[NFBofSC] Older Blind Program Information

Tue Jan 28 02:32:53 UTC 2020

Hello All,

Since I have worked for the Older Blind Program for over 15 years now, I do need to correct one major inaccuracy in the information provided below.  This is not Donna Jean’s fault; because, the incorrect information is still out there in the world, causing confusion for many.  The OB Program has not provided training at the rehab center for ten years, and is not expected to resume for the foreseeable future.  The scope of training at the rehab center has been streamlined in recent years to focus on employment-oriented goals of the clients.  Since our clients in OB clearly are not going to work, our consumers would not be eligible to attend.  All of the training is done in the home, with the low vision clinic being an outside appointment arranged by the counselor and the low vision coordinator.  

If anyone has any questions, or needs further clarification, please send me an email.

Thanks,

Shannon Cook

Steve and Shannon Cook

Today I married my best friend.  

The one that I laugh with, live for, love.

October 11, 2003

From: Ed Bible <ebible at sc.rr.com> 
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2020 7:48 AM
To: frankcoppel at att.net; debra.canty at frontier.com; 'Valerie Warrington' <vwarrington at hughes.net>; cookcafe at sc.rr.com; 'Tiffiny Mitchell' <tmmitchell727 at gmail.com>; 'Garrett Mosley' <paladinpeanut at gmail.com>; isaiahn57 at aol.com; 'Derique Simon' <deriques at icloud.com>; lrobertson at comporium.net; goalgirl at bellsouth.net; 'Donna Jean Miller' <djmiller.lms at gmail.com>; bekahbreece at gmail.com; Wajmclass16 at yahoo.com; michael.duffell at outlook.com; laverneaddison at gmail.com; millerconstance151 at gmail.com; 'Linda Dizzley' <ldizzley at hotmail.com>; jaduffell at yahoo.com
Cc: 'Dondra Bible' <Dondra.Bible2010 at outlook.com>; 'David Houck' <nfbsc at sc.rr.com>
Subject: Older Blind Program Information

Hello Federationists,

Thanks to the efforts of Donna Jean Miller, we have this convenient information to become familiar with the Older Blind Program at SCCB.  Thank you, Donna Jean.

Ed

At the request of Ed Bible,  I did a little research and gathered the information below about the Older Blind Program at the SCCB.  Please note that all of this information is available at the SCCB website and some of it is redundant as I merely copied and pasted. I hope that it is helpful. 

Donna-Jean Miller, Active member of the Columbia Chapter of the NFB

This is the program description from the SCCB website:

Our Older Blind Program assists clients in maintaining independence within their home and community settings. Our counselors provide these services from several SCCB district offices throughout the state.

Eligibility
Eligible clients must:

·  Be at least 55 years old

·  Provide evidence of legal blindness or a progressive eye pathology, in both eyes, which could lead to legal blindness

·  Require services to maintain independence

·  Be a resident of South Carolina

Services Provided
The initial phase of all services begins with a determination of eligibility and an assessment of the individual’s concerns regarding performing daily living activities with vision loss. During the initial interview, information is obtained related to medical issues, family support, the current living situation and a comprehensive review of the consumer’s needs pertaining to independence.

After all the information is collected, we help our clients develop a plan of services, which could include:

·  Counseling and guidance

·  Training on how to manage personal care and daily tasks

·  Labeling and organizing items around the home

·  Safe cooking techniques

·  Adjustment to blindness

·  Referral to community resources

·  Low-vision evaluations

·  Orientation and mobility training

·  Instruction in the use of adaptive computer software

I also found that they have a brochure listing their services and one of those featured is the Older Blind program.  This is the information they specifically include about that program from the brochure:

Older Blind Program provides adjustment to blindness skills training for older visually impaired individuals of South Carolina. Training is primarily conducted in an individual’s home by an Older Blind Counselor or through an eight-week program at the Ellen Beach Mack Rehabilitation Center. This unique training opportunity offers assistance so that consumers may live more independently within their home and local community settings. 

The Older Blind Program services may include: • Counseling and Guidance • Adjustment to Blindness Skills • Helpful methods for management of personal care and daily tasks • Labeling and organizing items around your home • Safe cooking techniques • Referral to Community Resources • Low Vision Evaluations • Orientation and Mobility Training • Other applicable services 

To be eligible for the Older Blind Program one must: • Be 55 years of age or older • Be legally blind and/or have been diagnosed with a Progressive Eye Pathology • Require services to enhance and maintain independence • Be a resident of South Carolina  

On the SCCB website, they do have a "Reports" section under their "About Us" link.  I found a 2017-2018 accountability report which gave the following information:

On the SCCB website, they have a "Reports" section under their "About Us" link.  There is a 2017-2018 accountability report which has the following information:

Under Actual FY 2017-18 Expenditures for the Prevention/Older Blind 
General
$343,107
Other
$7,200
Federal
$453,382
Total
$803,689
FY 2018-2019 Expenditures (Projected)
General
$266,000
Other
$50,000
Federal
$419,746
Total
$735,746

 OLDER BLIND The Older Blind program served over 700 individuals this year. Counselors across the state coordinated with community service organizations, human service agencies, and business partners to provide mobility, home management, and technology training to the 55 and older citizens with blindness and severe visual impairments who do not want to work at this time. Over 400 of the individuals served were successfully closed as the consumers reached their goal of independent living. This program allows consumers to remain in their homes and as self-sufficient as possible, reducing the dependence on family members or personal care providers. SCCB also partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to provide 2 Senior Camps. This allowed 50 visually impaired senior individuals from across the state to participate in adjustment to blindness training, peer counseling, health awareness, and recreational activities. These camps have proven to be very beneficial in forming lasting friendships for individuals who live in the rural areas. These friendships relieve the sense of isolation many seniors feel when they lose their ability to drive and are homebound in lesser populated areas of the state. This isolation often leads to depression, therefore a major goal of the Older Blind program is to introduce the consumers to activities and programs within their own community.   

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