American Bible Society
1865 Broadway
New York, NY 10023-7505
212-408-1200
www.americanbible.org [link opens in new window]

E-mail: info@americanbible.org

Provides the Bible in braille, large print, and cassette, in English and Spanish. Call for ordering and price information.

American Foundation for the Blind
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
800-232-5463 (800-AFB-LINE)
212-502-7600
212-502-7777 (Fax)
E-mail: afbinfo@afb.net

AFB Center on Vision Loss
11030 Ables Lane
Dallas, TX 75229
214-352-7222
E-mail: dallas@afb.net

AFB TECH
949 3rd Avenue, Suite 200
Huntington, WV 25701
304-523-8651
E-mail: AFBTECH@afb.net

Find Vision Rehabilitation Services and Support Groups

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) provides a 'Where Can I Find…' database of services in the United States and Canada. The database includes extensive resources, including computer training, rehabilitation services, volunteer services, employment and job training, support groups, and many other helpful areas.

[all links on this page open in a new window] In addition, the American Foundation for the Blind 

• Provides services to, and acts as an information clearinghouse for, people who are blind or visually impaired and their families, professionals, organizations, schools, and corporations
• Stimulates research and mounts program initiatives to improve services to blind or visually impaired people
• Publishes a wide variety of professional, reference, and consumer books and videos.

Art Education for the Blind

Art Beyond Sight
589 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
www.artbeyondsight.org  
E-mail: Coordinator@ArtBeyondSight.org

Art Beyond Sight is a one-stop resource for bringing art and culture to people with visual impairments. Programs and services include:

• Discussion groups
• Listservs
• Web-based art courses
• Disability awareness training
• Museum Handbook
• Teacher resource center

Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill Industries

422 South Clinton Ave.
Rochester, NY 14620-1198
585-232-1111
585-232-1698
www.abvi-goodwill.org
E-mail: info@abvi-goodwill.com

ABVI-Goodwill is the only not-for-profit agency in the Greater Rochester Area that provides a full range of vision rehabilitation and employment and training services to people who are blind or visually impaired. Programs and services include:

• Support Services
• Counseling Services
• Low Vision Services
• Rehabilitation Teaching/Adaptive Skills Training
• Orientation and Mobility Services
• Consumer Shoppe
• Multimedia Center
• Children's Services
• Career and Training
• Project Eye Care
• Reachout Radio
• Informational Resources

Association for the Visually Impaired, Inc.

Rockland County office:
260 Old Nyack Turnpike
Spring Valley, NY 10977
845-574-4950
845-574-4944 (Fax)

Orange County office:
130 Dolson Avenue, Suite 3A
Middletown, NY 10940
845-355-6119
845-574-4944 (Fax)
www.avi-eyes.org  
E-mail: avi@avi-eyes.org

The Association for the Visually Impaired, Inc. (AVI) is a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1973, that serves blind and severely visually impaired residents of Rockland and Orange Counties in New York. Services are provided on a one-to-one basis in consumers' homes and communities. Our goal is to enable our consumers to function independently and to maximize their potential.

Programs and services include:

• Orientation and Mobility
• Rehabilitation Teaching (Personal Management, Home Management, and Communication Skills)
• Social Work Services
• Educational/Support Groups
• The Technology Resource Center
• Volunteer Services
• Community Outreach Education

Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc.

174 Court Street
Binghamton, NY 13901-3514
607-724-2428
607-771-8045 (Fax)
www.avreus.org  
E-mail: avreinfo@avreus.org  

The Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc. (A.V.R.E.) is a private, non-profit organization that serves people with vision disabilities. People of all ages, from infants to elders, can and do benefit from our services. We offer a range of learning, living, and working options for people who have a vision disability.

A.V.R.E. works with individuals who live in the New York counties of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins, as well as the Pennsylvania counties of Bradford, Susquehanna, and Tioga.

Programs and services include:

• Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Services
• Low Vision Services
• Orientation and Mobility
• ACCESS-Tech Center
• Counseling Services
• Adaptive Aids and Devices
• Infants and Children Services
• Employment and Career Services
• Senior Vision Services
• Support Groups

Aurora of Central New York, Inc.

