Contracted by the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Future In Sight is delivering new programs for older blind individuals.
(Concord, NH, July 28, 2020) The number of individuals who are 55 years of age and older and living with visual impairments or blindness in New Hampshire is growing. Older adults with visual impairments need to acquire specific skills to adjust to life after vision loss. Providing the necessary training and support so that older Granite Staters who are blind or vision-impaired can remain in their home, be active and maintain as much independence as possible is a priority for both Future In Sight and the Services for the Blind and Vision-Impaired (SBVI) office within the NH Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Access Technology for the Older Blind Workshop Series and Silver Retreats are both designed to equip qualified participants who are 55 years and older with the skills needed to build increased independence and self- confidence that comes from mastering readily available technology via computers, handheld devices and wearables and smart speakers or other home technologies.
“These tools can be game changers for people with profound vision loss,” says David Morgan, President and CEO of Future In Sight. “Technology, and the applications and platforms that accompany the technology, enhance independent living, as well as the social connections that are so critical to reducing the sense of isolation that often accompanies vision loss. We are delighted to be a partner with SBVI to reach our shared goals: providing innovative services that help people with blindness or vision loss transform their lives.”
The Access Technology for the Older Blind Workshop Series begins this summer and will be offered monthly through online channels until it is appropriate for face-to-face workshops around the state. Featuring high instructor to adult learner ratio to enhance rapid skill-building, the curriculum of these workshops are designed to ultimately enable seniors to connect with the world in affirming, new ways.
So that older individuals who are blind or visually impaired can deepen their range of independent living skills, Silver Retreats have been designed to fully immerse participants in acquiring non visual blindness or low vision skills, while supporting each other’s journey of growth through vision loss. These 5 day residential experiences are expected to be offered beginning in the early summer of 2021 and rotate throughout the state.
Both programs are free to eligible participants.
“These initiatives have been fashioned to enable those who wish to achieve levels of independence not realized before, to do so. It is the promise of this expanded capacity for self-sufficiency and self-reliance that engenders a feeling of unstoppable momentum – the momentum that allows those adjusting to blindness or low vision to reach their highest potential,” says Daniel Frye, Administrator of SBVI.
For more information or to inquire about eligibility, contact Future In Sight at [email protected] or (603) 224-4039.