8630 Fenton Street, Suite 121
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3803
301-495-4402 (TTY)
301-495-4403 (Voice)
301-495-4404 (Fax)
www.aadb.org [3]
E-mail: AADB-Info@aadb.org [4]
AADB is a national consumer organization of, by, and for deaf-blind Americans and their supporters. "Deaf-blind" includes all types and degrees of dual vision and hearing loss.
Membership consists of deaf-blind people from diverse backgrounds, as well as family members, professionals, interpreters, and other interested supporters.
AADB is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are deaf-blind.
3345 Washington Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21227
888-322-4567 (Toll free)
410-737-2600
410-737-2665 (Fax)
http://bism.org [10]
Contact information: http://bism.org/contact.cfm [11]
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland serves over 2,000 individuals each year with innovative rehabilitation and training programs that put people on the road to independence. There are ten facilities across Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Kentucky.
Blind Industries is a participating agency in the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program, and a direct source for more than 2000 quality SKILCRAFT products made by Americans who are blind or severely disabled.
www.clb.org [14]
E-mail: info@clb.org [15]
Office locations:
1825 K Street, NW
Suite 1103
Washington, DC 20006
202-454-6400
202-454-6401 (Fax)
6200 Baltimore Avenue
Suite 100
Riverdale, MD 20737
240-737-5100
240-737-5101 (Fax)
8720 Georgia Avenue
Suite 210
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-589-0894
301-589-7281 (Fax)
Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (CLB) has been dedicated to helping the blind or visually impaired population of the greater Washington region overcome the challenges of vision loss.
CLB provides programs and services to people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired, regardless of ability to pay. Programs and services include:
11435 Cronhill Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117-2220
800-683-5555 (Toll free)
800-683-5551 (Toll free TDD)
410-568-0150
410-363-7139 (Local TDD)
www.blindness.org [19]
E-mail: info@FightBlindness.org [20]
Find a local chapter [21]
The mission of The Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher Syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults [24]
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 [25]
Regional Representative contact information: www.hknc.org/FieldServicesREGREPADD.htm [26]
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.
626 Trail Avenue
Frederick, MD 21701
866-727-3422
301-668-2202 (Fax)
www.HomeCareRehab.com [79]
E-mail: info@HomeCareRehab.com [80]
In the EyeSee Low Vision Program [81], each client with a known or suspected low vision will be assessed and treated according to an individualized treatment plan. The full assessment includes a complete functional history, review of medications, ADLs, IADLs, habits/routines, vision, cognition, vital signs, and home safety assessment.
7701 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 604
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-951-4444
www.lowvisioninfo.org [84]
E-mail: Terry@lowvisioninfo.org [85]
The mission of the Low Vision Center is to help people with low vision discover the aids and strategies that will help them lead a full, happy, and independent life.
Services include a newsletter and demonstrations of a wide range of optical and non-optical aids and devices, assistive technology, lighting, and daily living devices.
Division of Rehabilitation Services
2301 Argonne Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218-1696
866-614-4780 (Toll free)
410-554-9277
410-554-9195 (TTY/TDD)
410-554-9197 (Fax)
www.dors.state.md.us/dors [88]
E-mail: bspath@dors.state.md.us [89]
Office for Blindness and Vision Services
www.dors.state.md.us/DORS/ProgramServices/Business3 [90]
The Office for Blindness and Vision Services (OBVS) oversees programs and services for individuals whose primary disability is vision loss.
OBVS includes rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation technologists, case managers and rehabilitation teachers with specialized training in issues of importance to people who are blind, visually impaired or deaf-blind. They assist people in designing and carrying out plans for employment or independent living.
OBVS also administers the Maryland Business Enterprise Program for the Blind, which prepares individuals to operate successful vending and food service operations in public facilities.
800-964-9209 (Toll free Baltimore Metro Area)
410-230-2424
800-934-2541 (TTY Toll free)
410-333-8679 (TTY)
410-333-2095 (TTY)
www.lbph.lib.md.us [94]
E-mail: referenc@lbph.lib.md.us [80]
The mission of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is to provide comprehensive library services to the eligible blind and physically handicapped residents of the State of Maryland.
National Eye Institute [97]
2020 Vision Place
Bethesda, MD 20892-3655
301-496-5248
E-mail: 2020@nei.nih.gov [98]
The National Eye Institute (NEI) was established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision of the American people. As one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NEI conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye diseases and other disorders of vision. Part of the NEI mission is to develop public and professional education programs that help prevent blindness, reduce visual impairment, and increase awareness of services and devices that are available for people with low vision.
10400 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 500
Kensington, MD 20895-3944
800-896-3650 (Toll free)
301-942-6430
301-942-2302 (Fax)
www.thefamilycaregiver.org [102]
E-mail: info@thefamilycaregiver.org [103]
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.
National Federation of the Blind [106]
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314
410-685-5653 (Fax)
"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist."