518 James Street
Suite 100
Syracuse, NY 13203
315-422-7263
315-422-4792 (Fax)
315-422-9746 (TTY/TDD)
www.auroraofcny.org  
E-mail: auroracny@auroraofcny.org

AURORA is the only Upstate New York-area non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting independence and opportunity for individuals who are experiencing a sensory loss. To that end, a full range of rehabilitative and support services are provided by professional and competent staff members who are specialists in their field.

The following services are tailored to meet the unique needs, dignity, and privacy of each individual:

• Hard of Hearing and Deaf Services 
• Blind Services
• Deaf-Blind Services

Find New York State Services

Blindline[link opens in new window] hosts a searchable database of New York State services.[link opens in new window]

Blindline is a fully accessible web site created by VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in collaboration with the American Foundation for the Blind. Blindline's mission is to provide direct access to a New York statewide database of organizations and services for people who are blind or visually impaired, their family members, counselors, and other professionals. The site is comprehensive and is regularly updated.

Blindline also provides links to additional New York state resources, including assistive products, audio-described movies, low vision services, employment and job training, and housing services.

Catholic Charities Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD)

147 Schleigel Boulevard
Amityville, NY 11701
631-789-5218 (Phone/TTY)
www.catholiccharities.cc/ourservices/disabilities.html
E-mail: question@catholiccharities.cc

The Office For Persons With Disabilities (OPD) encourages clients to attain their highest possible level of independent, socially integrated, and productive living.

Programs and services for blind and visually impaired persons include:

• Orientation and mobility instruction enables clients to function independently and safely in their neighborhoods, work places, other daily environments, and to use public transportation. 
• Rehabilitation training helps newly disabled people acquire communication and daily living skills like braille, telecommunications, cooking, home management, and handling money. 
• Counseling enables clients to adjust to their vision loss. 
• Visually impaired adults in Nassau County can share in weekly recreational, educational, and interfaith programs at the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) Club. Transportation and a hot lunch are provided.

Cattaraugus County Association for the Blind and Visually Handicapped/Interfaith Caregivers

34 North Fourth Street
Allegany, NY 14706
716-372-6283
716-373-6326 (Fax)
E-mail: intfaith@localnet.com
No web site at present

Services include:

• Low Vision Center/Clinic
• In-Home Services: Telephone reassurance, respite, friendly visits, and services such as minor home repairs, lawn mowing, and shoveling snow for seniors
• Transportation services for seniors

Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

507 Kent Street
Utica, NY 13501
315-797-2233
315-797-2244 (Fax)
www.cabvi.org

Services include:

• Low vision devices
• Low vision examinations
• Orientation and Mobility
• Independent living
• Assistive technology
• Employment
• Children's services
• Braille transcription

Chautauqua Blind Association

510 West Fifth Street
Jamestown, NY 14701
716-664-6660
716-664-1193 (Fax)
www.chautauquablind.org  
E-mail: staff@chautauquablind.org

The mission of the Chautauqua Blind Association is to enable visually impaired people to be active members of their communities and to provide education and services to prevent vision loss.

Services include:

• Low Vision Rehabilitation
• Pre-school Vision Screenings
• Advocacy and Education

Computer Center for Visually Impaired People at Baruch College

151 East 25th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10010
646-312-1420
646-312-1421 (Fax)
www.baruch.cuny.edu/ccvip
E-mail: judith_gerber@baruch.cuny.edu

Services include:

• Computer courses: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Surfing the 'Net. Students learn to use the keyboard rather than a mouse to navigate the computer, which makes it possible to email, shop on-line, or create documents, presentations and spreadsheets.
• A monthly open house that features hands-on demonstrations.
• Braille and large print production
• Training and consultation

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
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 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.

The Center provides services to youth and adults who are deaf-blind according to the definition of deaf-blindness in the Helen Keller Act. Their national center in New York and regional offices that serve each state in the country provide advocacy, support, information, and services to people who have both a vision and a hearing loss.

