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NLS Reference Circulars

Introduction

The organizations listed in this reference circular provide a variety of direct services to persons who are blind and visually impaired, including advocacy and advisory services, information and referral, counseling and employment programs, assistive devices, and publications in special format. Many of the organizations also offer guidance to families of persons with visual impairments and training for professionals. Many publish journals, brochures, newsletters, and catalogs. The major publications are specified. The first section lists national organizations alphabetically with an annotation that describes the services provided, the second section lists organizations on specific eye diseases and eye injuries, and the third section lists international organizations. The fourth section includes publications that list the names of organizations that serve persons who are blind or visually impaired in the United States and in other countries, organizations with tactile map collections, producers and distributors of braille and large- print reading materials and assistive devices for reading, and web sites with links to online resources. The last section lists state agencies that administer public programs in special education and rehabilitation services.

Contents

National Organizations
Organizations on Eye Diseases and Eye Injuries
International Organizations
Selected Bibliography
State Agencies That Administer Special Education
State Agencies That Administer Rehabilitation Services

National Organizations

Serves as a national membership association of ophthalmologists. Supports public service programs: EyeCare America-National Eye Care Project to provide medical eye care to senior citizens, International Public Service Programs to enhance eye care services in economically developing countries, and School Eye Safety Program. Produces publications for ophthalmologists and their patients.

Produces and distributes Twin Vision (print-braille) books free of charge throughout the United States; a free braille news magazine, Hot Line to Deaf-Blind, for individuals who are deaf-blind; and free braille calendars. Lends print-braille and braille books through the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children.

Principal publication: Braille Forum, monthly. Serves as an informational clearinghouse on blindness and provides advisory service on federal legislation. Acts as an advocate for civil rights, educational opportunities, vocational training, social security benefits, and health and social services for persons who are blind or visually impaired. Special-interest affiliated organizations include:

• Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss
• American Blind Lawyers Association
• Braille Revival League
• Council of Citizens with Low Vision International
• Council of Families with Visual Impairment
• Friends-in-Art
• Guide Dog Users
• Library Users of America
• National Alliance of Blind Students
• National Association of Blind Teachers
• Visually Impaired Data Processors International

Principal publications:

• AccessWorld, 6/year
• Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, monthly

Develops and provides programs and services for persons who are blind or visually impaired in the areas of public education, social and technological research, consultation and referrals, and governmental relations. Sells publications in print, on cassette, and in braille and videos. AFB's National Technology Center is a centralized resource on adaptive technology. The AFB legislative information network presents details on legislation and regulations of concern to blind and visually impaired persons. The Careers and Technology Information Bank is a national data and networking resource on the competitive employment of persons who are blind or visually impaired.

Represents doctors of optometry, students of optometry, and paraoptometric assistants and technicians who are dedicated to improving the quality and availability of eye care in the United States. Sponsors Volunteers in Service in Our Nation (VISION) USA one month per year to provide vision care services, without charge, to individuals who have no other means of obtaining care. Offers consumer information.

Principal publications:

• APH Slate, quarterly
• APH Technology Update, quarterly

Designated and funded by an 1879 act of Congress as the official source of educational texts (primary through secondary level) for students who are visually impaired in the United States and its possessions. Maintains Louis, an electronic database that lists textbooks in braille, large print, and computer file format and on cassette that are produced by APH, by volunteers, and by commercial companies. Engages in research and development to create products for students and adults who are blind. Manufactures and sells assistive devices. Also produces recreational and religious literature in special format.

Principal publications:

• AER Report, bimonthly
• Job Exchange, monthly
• RE:view, quarterly

Renders support to the professionals who work in all phases of education and rehabilitation of children and adults who are blind or visually impaired. Offers members opportunities for professional development through publications and certification programs and by networking at meetings and conferences, timely news and research information, and career advancement through job exchange services.

Serves as the Vision Council of America's channel for public education about quality eye care and eyewear.

Serves children with visual impairment from birth to school age by providing information about adaptive devices, educational materials, toys, and other resources. Makes referrals to early intervention programs, social service agencies, advocacy groups, and self-help organizations. Produces publications for sale, some in Spanish.

Principal publication:

• VIP Newsletter, quarterly

Promotes the development of materials and methods pertaining to the growth, development, and education of infants and young children who are blind or visually impaired or have multiple disabilities. Sells books and learning tools.

Principal publication:

• Raising Cane, quarterly

Offers employment networking and rehabilitation counseling for veterans who are blind. Supports medical research on sensory disabilities.

