The Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) has been
offering services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired
since 1927. Located within the Agency of Human Services and
the Department of Aging and Disabilities, DBVI is the designated
state unit to provide vocational rehabilitation services.
DBVI’s Mission is to support the efforts of
Vermonters who are blind and visually impaired to achieve or sustain
their economic independence, self reliance, and
social integration to a level consistent with their interests,
abilities and informed choices. To learn more about the Division,
please take a look at the DBVI/SRC
Annual Report for 2006.
DBVI State Plan
Updates for 2007
State Plan Update 2008
4.11 Needs Assessment 2004 - 2006
Attachment 4.2c
2008
Attachment 4.11c4 2008
Announcement
A free service makes Vermont newspapers accessible to blind
and visually impaired Vermonters
The Department of Libraries begins NFB-NEWSLINE®this month
December 1, 2006
Montpelier - Beginning today, blind and other print-disabled
Vermonters will be able to enjoy one of 242 newspapers, including 3
from Vermont over their morning coffee (or any other time they want)
through a service called NFB-NEWSLINE®. The service makes content
from participating newspapers and magazines accessible by touch-tone
phone 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
"One of the first things a person who loses sight misses is the
ability to read the newspaper. NFB- NEWSLINE® restores that ability.
Whether for study, work, or recreation, NFB-NEWSLINE® will bridge
part of the gap between no information and information equality,"
said Franklin Shiner, president of the National Federation of the
Blind of Vermont (NFBVT).
Previously offered in other states, NFB-NEWSLINE ®is newly
available in Vermont through a partnership of the National
Federation of the Blind of Vermont, the Vermont Department of
Libraries and the Vermont Division for the Blind & Visually
Impaired. Funding is provided by the State of Vermont.
"We're very pleased to offer NFB-NEWSLINE ®with daily content
from the Bennington Banner, Brattleboro Reformer, Burlington Free
Press, and the Associated Press of Vermont," said Sybil Brigham
McShane, Vermont State Librarian. According to McShane, there are
plans to add another major Vermont newspaper to the service in the
coming months.
The NFB-NEWSLINE® system reformats the digital transmissions of
participating newspapers and converts them to synthetic speech. It
then uploads the newspapers, which include the New York Times, Wall
Street Journal, and USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, Chicago
Tribune, Los Angeles Times among many others, including 4
Spanish-language newspapers and varied magazines.
"Staying informed about important issues helps all of us to fully
participate at work and in our communities. The NFB-NEWSLINE®
service makes it possible for blind and visually impaired Vermonters
to have easy access to timely information. It is very empowering to
read the same articles at the same time as regular print readers."
said Fred Jones, director of the Vermont Division for the Blind and
Visually Impaired.
To sign up for the service, individuals should complete an
application with the Department of Libraries, Special Services Unit,
either by phone or by mail. Users are given an access code and call
a toll-free number to enter the system. They can browse the papers,
choosing or skipping articles as they wish. The system reads each
article aloud. The menu allows the user to change the speed and
voice and to search for a particular word or subject.
For more information about eligibility and to sign up for the
service, contact the Department of Libraries, Special Services Unit,
toll free at (800)-479-1711.
The DBVI Vermont Toll Free Information Line is now
being updated on a weekly basis and has expanded in size, allowing
for more announcements. It is currently updated late on Wednesday
evenings so that the new information is available to you first thing
Thursday morning. The number is 866-242-3284.
The Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired
has a ListServ called Vermont Blind Talk.
It was created to allow Blind and Visually Impaired people in
Vermont the opportunity to discuss any issues relating to Blindness
and visual impairment.
To subscribe to the list, please
complete the form at
http://lists.dail.state.vt.us/mailman/listinfo/vtblind or send an
e-mail
with just the word subscribe as the subject.
Consumers and service providers asked for better access to AHS
services and help finding their way through its many programs. One
AHS response is the creation of an online referral tool, the
Screen Door. People enter a little bit of information about
their family and are given a list of the services they might be able
to receive along with contact information so they can quickly find
out more. The Screen Door is not intended to provide a level of
detail to determine eligibility for any particular program - those
decisions remain the responsibility of our trained staff. A
printable application form is available for some programs. Users
will also be referred to 2-1-1 for services not covered by the
Screen Door.
Information on the
Client Assistance Program
Send mail to
Geoff Howard at Rehabtech with comments or questions about this
web site.
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