Resources for People who Are Low Vision or Blind and Their Families

You may be interested in the following low vision and blindness related sites and resources. While we believe in the spirit of sharing information, CCB does not necessarily recommend, nor endorse, the products and services described on each of these sites.

CCB Publications and Information

Common Courtesy Guidelines

CCB Recommended Common Courtesy Guidelines When Interacting with a Blind or Visually Impaired Person

Failing Sight and the Family Plight

Failing Sight and the Family Plight is a pamphlet developed by the CCB Seniors with Vision Loss Committee.

• English version:
  • Failing Sight and the Family Plight as a web page
  • Failing Sight and the Family Plight as a Microsoft Word file
• Spanish:
  • Failing Sight and the Family Plight in Spanish as a web page
• Chinese:
  • Failing Sight and the Family Plight in Chinese as a PDF file

How to Have a Happy Life: As a Senior Losing or Without Vision

How to Have a Happy Life: As a Senior Losing or Without Vision is an E-book developed by the CCB Seniors with Vision Loss Committee.

• Downloads for introductory flyer:
  • Listen to an audio introduction flyer.
  • Download an MS Word introduction flyer.
  • Download a PDF introduction flyer.
• Download the complete E-book in either of the following formats:
• Text
• PDF
• Microsoft Word

Scholarships

• American Council of the Blind Scholarship (navigate off ACB home page to scholarship page)
• CCB Student Scholarships
• Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation Graduate Scholarships for Disabled Women

Accessibility

• The Rehabilitation Act Section 508
• Adobe Access Page - Learn More about Universal Access To Adobe Products
• ADA.Gov Homepage — Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
• The Microsoft Accessibility Home Page
• Web Accessibility Guidelines Overview

Advocacy

• Academy for Certification of Vision and Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP)
• American Council of the Blind
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
• American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB)
• Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER-BVI)
• Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access
• Disability Help for Filing Claims
• Disability Rights Advocates (DRA)
• Disability Rights Legal Center Los Angeles
• Foundation Fighting Blindness
• Glaucoma Research Foundation
• Helen Keller Services For the Blind
• Hatlen Center for the Blind
• Home Ownership for Persons with Disabilities
• International Academy of Low Vision Specialists (education for consumers about low vision and solutions)
• Job Accommodation Network
• Keratoconus Foundation
• National Association for the Visually Handicapped (NAVH)
• National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairment (NAPVI)
• National Council of Private Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCPABVI)
• National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH)
• Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB)
• Prevent Blindness America
• Rehabilitation, Research and Training Center for Blindness and Low Vision
• Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
• State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)
• The Foundation for Retinal Research
• Through the Looking Glass
• Western Blind Rehabilitation Center (WBRC)

Braille

• The American Printing House For The Blind Home Page
• Braille Institute of America
• Braille International
• BRL: Braille Through Remote Learning
• The Braille Transcription Project of Santa Clara County
• The National Braille Press Home Page
• The Braille Transcription Project of Santa Clara County

Education and Rehabilitation

• Association on Higher Education and Disability
• Barbara Rhodes Adaptive Technology Grant
• Book Share — An online digital library for blind, visually impaired, and otherwise reading impaired
• The Braille and Talking Book Library
• California School for the Blind
• The Hadley School for the Blind
• Hatlen Center for the Blind
• Learning Ally
• Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB)

Fun & Games

• 7-128 Software: Top 25 Sites for Gamers who are Blind
• The Accessible Games Web Site
• Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors
• Environmental Traveling Companions
• The GMA Games Home Page
• The P C S Games Home Page
• Ski for Light

Government

• California Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Impaired
• California Disability Access Information
• The GSA Information Technology Accessibility and Workforce (ITAW)
• Information on how In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) recipients with vision impairments can receive accessible information.

Guide Dogs and Service Animals

• Guide Dogs of America
• Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Guide Dogs of the Desert
• Guide Dog Schools Outside of California
• Guide Dog Users of California
• View or obtain Free Video on Service Animals provided by the Cal Hotel and Lodging Association

Health and Safety

• Accommodating People With Disabilities In Disasters: A Reference Guide

Miscellaneous

• An Accessibility Guide for Yosemite National Park
• Blind Interest Resource Directory (BIRD)
• Barbara Rhodes Adaptive Technology Grant
• Fred's Head - Useful Tips For The Blind And Visually Impaired
• NFB Newsline

Publications

• Access World — a monthly online magazine about assistive technology
• Newsreel Magazine for the Blind (audio)

Radio and Other Audio Services

• ACB Radio
• Audio Description International
• Audio Description Associates
• Blind Radio
• National Center for Access Media

Technology

• The Access World Home Page
• Audio-Tips - Voice chat and online courses for visually impaired computer users
• The Blind Programmer's Home Page
• Blind Sea Repository Mobile Corner
• The Blinux Documentation And Development Project Home Page
• The Empowerment Zone
• For-The-People - Voice chat and more
• Keyboard Shortcuts for Popular Programs

A T Vendors and Service Providers

Service Providers

• Access Technology Institute
• Adaptive Technology Services, provides computer evaluations, customized on-site support and training
• A.T. Kratter & Company
• RL & Associates
• Sweetman Systems
• Visual Aid Services

Vendors

• ABISEE, makers of the ZoomEx Reading System
• Applevis -- Empowering Blind and Low-vision Users of Apple Products --
• Beyond Sight
• Dancing Dots Music and Accessibility Products and Services
• The Dolphin Access Computer Ltd Home Page
• Duxbury Systems Home Page - The Duxbury And Megadots Braille Translation Programs
• Enabling Technologies
• En-vision America --Manufacturer of Talking Bar Code Readers--
• The Freedom Scientific Home Page
• The GW Micro Home Page
• HIMS INC. —Manufacturer of Book Sense, Braille Sense, and Sense View Products—
• Humanware Home Page
• Kurzweil Educational Systems Home Page - Reading Machines For the Visually Impaired
• MagniSight
• Optelec
• Sendero Group
• Vision Technology

Retailers

• The Independent Living Aids Home Page
• IRTI - Innovative Rehabilitation Technology Inc.
• LS & S - Learning Sight & Sound Made Easier
• Speak To Me - Talking Products

If you would like to submit a resource for consideration to be placed on the CCB resources page, please send the site name and url to Webmaster