Principal publication:

• BVA Bulletin, bimonthly

A membership organization for veterans who became blind or visually impaired during or after their military service. Counsels veterans and assists them in obtaining benefits and rehabilitation training and in finding jobs. Offers scholarships to their spouses and dependents.

Offers distance education courses at no charge to adults who are blind, to family members of an adult who is blind, and to a parent or grandparent of a child who is blind.

Principal publications:

• IAAIS Directory, annual
• IAAIS Newsletter, quarterly

Represents radio and information services, dial-in newspapers, and Internet broadcasters that deliver audio broadcasts of daily newspapers and other printed materials to individuals with a visual or physical disability.

Principal publication:

• The Lion, monthly

Initiates service projects in such areas as sight conservation and diabetes education through more than 44,500 clubs in 185 countries. Provides free professional glaucoma screenings, free eye care, eyeglasses, braille writers, large-print texts, white canes, and guide dogs. Establishes and supports eye banks, eye clinics, and eye research centers worldwide.

Principal publications:

• Address List: Regional and Subregional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 2/year
• Facts: Books for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals, annual
• Facts: Music for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals, annual
• News, quarterly

Administers a free national library program of braille and recorded books and magazines for persons who are visually impaired and physically disabled. Distributes reading materials and playback machines through cooperating regional and subregional (local) libraries to eligible borrowers. Lends music materials directly from the Music Section of NLS, including scores in braille and large print; magazines and books about music and musicians in braille, large print, and recorded format; and instruction for voice and for instruments.

Principal publications:

• Aging and Vision News, 2/year (for professionals)
• Sharing Solutions, 2/year (for support networks)

Serves as a clearinghouse for information on vision and aging. Disseminates videos, brochures, and books about and conducts research on age-related vision loss. Provides referrals to low vision services rehabilitation agencies, support groups, and state agencies. Offers a continuing education program to professionals.

Principal publication:

• EnVision, 2/year

Provides for the needs of children who are visually impaired through parent and professional training and research. Works with schools, day care centers, and health and human services organizations to facilitate early identification of visual problems in children and to design strategies that enhance development. Conducts empirical studies in the fields of child development, family systems, and education as they relate to vision loss.

Maintains the Information and Resource Referral Project as the outreach arm of the Center to provide an accessible database of resources on blindness and low vision to consumers and professionals. Sells research publications.

Develops standards and administers a voluntary system of accreditation for agencies and schools providing services to persons who are visually impaired and blind. Sells manuals on management, agency, and education standards.

Principle publication:

• Awareness, quarterly

Provides a national support and information network and a referral service for parents and families of children with visual impairment. Advocates for the educational needs and welfare of children who are blind or visually impaired and initiates outreach programs.

Principal publication:

• Update, quarterly

Offers information, referral, and emotional support to individuals with low vision, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Maintains a large-print loan library. Sells assistive devices.

Principal publication:

• NBA Bulletin, quarterly

Provides educational forums to groups and individuals on braille transcribing and translation, audio tape recording techniques, tactile graphics, and other areas of production in media other than print. Maintains a depository for braille masters and sells braille college textbooks, music texts, and career and technical materials at below cost to students and professionals who are blind. Has catalogs of the titles in these collections in braille and in print.

Promotes literacy for individuals who are blind and deaf-blind by printing and selling braille and print-braille books and transcribing printed materials. Produces up to fifty copies in the Desktop Publishing Division and provides full-scale braille pressing services for fifty copies or more. Offers a Children's Braille Book Club, titles on computer disk, and PortaBooks to be read with a portable braille device.

Principal publications:

• Braille Monitor, monthly
• Future Reflections, quarterly
• Voice of the Diabetic, quarterly

Seeks the complete integration of persons who are blind into society on a basis of equality. Monitors state and federal laws and regulations affecting people with visual impairments. Informs members of services available to them and of their rights under the law. Maintains the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. Operates Newsline, a talking newspaper service free to persons who are legally blind, and America's Jobline in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor and state job service agencies. Sells publications and assistive devices through its Materials Center. Divisions include: Deaf-Blind, National Association of Blind Educators, National Association of Blind Lawyers, National Association of Blind Students, National Association to Promote the Use of Braille, National Diabetes Action Network, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, National Organization of the Senior Blind, and Writers.

Principal publication:

• Opportunity, quarterly

Enhances the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and improving employment. Develops business opportunities in the federal, state, and commercial marketplaces for not-for- profit agencies and organizations associated with NIB. Allocates federal government contracts under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.