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the largest membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB works to improve blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs that encourage independence and self-confidence. The NFB has affiliates in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, and over 700 local chapters. In January 2004, the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. To find the local chapter in your area, go to State Affiliates of the NFB [107].
Programs and services include:
A Program of the American Health Assistance Foundation
22512 Gateway Center Drive
Clarksburg, MD 20871
800-437-2423 (Toll free)
301-948-4403 (Fax)
www.ahaf.org/glaucoma [118]
E-mail contacts [119]
National Glaucoma Research is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that funds glaucoma research and provides information on risk factors, preventative lifestyles, treatments, and coping strategies.
8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 600
Landover, MD 20785
800-346-2742 (Toll free)
301-459-5900
301-459-5984 (TTY)
301-459-4263 (Fax)
www.naric.com [122]
E-mail: naricinfo@heitechservices.com [123]
The NARIC web site provides disability- and rehabilitation-oriented information organized in a variety of formats, including searchable databases and timely reference and referral data.
The Center for Vision Rehabilitation for People with Low Vision Needs
901 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204
410-337-4500
410-339-7326 (Fax)
www.nationalretina.org [127]
Send e-mail [128]
Offices are located in Tyson's Corner, Fredericksburg, and Manassas, Virginia; Towson, Chevy Chase, and Silver Spring, Maryland.
Office addresses [129]
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
6569 North Charles Street
Physicians Pavilion West, Suite 305
Baltimore, MD 21204
443-849-2658
443-849-2603
443-849-2631 (Fax)
Hoover Rehabilitation Services web site [132]
Services include:
1313 West Old Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21209-4989
800-677-3937 (MSS-EYES) (Toll free)
410-243-2020
410-889-2505 (Fax)
www.mdsocietyforsight.org [135]
E-mail: info@mdsocietyforsight.org [136]
The Maryland Society for Sight works to achieve its mission through vision screenings for preschoolers, visual acuity and glaucoma screenings for adults, mobile eye care for the homeless, and eye health and safety education programs.
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287
410-955-5080
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer [139]
Additional locations [140]
Clinical services and departments include:
www.va.gov [143]
Contact the VA [144]
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 [145]:
Use this search feature to locate VA facility-related information quickly and accurately.
Fact Sheets about VA Services [146]:
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 [147]:
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) [148]:
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:
University Eye Care (including Low Vision)
22 South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-1595
800-492-5538 (Toll free)
410-328-UMMS (8667) (General information)
www.umm.edu/eyecare [152]
University Eye Care is a group of board certified ophthalmologists, optometrists and vision scientists who are all faculty members of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Links:
[1] http://www.visionaware.org/md#main-content
[2] http://www.visionaware.org/American-Association-Deaf-Blind
[3] http://www.aadb.org
[4] mailto:AADB-Info@aadb.org
[5] http://www.visionaware.org/additional_disabilities
[6] http://www.visionaware.org/national_organizations
[7] http://www.visionaware.org/md
[8] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1575
[9] http://www.visionaware.org/blind_industries_and_services_of_maryland
[10] http://bism.org
[11] http://bism.org/contact.cfm
[12] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1730
[13] http://www.visionaware.org/columbia_lighthouse_for_the_blind
[14] http://www.clb.org
[15] mailto:info@clb.org
[16] http://www.visionaware.org/dc
[17] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1736
[18] http://www.visionaware.org/Foundation-Fighting-Blindness
[19] http://www.blindness.org
[20] mailto:info@FightBlindness.org
[21] http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=17&Itemid=158
[22] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1597
[23] http://www.visionaware.org/helen_keller_national_center_for_deaf_blind_youths
[24] http://www.hknc.org
[25] mailto:hkncinfo@hknc.org
[26] http://www.hknc.org/FieldServicesREGREPADD.htm
[27] http://www.visionaware.org/elder_services
[28] http://www.visionaware.org/ak
[29] http://www.visionaware.org/al
[30] http://www.visionaware.org/ar_0
[31] http://www.visionaware.org/az
[32] http://www.visionaware.org/ca
[33] http://www.visionaware.org/co
[34] http://www.visionaware.org/ct
[35] http://www.visionaware.org/de
[36] http://www.visionaware.org/fl
[37] http://www.visionaware.org/ga
[38] http://www.visionaware.org/hi
[39] http://www.visionaware.org/ia
[40] http://www.visionaware.org/id
[41] http://www.visionaware.org/il
[42] http://www.visionaware.org/in
[43] http://www.visionaware.org/ks
[44] http://www.visionaware.org/ky
[45] http://www.visionaware.org/la
