of all types, including knitters, jewelers, card players, and model builders.

Economy Handicrafts
932 46th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219
1-800-216-1601 (Toll free)
718-431-9300
877-216-1604 (Fax toll free)
718-431-9309 (Fax NY)
E-mail: customerservice@economyhandicrafts.com

Inexpensive craft supplies and kits; seasonal and holiday crafts

ElderSong Publications
Creative Activities Materials for Older Adults
P.O. Box 74
Mt Airy, MD 21771
800-397-0533 (Toll free)
301-829-0533
301-829-5249 (Fax)
E-mail: info@eldersong.com

Publisher and distributor of books, videos and recordings for activity directors, recreation and creative art therapists, and other caregivers who work with older adults.

Horizons for the Blind
2 North Williams Street
Crystal Lake, IL 60014-4401
800-318-2000 (Toll free)
815-444-8800 (Voice and TDD)
815-444-8830 Fax
E-mail: mail@horizons-blind.org

Provides braille, large print, and audiocassette instruction in crafts; plants and gardening; and recipes. Also offers knitting, crocheting, and sewing needles and craft supplies.

 Independent Living Aids, Inc.

200 Robbins Lane
Jericho, NY 11753
800-537-2118 (Toll free)
516-937-1848
516-937-3906 (Fax)
E-mail: orders@independentliving.com

Independent Living Aids (ILA) offers products for the blind, deaf, vision- and hearing-impaired, including bath accessories; canes and walkers, CCTVs; clocks and timers; computers and technology; kitchen aids; electronics; food and novelties; games; recreation; health care; household; jewelry; lamps; magnifiers; personal care; talking devices; hearing impaired telephones; clocks and watches; braille products; writing materials and more.

VisionAWARE is an affiliate for Independent Living Aids and any purchase from Independent Living Aids made from this web site by clicking on one of their products helps VisionAWARE.

135 Kero Road
Carlstadt, NJ 07072
800-258-YARN (9276) (Toll free)
http://lionbrand.com

The accessible Lion Brand Yarn web site provides options for font size, brailler input, pdf pattern downloads, and viewing without pictures.

Lion provides free knitting, crochet, and craft patterns, free instructions for knitting and crocheting, a directory of knitting and crochet clubs, and a free weekly email newsletter.

Click to purchase Max-Aids Products through Amazon.com.

Maxi-Aids
42 Executive Boulevard
Farmingdale, NY 11735
800-522-6294 (orders)
631-752-0521 (information)
631-752-0738 (TDD)
631-752-0689 (Fax)
www.maxiaids.com
E-mail: sales@maxiaids.com

Maxi-Aids offers alerting indicators; assistive tools; braille products; canes for the blind; labeling and marking; large print; lighting; low vision products; magnification; players/recorders; radios; games, recreation, and leisure; sewing aids; talking products; writing and reading aids.

Mayster Braille Loom®
301-951-1899
301-951-1897 (Fax)
www.maysterbrailleloom.com
E-mail: jjmaydesigns@aol.com

Jennifer Mayster conceived the idea for a special kind of loom that would allow her students who were blind or had low vision to learn braille and weaving at the same time. Using the Perkins Brailler as a model, she invented the Mayster Braille Loom. The loom has seven shafts and seven front levers, which correspond to the levers on the Perkins Brailler.

The loom is strung with yarn of different colors and textures. Each color and texture corresponds to one of the six braille dots. The weaver simultaneously pushes a combination of these levers, which lift different sets of strings and create textile patterns that are actually words. Blind persons can read these words by touch, and sighted persons may decipher the words by the color combination.

Oriental Trading Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 3407
Omaha, NE 68103-0407
1-800-875-8480

Bulk supplier of inexpensive craft supplies, novelties, party favors, and seasonal decorations

S&S Worldwide
P.O. Box 513
75 Mill Street
Colchester, CT 06415-0513
1-800-288-9941 (Toll free)
860-537-3451
1-800-566-6678 (Fax)
E-mail: cservice@ssww.com

One-stop superstore for art and craft supplies and kits; sports equipment, games, party products, education and rehabilitation products.

SAX Arts and Crafts
2725 South Moorland Road
New Berlin, WI 53151
1-800-558-6696 (Toll free)
1-800-328-4729 (Toll free fax)
E-mail: info@saxarts.com; catalog@saxarts.com

Supplier of most types of craft materials, including seasonal and holiday crafts.

PST Innovations
Creator of the Spiral Eye Needle
P.O. Box 49605
Blaine, MN 55449-0605
952-937-0445
www.spiraleyeneedles.com
E-mail: Jessi@spiraleyeneedles.com

Spiral Eye side threading needles have an opening on the side of the eye and thus stay threaded longer. They are self-sharpening and available in three different sizes for a variety of sewing and craft projects.

P.O. Box 461960
Aurora, CO 80046
800-294-0039 (Toll free)
866-DAYLIGHT (329-5444)
http://us.daylightcompany.com
E-mail: info.us@daylightcompany.com

Daylight is a leading manufacturer of floorstanding and table top lamps for crafters, needleworkers, and artists. Daylight™ technology provides full-spectrum light, with true color, low heat, and energy-saving technology.

Products include a wide range of reading, table, and floor lamps for people with low vision.