Provides new prescription eyeglasses for individuals in the United States for whom no other funds are available. Sends reusable eyeglasses to overseas medical missions and welfare agencies for distribution.

Principal publication:

• Prevent Blindness News, 3/year

Offers programs and services to help fight blindness and save sight, including adult and children's vision screenings; a toll-free information hotline; patient, public, and professional education; school-based programs; and Fight for Sight research grants. Sells publications, some in Spanish, and videos.

Principal publication:

• Recording for the Blind News, 3/year

Lends recorded books, ranging in educational level from late elementary through graduate school, to persons with a verified visual, physical, or specific learning disability that substantially limits reading. Requires a one-time registration fee and annual membership fee. Also sells books on computer disk called E-text (electronic text).

Principal publication:

• Smith-Kettlewell Technical File, quarterly

Develops sensory aids and educational devices for persons who are blind, deaf-blind, and visually impaired. Acts as a national information resource on sensory aids technology. Conducts research and development in these areas and compiles the findings in publications available on its web site, including Access to computerized music production by blind and vision-impaired musicians, Compendium of technology for blind and visually impaired persons, and Source material on remote infrared signage.

Principal publication:

• Telephone Pioneer, quarterly

Maintains a directory of senior and retired telephone employees who repair and service record players and cassette machines of the talking-books program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. May visit homes of new readers to demonstrate use of the equipment and may help library staffs inspect returned talking books for damage before the books are loaned to other readers.

Principal publication:

• Vision Enhancement, quarterly

Provides information, support, a referral helpline, and a free e-mail list to persons with low vision and their families. Maintains a web site with links that include sources for electronic books, assistive devices, associations and organizations, and eye diseases.

Organizations on Eye Diseases and Eye Injuries

Seeks to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of people with diabetes. Conducts a comprehensive program of public, patient, and professional education. Publishes a variety of pamphlets and a monthly periodical, Diabetes Forecast, for persons with diabetes and their families. Also publishes research journals for physicians who specialize in diabetes and for general practitioners.

Principal publication:

• In the Spotlight, quarterly

Works for the prevention, treatment, and cure of macular degeneration by raising funds, educating the public, and supporting scientific research.

Principal publication: Eyes Only, quarterly

Acts as a national support group for individuals and their families who are adjusting to the practical and emotional problems related to macular diseases.

Dedicated to eliminating keratoconus as a health problem through research, education, patient service, and advocacy.

Principal publication:

• Fighting Blindness News, 6/year (3 full issues and 3 Update supplements)

>Funds research to find treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, and juvenile and age-related macular degeneration. Provides free information and referral services.

Principal publication:

• Eye to Eye, quarterly

Provides funding for medical research programs on glaucoma. Has public education programs, including a worldwide toll-free hotline and workplace and community outreach screening programs. Offers free educational publications.

Principal publication:

• Gleams, quarterly

Dedicated to protecting the sight and independence of people with glaucoma through research and education. Has free publications on glaucoma.

Principle publication:

• The Magnifier, electronic version only

Seeks to develop cures for macular degeneration and educate patients, professionals, and the public about methods of prevention and treatment.

Principle publication:

• Around the Edges, 2/year

Serves the needs of individuals with early onset (juvenile) or late onset (age-related) macular degeneration through educational and support programs.

Principle publication:

• MDP Newsletter, electronic version only

Provides information on age-related macular degeneration to the public; supports research; and coordinates advocacy efforts.

Principal publication:

• Diabetes Dateline, 2/year

Responds to inquiries about diabetes from people with diabetes and their families, health care professionals, and the public. Distributes professional and patient education publications, including fact sheets, booklets, The Diabetes Dictionary, and Spanish materials.

Conducts and supports research on eye diseases and vision disorders. Offers professional and public education programs that include a school curriculum on vision for grades 4-8 and a traveling exhibit. Has free publications.

Principal publication:

• NKCF Newsletter, 3/year

Has a variety of programs to increase the awareness and understanding of keratoconus, including a patient information guide, a free e-mail-based mail list, the NKCF Registry, support groups, and an outreach and referral service.

Principal publication:

• Connective Issues, quarterly

Provides information about Marfan syndrome to patients, family members, and health care community; acts as a support network; and fosters research.

Principal publication:

• NOAH News, 2/year

Offers information and support to individuals with albinism and hypopigmentation and their families through local chapters and a national conference. Educates the public and professionals about albinism and hypopigmentation and encourages research on the cause and treatment of these metabolic disorders.