Helen Keller Services for the Blind

57 Willoughby Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-522-2122
718-935-9463 (Fax)
www.helenkeller.org  
E-Mail: info@helenkeller.org
Office addresses, programs, and contacts: www.helenkeller.org/about.php  

Helen Keller Services for the Blind offers a wide range of services and programs for people of all ages who are blind or have vision impairments in the New York metropolitan area and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Services include:

• Rehabilitation Services
• Orientation & Mobility Training
• Adapted Daily Living Skills
• Low Vision Services
• Employment Services
• Pre-Vocational Training, Vocational Assessment, and Job Placement
• Employment Empowerment Workshops
• Academic Remediation/Vocational Training
• Assistive Technology Instruction
• Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
• Senior Centers

JBI International (formerly Jewish Braille Institute of America)
110 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
800-433-1531 (Toll free)
212-889-2525
212-689-3692 (Fax)
www.jewishbraille.org[link opens in new window]

E-mail: admin@jbilibrary.org

Provides the visually impaired, blind, physically handicapped, and reading disabled of all backgrounds and ages with books, magazines and cultural programs in audio (seven languages), large print and braille. JBI has a broad range of titles, with the largest collection of Jewish interest books for the blind and visually impaired. Free of charge to eligible persons.

The Jewish Guild for the Blind

Corporate Office:
15 West 65th Street
New York, NY 10023
800-284-4422 (Toll free)
212-769-6200
212-769-6266 (Fax)
www.jgb.org
E-mail: info@jgb.org
Office and state contacts: www.jgb.org/contact_branch.asp (Albany, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Melville, Niagara Falls, Palm Beach, White Plains)
Staff contacts: www.jgb.org/contact_staff.asp

The Jewish Guild for the Blind is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian agency that serves persons of all ages who are visually impaired, blind and multi-disabled. The Guild offers a broad range of programs that include medical, vision, low vision, psychiatric and rehabilitative services, managed long-term care, day health programs, schools, and educational training programs for independent living.

Programs and services include:

• A broad range of Clinical Services that address medical, vision, low vision, and rehabilitation needs
• Behavioral Health programs, including a psychiatric clinic, a mental health day treatment program, and a developmental disabilities day treatment program
• An Adult Day Health Care program, offered in five locations in New York State and Boston
• A Managed Long Term Care program, offering comprehensive health and vision care services to adults living in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties, who wish to continue living in their own homes
• Vocational Rehabilitation programs, including The Center for Workplace Technology for computer literacy
• Independent Living Skills Training for people who want to remain independent in their own homes
• An Employment Development Program for persons seeking active employment.
• Children's vision and health initiatives, Early Intervention, Preschool and School programs.
• Greater Boston Guild for the Blind (GBGB) is a subsidiary of The Guild that offers programs and services to people with vision loss throughout the Greater Boston area.
• Greater Boston Diabetes Society is a GBGB subsidiary that provides services dedicated to promoting the well-being of people with diabetes.

Lighthouse International
111 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1202
800-829-0500 (Toll free)
212-821-9200
212-821-9713 (TDD)
E-mail: info@lighthouse.org[link opens in new window]

In addition to providing rehabilitation, low vision, and a wide range of vision rehabilitation services, Lighthouse International produces VisionConnection.org[link opens in new window], a one-stop, accessible resource on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation for people who are blind or have low vision, the professionals who work with them, the family and friends who support them, and anyone looking for the latest information on prevention, research, and treatment.

LowBrowse™

Lighthouse International has announced a new add-on software tool that will enable millions of people worldwide with low vision to access previously inaccessible web pages.While existing programs enable blind people to access the web effectively, LowBrowse™ enables people with moderate or severe low vision to both view web pages as the original web author intended and read the text on those pages tailored to their own visual needs. The program runs in conjunction with the Mozilla Firefox browser, will be offered at no charge, and is expected to be available to the public for download via the Firefox add-on site. LowBrowse will work with Mozilla, IE and Mac and will be released during September 2008.

My Vision Aid, Inc.

647 McLean Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10705
866-379-5319 (Toll free)
914-623-7444
914-623-7445 (Fax)
www.MyVisionAid.net  
E-mail: Inf@MyVisionAid.com  

The goal of My Vision Aid, Inc. is to facilitate the lives of people who are blind and have low vision with everyday tools that will make daily activities easier to handle. The owner works one-on-one with customers, making sure that they receive satisfactory results that will help improve day-to-day living.

Products include vision aids, desktop and portable electronic magnifiers, canes, cell phones, lighting, mirrors, monoculars, magnifiers, large print and talking items, and computer software.

Find Vision Rehabilitation and Low Vision Information

National Association for Visually Handicapped (NAVH) (NAVH) assists clients in locating services and resources in their area, which are appropriate for the visually impaired. These services and resources include low vision services, eye care specialists, state agencies and nonprofits committed to serving the visually impaired, and emotional support services. Some information on international services is also available.

