OLDER BLIND SERVICES

LOSING VISION IN YOUR

LATER YEARS?

IF SO,

YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY.

ONE IN FOUR OLDER ADULTS
HAS SIGNIFICANT VISION LOSS.

NEBRASKA COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF VISUAL

IMPAIRMENT AND BLINDNESS FOR OLDER ADULTS?

Most of these conditions do not cause total blindness, but older people can experience problems such as:

• Limited Side Vision
• Limited Central Vision
• Glare and Sensitivity to Light
• Insufficient Available Light
• Fluctuating Vision
• Blurred or Hazy Eyesight
• Double Vision
• Lack of Depth Perception

Any of these can make everyday tasks awkward and frustrating to do visually. Learning to pay attention to your other senses, especially good old "common sense," enables you to do things easily again. If you are experiencing difficulty with daily activities because of diminished vision, the teaching and counseling offered can help.

The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) is established to assist visually impaired and blind Nebraskans toward fuller and more rewarding lives. It is the mission of NCBVI to provide blind and visually impaired persons the counseling, training, placement and procurement services to increase independence and/or improve employment opportunity. NCBVI accomplishes its mission through the efforts of skilled, dedicated and caring people who make a positive difference both in the lives of those they serve and in the lives of each other.

WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?

TRAINING & COUNSELING

Learn non-visual ways of doing things such as cane travel, telling time, reading, cooking and so much more. Continuing with activities which were important to you before vision loss promotes a positive attitude and can help you regain your self-confidence. Rehabilitation teaching and counseling are provided individually, at home in all parts of Nebraska and in group training programs where participants learn from each other as well as from our staff.

PEER SUPPORT GROUPS

There is a statewide network of small groups of older persons with vision problems where peer members discuss the feelings, difficulties and solutions associated with vision loss. Most groups meet monthly.

INFORMATION & REFERRAL

Ask us for information about blindness, the services we offer or other resources. We can also provide speakers for your meetings.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VISION PROBLEMS AND
HOW TO CONTINUE ACTIVE LIVING DESPITE THEM,
CONTACT THE OFFICE NEAREST YOU:

4600 Valley Road, Suite 100
Lincoln, Nebraska 68510-4844
Telephone: (402) 471-2891
Fax: (402) 471-3009
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

906 East 25th Street
Kearney, Nebraska 68847-4603
Telephone: (308) 865-5441
Fax: (308) 865-5440
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

200 South Silber
North Platte, Nebraska 691014298
Telephone: (308) 535-8170
Fax: (308) 535-8054
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

1313 Farnam on-the-Mall
Omaha, Nebraska 68102-1822
Telephone: (402) 595-2041
Fax: (402) 595-1008
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

214 North 7th Street, Suite 11
Norfolk, Nebraska 68701-4083
Telephone: (402) 370-3436
Fax: (402) 370-3508
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

1517 Broadway, Rm 128
Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69363
Telephone: (308) 632-1304
Fax: (308) 633-1554
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

HELPFUL HINTS FOR PEOPLE WITH VISION LOSS

You can distinguish coins by feeling the rim with your fingernail. The penny and nickel are smooth, the dime and quarter have ridges.

Paper money can be folded in a way you will remember. You can leave your ones unfolded, fold the five dollar bills in half lengthwise, fold your tens in half the short way and fold your twenty dollar bills in thirds. Use a system that works for you. Be imaginative.

Dial the phone by feel. On push-button phones the top row is always 1 - 2 - 3, the second row is 4 - 5 - 6, and so on. The rotary dial is easy too. Feel where the I and 0 are, then count around the dial to the numbers you need. You don't have to see the phone to make a call. With a little practice you'll dial quickly and easily.

A simple cardboard template with windows cut out can fit over your bank checks allowing you to feel where to write the date, amount, etc. You can keep your records in large print with a black marker or on a cassette tape.

Cooking can be done by listening, using a timer, feeling the "doneness" with a fork and learning the settings of the dials by feel.

To tell time you can use a Braille watch, or simply remove the cover of an ordinary clock, allowing you to feel where the hands are. Talking clocks and watches are also available.

Using a long white cane, you can walk safely and confidently regardless of lighting conditions or your amount of vision.

If you can't see faces clearly, listen. Usually, you can identify people by their voice, step or other individual characteristic.

These and other alternative techniques can be learned with practice and a little patience. Our staff is available to help you develop ways of doing daily tasks with ease.

There Is No Charge For Services. Give Us a Call!

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT NEBRASKA COMMISSION

FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED?

"They taught me how to use the long white cane. They marked my stove and microwave and helped me with all the little things that make living with blindness tolerable. I appreciate everything they did for me."

Carolyn Schaeffer, 74
Chadron

" Macular Degeneration has been the cause for my blindness and the reason for being declared legally blind in 1990. After suffering with depression for 3 months, I made application for Rehabilitation Services, and was accepted into classes for cane travel, using a computer, safe techniques for cooking, and using power tools. My rewards from losing sight has been new insights about life, and a new self confidence."

Nye Bond, 91
Lincoln

"As a student in the Center in 1989, I learned to use the white cane and to do many things non-visually for which I am very thankful. I appreciate the encouragement from my counselors and other support staff at the Commission and there willingness to help me with my needs, even now as I continue to lose my very limited vision."

Leona Saltzman, 72
Shickley

"I gave up on life. I was retired and not doing anything. The Commission for the Blind got me going again. Now I'm running a vending operation at the State Capitol. The training I got at the Center made all the difference in the world to me."

Melvin Forrester, 63
Lincoln

"I surely appreciate the services I have received. I don't know how I would get along without my computer. After I lost my vision, I thought I wouldn't be able to use a computer, but my counselor help me pick out a new computer, put it together, and taught me JAWS (electronic voice synthesizer) to read the computer screen. It's wonderful. I have been living here alone for the past three months while my husband is in assistive living. I can use all my appliances, cook for myself, and go through the mail using a scanner hooked up to my computer. I don't believe I could do all that without the training I've gotten."

Lavah Maciejewski, 85
Wayne

"The white cane has helped a great deal. I go where I want to go. Because of the training I got, I know I will be able to maintain my independence, even if I lose more vision. I use a computer with a voice synthesizer to read the computer screen. Right now, I am learning to send e-mail messages. I also use a machine that can scan my mail and read it back to me out loud. The training I've gotten has made a world of difference to me."

Ed Bergin, 80
Omaha

The services of this agency are available to all Nebraskans on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age or handicap. Anyone with an inquiry or complaint is urged to contact:

Bob Deaton
Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Deputy Director of Independent Living Services
4600 Valley Road, Suite 100
Lincoln, NE 68510-4844
(402) 471-2891
Fax: (402) 471-3009
Toll Free Number: (877) 809-2419

Annual Reports of Services to Older Blind Consumers

Older Blind Services - A Historical Perspective

List of VIPS Board Memebers and Group Leaders

AFB Senior Site

Lifeline: Bi-monthly articles written for the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging.

Nebraska Center for the Blind has been approved by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB). This approval is granted only to those Centers that meet strict standards for high quality services, uphold a positive philosophy of blindness and high expectations, adhere to Structured Discovery instructional methodology, and are dedicated to assuring genuine Informed Choice for all consumers. The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired adheres to these standards of quality assurance in every area of its service delivery.