Principal publication:

• Eye Research News Briefs, annual

Provides financial resources for eye research at medical institutions in the United States to develop cures and effective treatments for diseases of the visual system that damage and destroy sight. Provides free informational material on eye diseases.

Collects data on all serious eye injuries occurring in the United States by involving approximately 37 states that have eye injury registries sponsored by state societies of ophthalmology.

International Organizations

Principle publication:

• Light, 6/year

Operates worldwide to prevent and treat blindness and other disabilities through medical care, rehabilitation training, and social integration programs.

Works in developing countries to establish services to prevent blindness, to restore sight, and to rehabilitate and educate persons whose vision cannot be restored. Supports village-based efforts to build and sustain programs by training health-care providers and upgrading the skills of teachers working in school programs for children who are blind. Sells selected publications.

Principle publication:

• IAPB News, quarterly

Serves as a coordinating, umbrella organization whose members include the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies, the World Blind Union, and international nongovernmental organizations that support global programs for community eye care. Mobilizes resources for blindness prevention activities such as disseminating ideas and information on successful approaches to eye-care delivery.

Principal publication:

• Eye to Eye, annual

Aids developing countries in achieving self-sufficiency in eye health care through clinical, surgical, and preventive services; equipment, supplies, and medications; training and public education; technical assistance; and operational research.

Principal publication:

• Newsletter, 2/year

Promotes national and international cooperation in delivering library services to readers who are blind and visually impaired and encourages research and development in all aspects of this area. Acts as a forum for discussing topics such as standardization, braille production, and the impact of new technology on library services to persons with visual impairments.

Principal publication:

• Horizons, quarterly

Also known as the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind. United Kingdom's oldest charity working to prevent and cure blindness in developing countries. Plans and supports a range of eye-care services, develops outreach programs for rural areas, and promotes the integration of children with visual impairment in mainstream schools.

Principal publication:

• World Blind, quarterly

An international nongovernmental coalition of representatives from various associations for people who are blind and visually impaired and from agencies providing services to them. Members have regional groups for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Works for the prevention of blindness, promotes the well-being of people with visual impairment, and serves as an international forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of blindness.

Selected Bibliography

American Foundation for the Blind. Directory of services for blind and visually impaired persons in the United States and Canada. 26th ed. New York: 2001.

American Printing House for the Blind. Catalog of accessible books for people who are visually impaired or blind 2000-2001. Louisville, KY: 2000. 470p. Also on the Internet at http://www.aph.org/ louis.htm.

Blindness resource center. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.nyise.org/blind.htm.

BLIST: the comprehensive index of blindness-related e-mailing lists. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/ blist.html.

Braille: into the next millennium. Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Friends of Libraries for Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in North America, 2000. 600p. Free.

Braille on the Internet. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.nyise.org/braille.htm.

Cassin, Barbara, and Sheila A.B. Solomon; edited by Melvin L. Rubin. Dictionary of eye terminology. 3rd ed. Gainesville, FL: Triad Pub. Co., 1997. 283p. (P.O. Drawer 13355, 32604).

The complete directory of large-print books and serials 2001. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker, 2001. 1700p.

Cookson, John, and others. Digital talking books: planning for the future. Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1998. 72p. Free. Also on the Internet at http://www.loc.gov/nls/dtb.html.

Cylke, Frank Kurt. "National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped." In Management of federally sponsored libraries: case studies and analysis. Edited by Charles D. Missar. New York: Haworth Press, 1995. p. 109-128.

Cylke, Frank Kurt and Judith M. Dixon, managing eds. International directory of tactile map collections. The Hague: Section of Libraries for the Blind, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions; and Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, 1985. 19p.

Cylke, Frank Kurt, Judith M. Dixon, and Michael M. Moodie. "The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress." Alexandria, v. 12, no. 2, 2000: 81-98.

Dixon, Judith M. "Web-Braille: a new distribution system for braille books." Braille monitor, v. 43, Jan. 2000: 75-79.

Fong, Donald S., and Robin Demi Ross. The diabetes eye care sourcebook. Los Angeles: Lowell House; Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1998. 278p.

Gill, J.M., N. Muthiah, J.H. Silver, and E.S. Gould. Equipment for blind and partially sighted persons: an international guide. London, England: Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1997. Various pagings.

If blindness occurs. Morristown, NJ: The Seeing Eye, 1995. Single copy free. (P.O. Box 375, 07963-0375).