NAVH New York City
22 West 21st Street 6th Floor
New York, NY 10010
888-205-5951
212-255 2804
212-727 2931 Fax
E-mail: staff@navh.org

NAVH San Francisco
507 Polk Street, Suite 420
San Francisco, CA 94102
888-205-5951
415-775-NAVH (6284)
415-346-9593 Fax
E-mail: staffca@navh.org

NAVH's mission is to help the "hard of seeing" worldwide cope with the psychological effects of visual impairment and to provide low vision services, visual aids and training to anyone in need of these services.

NAVH's Low Vision Aids Catalog offers magnifiers, light bulbs, lamps, clocks and watches, writing aids, electronic devices, and other products. NAVH's large print free-by-mail library offers over 9000 titles and is accessible to anyone in the United States.

New York Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped

New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Capital View Office Park
52 Washington Street
Rensselaer, NY 12144-2796
518-473-7793
518-486-7550 (Fax)
www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/cbvh[link opens in new window]
Contact information: www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/contact/contact.asp
District office locations: http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/cbvh/distoffices.asp

The mission of the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) is to enhance employability, to maximize independence, and to assist in the development of the capacities and strengths of people who are legally blind.
CBVH provides vocational rehabilitation and other direct services to legally blind New York State residents, including children, adults, and elderly persons.

One of CBVH's primary objectives is to assist consumers in achieving economic self-sufficiency and full integration into society. CBVH offers these services from seven district offices across the state. CBVH works closely with not-for-profit agencies for the blind throughout New York State to provide technical, educational and resource assistance to our consumers.

Programs and services include:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Program
• Business Enterprise Program
• Children's Program
• Transition Program
• Summer Recreation Program
• Equipment Loan Fund
• Independent Living Program

New York Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities

1 Commerce Plaza
Albany, NY 12234
800-222-JOBS (Toll free)
518-486-4154 (Fax)
www.vesid.nysed.gov[link opens in new window]

North Country Association for the Visually Impaired

2693 Main Street
Suite 302
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-1950
www.ncavi.org (Web site is under construction)
E-mail: ncavi2001@yahoo.com

Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, Inc.

301 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
518-463-1211
www.naba-vision.org
Contact: www.naba-vision.org/contact/contactForm.asp

The Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, Inc. (NABA) assists individuals in seven upstate counties: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie. In 2002, some of NABA's services were expanded to reach individuals in Eastern Montgomery, Fulton, Warren and Washington counties.

Programs and services include:

• Vision Rehabilitation Therapy - Independence and Self-Sufficiency
• The Business Enterprise Program
• Orientation & Mobility - Safe Travel
• Social Work - Adjusting to Vision Loss
• Harry M. Judge Vision Rehabilitation Center
• Job Readiness and Employment
• Assistive Technology Services
• Children's Vision Screening

Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired

1170 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-882-1025
www.olmstedcenter.org

The Olmsted Center helps individuals of all ages with visual impairments and other physical challenges achieve their highest level of independence.

The Paul T. Bulger Vision Clinic

is the newest subsidiary of Olmsted Center. It provides the services of a physiatrist and occupational therapist, in addition to the optometric, rehabilitation teaching, social work, and orientation and mobility instruction previously offered at this site. Treatment will address not only vision loss, but other physical, cognitive, and emotional issues which may relate to visual impairment.

National Statler Center for Careers in Hospitality Service

1160 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-882-5690
www.statlercenter.org

The National Statler Center is a subsidiary of the Olmsted Center and is devoted to hospitality employment training. One of the first projects of its kind, Statler Center provides physically disabled, blind, or visually impaired individuals with the right tools for successful careers in this rapidly growing industry.

The National Statler Center has teamed with the Lighthouse of Central Florida to train and employ blind and disabled workers for the hospitality industry. The program is designed to prepare visually impaired individuals for careers in the hospitality/tourism and customer service industries.

The Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped

2607 Niagara Street
Buffalo, NY 14207
716-362-9600
716-362-9601 (Fax)
www.sabahinc.org
E-mail: sabah@sabahinc.org

For more than 26 years, SABAH [link opens in new window]has taught 9,000 Western New Yorkers who have vision impairment or other physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges to ice skate. Over the past years, locally-raised funds provided instruction to more than 800 people with disabilities.

