Carroll Center For The Blind Inc

Programs: Rehabilitation training programs. In a residential setting, a blind person is taught adaptive daily living skills, cane travel, braille, keyboarding and other computer skills, assistive technology, mobile phone use, sensory training, fencing as an aid to orientation, balance and mobility, personal counseling, woodworking to gain non-visual skills and confidence and vocational readiness skills. For the fiscal year ended june 30, 2017 828 weeks of service were provided to 90 clients.

educational service programs. We provide services to children who have low vision or are blind and attend public, private or charter schools in their community. Our teachers work with local educators in providing instruction in braille, adaptive technology training, learning-media assessments, alternative materials, and overall access to the curriculum. In addition, summer and weekend programs are provided to these children to help them develop blindness skills, socialize with others, and further their independence. In fiscal year 2016-17, 351 school-aged children received 15,343 hours of specialized instruction. Community mobility program: for fiscal year 2017 664 blind adults were provided with 6,756 hours of orientation and mobility instruction in their homes, places of work, and colleges and communities by our certified orientation and mobility instructors.

massachusetts accessible instructional materials library (aim): under contract with the state department of elementary and secondary education (doe), the carroll center for the blind manages the state mandated service of acquiring, maintaining and distributing specialized instructional materials for blind and visually impaired students, ages 0-21 in massachusetts. The aim library served approximately 2,901 students of whom 1,725 were legally blind and registered with the american printing house for the blind for federal quota. A total of 6,269 materials were distributed by the aim library in fiscal year 2016-17 to 1,953 eligible students.

form 990, part iii, 4d, other program services: computer training: computer training is provided to persons who have low-vision or are blind so that they may become familiar with assistive technologies and computer applications so they can be employed, attend school and engage independently in the community. Special software is used that enlarges screen resolution, speech output programs, braille displays, and other similar tools. Instruction is provided at the center's rachael rosenbaum technology center and at job sites. Technology services were provided to approximately 58 individuals who received 121 weeks of instruction during fiscal 2017. Outdoor enrichment: the center organizes a recreational sailing in the summer months. During fiscal 2017 44 persons engaged in sailing by approximately 9 volunteers who provided 90 voluntary service hours. Project search: this program provides on the job training within a hospital setting and provides job readiness and placement services to several clients annually. The carroll store: we sell over 500 different products that helps persons with vision loss live independently. These include canes, magnifiers, talking watches/clocks, talking and assistive daily living aids, video magnification devices, sunglasses, braille writing devices, labeling aids and more. Over 1,300 customers purchased from the store annually.