Whether vision loss is sudden or gradual, it is cause for great stress and anxiety, often leading to physical, emotional, and social limitations. Visual Impairment & Blindness Services does not look at vision loss as a tragic event. Rather the agency assumes there are solutions to be found to solve problems related to vision loss using a team approach to find those solutions. These solutions are geared towards helping the blind or visually impaired person remain independent as long as possible in every phase of daily life.

Potential clients must reside in Northampton County, the City of Bethlehem, or Monroe County. After a person’s client eligibility has been determined, programs and services available include: casework services, escorted transportation, lifeskills training, computer training, and adjustment to blindness counseling and support group. For more information about Client Services, call 610-866-8049 in Northampton County or 570-992-7787 in Monroe County.

Client Eligibility

To become a client, agency caseworkers use guidelines established by Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services to determine a person’s visual eligibility:

• A visual acuity of 20/70 or less in the better eye with best correction
• A visual field of 20 degrees or less
• Visual functioning level indicating the equivalence of an acuity of 20/70 or less

Please call 610-866-8049, x. 231 in Northampton County or 570-992-7787 in Monroe County to arrange an intake interview over the phone. We will also ask for your permission to contact your eye doctor to obtain the results of your eye examination done within the last year. There are no financial guidelines for client eligibility.

Casework Services

Caseworkers assess the needs of the client in his/her home and work with them to develop a personalized plan which helps them live with vision loss. This may include in-home assistance to write checks to pay bills or to make the kitchen safer by putting raised dots on stove controls to mark gradations of temperature.

Children are also an important focus of the agency. Caseworkers monitor their progress working with school counselors to define individual educational plans. The caseworkers also act as advocates by helping schools learn how they can adapt to the need of these young students. Sometimes an adaptation is as simple as helping a student to see the chalkboard better. Once a child becomes an agency client, he/she usually remains a client for life, accessing various kinds of services as the child grows into adulthood.

Many clients who do not need regular casework services may receive ancillary services such as joining the Client Activity Group for monthly socialization activities and enjoying recreational activities such as the annual fishing trip. All clients receive the agency’s bi-monthly newsletter In-Depth Perception. Clients who are print-handicapped can also find information about WRRS/RADPRIN, the local radio reading service, and the various free services offered by the regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Philadelphia.

Escorted Transportation

Many clients are eligible for the door-through-door escorted transportation service. This service, using a sighted guide, is unique in the Lehigh Valley. It allows clients to get to such places as essential medical appointments and the grocery store, thus enhancing their independence.

Lifeskills Training

Lifeskills training, whether conducted on an individual or a group basis,
allow blind and visually impaired clients to adjust their skills such as helping them cook, dress appropriately, or be safe in the home.

Computer Training

Computers have opened the world of print to those unable to see and reduced many barriers to education and employment for the blind and visually impaired. Students can now complete homework, do research, and take tests, while adults can continue to work and pursue a variety of careers in mainstream society.

The agency offers individualized computer classes taught by blind instructors which introduce blind and visually impaired clients to screen reading and magnification software such as JAWS and ZoomText. These programs allow the user to access the information displayed on the computer’s screen through the use of synthesized speech output or enlarged text.

Adjustment to Blindness Counseling and Support Group

Support groups which meet on a regular basis give blind and visually impaired adults and youths the opportunity to talk about their problems, feelings and frustrations with a blind therapist in a group setting. Adjustment to Blindness Counseling provides similar support with a blind therapist on an individual basis.