Information on specific eye diseases. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.blind.msstate.edu/irr/diseases.html.

Jahoda, Gerald. How do I do this when I can't see what I'm doing? Information processing for the visually disabled. Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1993. 98p. Free.

King, Sue, ed. International agencies for blind and partially sighted people. London, England: Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1997. 395p. Also on the Internet at http://info.rnib.org.uk/ Agencies/Agencies.htm.

Leibs, Andrew. A field guide for the sight-impaired reader: a comprehensive resource for students, teachers, and librarians. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 247p.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Reference Section. Braille embossers. Compiled by Carol Strauss. Washington: 2000. 12p. Free. Also on the Internet at http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/brl-embossers.html.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Reference Section. Building a library collection on visual and physical disabilities: basic materials and resources. Compiled by Carol Strauss. Washington: 1999. 45p. Free. Also on the Internet at ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/nls/reference/circulars/building.library.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Reference Section. Library resources for the blind and physically handicapped. A directory with FY 1998 statistics on readership, circulation, budget, staff, and collections. Washington: 1999. 84p. Free. Also on the Internet at ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/nls/reference/directories/libres99.txt.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Reference Section. Reading materials in large print: a resource guide. Compiled by Gillian Mendle. Washington: 1997. 23p. Free. Also on the Internet at http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/largeprint.html.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Reference Section. Sources of braille reading materials. Compiled by Carol Strauss. Washington: 1996. 36p. Free. Also on the Internet at http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/braillesources.html.

Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Sources of custom-produced books: braille, audio recordings, and large print. Compiled by Freddie Peaco. Washington: 2001. Free. Also on the Internet at ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/nls/reference/directories/custombooks.txt.

Library Reproduction Service. Large print catalog. Los Angeles: 2000. 199p. Also on the Internet at http://www.lrs-largeprint. com>.

Living with low vision: a resource guide for people with sight loss. 5th ed. Lexington, MA: Resources for Rehabilitation, 1998. 288p.

The low vision gateway. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.lowvision.org.

Massis, Bruce E. The international guide to publishers and distributors of large print. IFLA Professional Reports, no. 4. The Hague: IFLA Headquarters, 1985. 57p.

Nail-Chiwetalu, Barbara. Guidelines for accessing alternative format educational materials. May 1, 1999. 12p. Available free from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Reference Section, and on the Internet at http://www.loc.gov/nls/other/guidelines.html.

Nomura, Misako, and Mayu Yamada, eds. International directory of libraries for the blind. 4th ed. IFLA Publications, no. 90. München: K.G. Saur, 2000. 252p. Also on the Internet at http://dserver. dinf.ne.jp:591>.

Smaligo, Mary A. "Resources for helping blind music students." Music educators journal, v. 85, Sept. 1998: 23-27.

Sources for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled persons. Los Angeles, CA: Braille Institute, Library Services, 2000. 79p. $7. (Attention: Julie Uyeno, 741 North Vermont Avenue, 90029).

Special education links. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.blind.msstate.edu/irr/special.html.

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired web site. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.tsbvi.edu.

Thorin, Suzanne E., comp. and ed. Revised and updated by Shirley Piper Emanuel. International directory of braille music collections. Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1987. 41p.

VCS resource list. 17th ed. Watertown, MA: Massachusetts Association for the Blind, Vision Community Services, 2000. Also on the Internet at http://www.mablind.org/Resourcelistl.htm. (23A Elm Street, 02472).

V.I. guide, a guide to Internet resources about visual impairments, for parents and teachers. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www. viguide.com.

World braille usage. Rev. ed. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Washington: National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1990. 124p. Available free from UNESCO, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, FRANCE.

Your eyes and you. Retrieved December 12, 2000. http://www.eri. harvard.edu/htmlfiles/youreyes.html.

State Agencies That Administer Special Education and Rehabilitation Services

Direct services provided through state-level special education departments include consultation with and referral to local school districts and development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The list is on the Internet at http://www.ed.gov/Programs/bastmp/SDSE.htm.

Direct services provided through state-level departments of rehabilitation may include pre-vocational evaluation, vocational training and placement, job retention and job retraining, low-vision services and assistive devices, and counseling and social work services. These agencies also administer the vending facilities programs in each state. The list is on the Internet at http://www.ed.gov/Programs/ bastmp/SVRA.htm.

Special Education Services

Rehabilitation Services

Revised by Carol Strauss Reference Section

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Posted on 2006-05-30