[46] http://www.visionaware.org/ma
[47] http://www.visionaware.org/me
[48] http://www.visionaware.org/mi
[49] http://www.visionaware.org/mn
[50] http://www.visionaware.org/mo
[51] http://www.visionaware.org/ms
[52] http://www.visionaware.org/mt
[53] http://www.visionaware.org/nc
[54] http://www.visionaware.org/nd
[55] http://www.visionaware.org/ne_nevada_vision_services
[56] http://www.visionaware.org/nh
[57] http://www.visionaware.org/nj
[58] http://www.visionaware.org/nm
[59] http://www.visionaware.org/nv
[60] http://www.visionaware.org/ny
[61] http://www.visionaware.org/oh
[62] http://www.visionaware.org/ok
[63] http://www.visionaware.org/or
[64] http://www.visionaware.org/pa
[65] http://www.visionaware.org/ri
[66] http://www.visionaware.org/sc
[67] http://www.visionaware.org/sd
[68] http://www.visionaware.org/tn
[69] http://www.visionaware.org/tx
[70] http://www.visionaware.org/ut
[71] http://www.visionaware.org/va
[72] http://www.visionaware.org/vt
[73] http://www.visionaware.org/wa_state
[74] http://www.visionaware.org/wi
[75] http://www.visionaware.org/wv
[76] http://www.visionaware.org/wy
[77] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1410
[78] http://www.visionaware.org/homecare_rehab_and_wellness
[79] http://www.HomeCareRehab.com
[80] http://www.visionaware.org/mailto
[81] http://www.HomeCareRehab.com/eyesee.html
[82] http://www.visionaware.org/print/2478
[83] http://www.visionaware.org/low_vision_center
[84] http://www.lowvisioninfo.org
[85] mailto:Terry@lowvisioninfo.org
[86] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1731
[87] http://www.visionaware.org/maryland_state_department_of_education
[88] http://www.dors.state.md.us/dors
[89] mailto:bspath@dors.state.md.us
[90] http://www.dors.state.md.us/DORS/ProgramServices/Business3
[91] http://www.visionaware.org/all_state_rehabilitation_agencies
[92] http://www.visionaware.org/print/874
[93] http://www.visionaware.org/maryland_state_library_for_the_blind_and_physically_handicapped
[94] http://www.lbph.lib.md.us
[95] http://www.visionaware.org/print/2540
[96] http://www.visionaware.org/the_national_eye_institute_nei
[97] http://www.nei.nih.gov
[98] mailto:2020@nei.nih.gov
[99] http://www.visionaware.org/information_on_eye_diseases_disorders
[100] http://www.visionaware.org/print/597
[101] http://www.visionaware.org/national_family_caregivers_association
[102] http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org
[103] mailto:info@thefamilycaregiver.org
[104] http://www.visionaware.org/print/2128
[105] http://www.visionaware.org/national_federation_of_the_blind
[106] http://www.nfb.org/
[107] http://www.nfb.org/nfb/State_and_Local_Organizations.asp?SnID=860363832
[108] http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Technology_Center.asp?SnID=26094304
[109] http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Newspapers_by_Phone.asp?SnID=26094304
[110] http://www.nfblink.org
[111] http://www.nfb.org/nfb/JtBLibrary.asp?SnID=26094304
[112] http://www.nfb.org/nfb/scholarship_program.asp?SnID=26094304
[113] http://www.nfbsharebraille.org
[114] http://www.visionaware.org/find_braille_products
[115] http://www.visionaware.org/comprehensive_sources_of_information_for_persons_with_vision_impairment
[116] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1187
[117] http://www.visionaware.org/national_glaucoma_research
[118] http://ahaf.org/glaucoma
[119] http://ahaf.org/general/contactus.html
[120] http://www.visionaware.org/print/2376
[121] http://www.visionaware.org/national_rehabilitation_information_center_naric
[122] http://www.naric.com
[123] mailto:naricinfo@heitechservices.com
[124] http://www.visionaware.org/searchable_databases
[125] http://www.visionaware.org/print/2302
[126] http://www.visionaware.org/national_retina_institute
[127] http://www.nationalretina.org
[128] http://www.nationalretina.org/contactus
[129] http://www.nationalretina.org/content/ourlocations/index.cfm
[130] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1733
[131] http://www.visionaware.org/richard_e_hoover_rehabilitation_services_for_low_vision_and_blindness
[132] http://www.gbmc.org/body.cfm?id=326
[133] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1734
[134] http://www.visionaware.org/the_maryland_society_for_sight
[135] http://www.mdsocietyforsight.org
[136] mailto:info@mdsocietyforsight.org
[137] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1732
[138] http://www.visionaware.org/the_wilmer_eye_institute_at_johns_hopkins
[139] http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer
[140] http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/directions/index.html
[141] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1610
[142] http://www.visionaware.org/US-vets
[143] http://www.va.gov
[144] https://iris.va.gov/scripts/iris.cfg/php.exe/enduser/home.php
[145] http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp
[146] http://www1.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets.asp
[147] http://www1.va.gov/blindrehab
[148] http://www1.va.gov/BLINDREHAB/VIST.asp
[149] http://www.visionaware.org/veterans_services
[150] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1493
[151] http://www.visionaware.org/university_of_maryland_medical_center
[152] http://www.umm.edu/eyecare
[153] http://www.visionaware.org/print/1735