SABAH provides weekly adaptive ice skating lessons, adaptive skating equipment, intense volunteer support, and the opportunity to perform in an annual ice skating spectacular. SABAH works with people ages 16 months to 72 years.

Southern Tier Association for the Visually Impaired

719 Lake Street
Elmira, NY 14901
607-734-1554
607-734-9467
http://st-avi.org  
E-mail: info@st-avi.org  

The Southern Tier Association for the Visually Impaired (STAVI) has been serving the local blind and visually impaired community for over 75 years, providing support, employment, and rehabilitation services to Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties.

Programs and services include:

• Low Vision Clinic: The Arthur P. Darling Centers for Low Vision provide specialized services to improve visual function in patients with significant vision loss. A low vision specialist will evaluate the degree of functional vision and prescribe the most effective optical device.
• Rehabilitation Services: Rehabilitative Services are provided by our trained rehabilitation specialist in the setting of your own home if you live in Chemung, Schuyler, or Steuben Counties.
• Support Groups: Support Groups assist those with visual impairments and blindness by helping them meet with others who are experiencing similar struggles.

SUNY College of Optometry

University Optometric Center
33 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
888-277-5666
www.sunyopt.edu/uoc  
E-mail: uoc@sunyopt.edu  
Additional contact information: www.sunyopt.edu/uoc/contact  

University Optometric Center (UOC) is the patient care facility of the State University of New York College of Optometry.

Because UOC is a teaching facility, patients benefit from the careful oversight of supervising doctors with many years of patient care, teaching, and research experience. Every patient receives a comprehensive examination that includes a thorough medical history, measurement of visual acuity, and assessment of eye health. If necessary, patients may obtain glasses or contact lenses, or have laser eye surgery performed on site.

UOC also provides a wide range of services not typically found at most eye care centers, from pediatric eye exams and learning disabilities assessments to the latest treatments for ocular diseases.

The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

310 East 14th Street
New York, New York 10003
212-979-4000 (Main number)
Telephone directory: www.nyee.edu/telephone-directory.html
www.nyee.edu  

Founded in 1820, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in Manhattan (New York City) is the oldest specialty hospital in the Western Hemisphere. With a rich heritage and a mission of providing high quality patient care, community outreach, graduate and continuing medical education and scientific research, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary has built upon its strengths to emerge as a recognized leader in the fields of eye, and ear, nose and throat care.

VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

500 Greenwich Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10013-1354
888-245-8333 (Toll free)
212-625-1616
212- 219-4078 (Fax)
www.visionsvcb.org
E-mail: Info@visionsvcb.org

VISIONS at Selis Manor
135 West 23rd Street
New York, New York 10011
646-486-4444
646-486-4343 (Fax)
E-mail: selisdirector@visionsvcb.org
bfabricant@visionsvcb.org 

Vacation Camp for the Blind (VCB)
111 Summit Park Road
Spring Valley, New York 10977
845-354-3003
845-354-5130 (Fax)
E-mail: cthorne@visionsvcb.org  

VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides rehabilitation services free of charge for people of all ages who are legally blind or severely visually impaired. Service areas include children and youth, adults, seniors, employment and job placement, recreation, volunteer services, and community outreach and training.

CIL Publication Series
500 Greenwich Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
888-CIL-8333
212-219-4078 (Fax)
www.cilpubs.com [links open in new window]

CIL Publications and Audiobooks [link opens in new window] offers self-study audiotapes and audiobooks for people who are blind or visually impaired. Subjects include indoor mobility, personal management, and sensory development.

Western New York Center for the Visually Impaired

4511 Main Street
Amherst, NY 14226-3097
716- 839-2217
716- 839-2218
716- 839-2261 (Fax)
E-mail: wnycvi@msn.com  
No web site at present

Programs and services include:

• Assistive Products: Low vision devices and nonoptical devices available for sale
• Computer Training
• Counseling for employment-bound clients
• Low Vision Services: Low vision evaluation and follow-ups, low vision devices
• Rehabilitation Services: In-home rehabilitation training and at the job site

Xavier Society for the Blind

154 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010
800-637-9193 (Toll free)
212-473-7800
212-473-7801 (Fax)
www.xaviersociety.com

Provides free spiritual and inspirational Roman Catholic reading materials and lending library services in braille, large print, audiocassette, and digital formats.

As new translations of Scripture and readings and prayers for the Mass are approved, the Xavier Society will be ready to transcribe them.