Other Support Services

Besides the support of Aniridia Foundation International, there are several other services for the blind and visually impaired. Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers can help parents with children who are blind or visually impaired. These centers are located all over the United States, and they help families of children and young adults with disabilities (from birth to age 22). Also, they help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities, train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics, resolve problems between families and schools, and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs. For more information on a center located in your state, please visit http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html. All websites mentioned in this chapter will be listed at the end of this chapter along with several other websites for other services and organizations that may assist you. The Lighthouse International has been helping visually impaired people since 1905. It strives to help visually impaired individuals live better lives and to be in independent. It is also dedicated to preventing disabilities. To accomplish this it has research studies, prevention efforts, advocacy initiatives, education programs, and vision rehabilitation services. For more information, please visit the Lighthouse International website at www.lighthouse.org. The Lions International began to dedicate services to the visually impaired in 1925 when Helen Keller challenged the Lions Club to be “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Today Lions is successful in helping those who are blind and visually impaired. A very important program Lions has is called SightFirst. This program was started in 1989 to help prevent blindness. Just a few of the services are helping to construct or expand eye hospitals and clinics, contributing to cataract surgeries, and providing sight-saving medication. This program is also striving to eliminate preventable childhood blindness, and to control river blindness and trachoma. For more information, please visit the Lions International website at www.lionsclubs.org.