The Chicago Lighthouse For People Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

Programs: Customer service center operations include providing customer service jobs for contracts entered into with both private companies and state agencies and the assessment and training programs to assist potential employees in gaining the skills necessary for employment in this area. The communications center provides training for individuals in the area of customer service, call center operations and appointment taking. Paid internships are available for those who are interested in this type of work funded by a city of chicago grant. Other funders have supported these efforts as well. As the lighthouse continues with 6 major contracts, 482 people with visual disabilities, as well as other disabilities and veterans, were provided training and/or jobs during the fiscal year. In fy17, expenses were $22,141,491 and revenues were $25,285,607.

vision rehabilitation and research: the sandy and rick forsythe center for comprehensive vision care, the bergman institute for psychological support, as well as the pangere center for inherited retinal diseases, provide comprehensive diagnostic, rehabilitative, clinical, psychological, optometric and ophthalmological services, as well as research, in the field of low vision. Services are provided to patients of all ages at the lighthouse and at a number of satellite locations within the chicago-land area. Doctors and therapists are specifically trained in the field of low vision. Funded in part through private fees, grants specifically for veterans care, medicare and other insurance reimbursements, services are also available regardless of one's ability to pay, due to the generosity of a number of grants to support this effort. In conjunction with the exam process, various adaptive devices and/or glasses may be tested for usefulness to the patient and purchase of such items might be encouraged as part of the patient's rehabilitative program. Appropriate training on the use of such devices is also provided. A tools for living store has been designed to ensure ease of mobility and browsing for customers who are blind or visually impaired and includes independent living aids, speech/large print electronics, and other like products. It is a natural extension of the low vision service and provides convenience shopping for patients and family members and also provides employment for a visually impaired person. The low vision area and the pangere center also engage in cutting edge research activities to develop new methods of vision rehabilitation and to investigate genetic involvement in certain diseases. During fy17, patients, participants, and consumers numbered 7,616. Expenses were $2,053,470 and revenues were $965,900.

the instructional materials center for the state of illinois is administered by the chicago lighthouse and funded through the illinois state board of education. This program also receives an in-kind grant from the american printing house for the blind. This project supplies large print and braille text books and adaptive equipment to school age students within the state of illinois, who are blind or visually impaired. These items are ordered by the student's school district and are provided free of charge. Adaptive equipment, such as cctvs, braille printers, talking and large screen software, is loaned upon request, as well. This enhances children with visual disabilities in their educational pursuits, from their first school years through high school graduation. 4,721 students received books, equipment or supplies during fy17, incurring $1,719,511 in expense and generating $0 in revenue.