Thanks to the generous support of VISIONS’ donors, VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides services for 3,500 blind and visually impaired persons annually.  In a year that saw increased demand for services, VISIONS remained committed to its mission of promoting the independence of people of all ages who are blind and visually impaired.

In 2006, VISIONS is celebrating its 80th anniversary along with the 5th anniversary of VISIONS at Selis Manor.  A series of special events was planned to celebrate this milestone, which culminated in Family Day on August 6, 2006, an open house at Vacation Camp for the Blind to thank our donors, volunteers, and friends for their generosity.

In January 2006, VISIONS hosted a Jazz Concert at the Tribeca Arts Center as the inaugural event for the 80th anniversary.  In March 2006, a reception at Selis Manor celebrated the fifth anniversary of VISIONS community center that serves over 500 blind people from the five boroughs of New York City.  The reception also served as the premier of the new agency film which portrays the services offered by VISIONS as experienced by clients and described by staff.  The film is now available on DVD. VISIONS also hosted an 80th Anniversary Town Hall meeting for clients in March 2006 where participants had the opportunity to voice their opinions on VISIONS’ services and screen the new DVD.

VACATION CAMP FOR THE BLIND

VISIONS’ Vacation Camp for the Blind (VCB) serves over 600 blind and visually impaired children, adults, elders and their families each year.  The low-income camp population continues to be drawn primarily from New York City and represents the diversity of the metropolitan area with an increase seen in the number of campers who require additional assistance due to multiple disabilities and frailty.  The Camp, located in Rockland County, New York, is a specially adapted residential facility which offers people of all ages who are blind the opportunity to take a break from the stresses of daily living in a sighted world.  Programming at VCB includes vision rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation, and social services that enable participants to learn new skills for independent living and gain peer support for coping with vision loss.  A Kosher meal program and parve alternatives are offered for those campers and staff who request it.

VISIONS continued to meet the increased demand for camp stays for children who are blind and their families.  To serve this population, VCB again offered two sessions for families with blind children in Summer 2006 and will serve this population on weekends throughout the year.  The program provides vision rehabilitation and orientation & mobility training for the blind children (many of whom are multi-disabled) and includes parents/caregivers and sighted siblings in integrated programming.  Families gain support and information while their children learn to become more independent.  The New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) provides funding for the blind children who attend VCB with their parents and siblings.  CBVH covers only the costs of serving the children who are blind with VISIONS covering the cost of the family members.  Thirty-two blind children from thirty families attended in Summer 2006

The popular concession stand project, which teaches blind youth how to operate vending and concession stands, continues to be a great success and includes a summer program at VCB and a year-round snack bar at Visions at Selis Manor.  The project involves youth in a work experience, supervised by visually impaired job coaches.  The youth use talking cash registers, calculators and a bill identifier to sell snacks from a stock of merchandise they label and organize.  The participants also serve as examples of a positive work experience for younger campers.  Twelve blind youth participated during summer 2006 at VCB.

VISION REHABILITATION SERVICES AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Vision rehabilitation services and community outreach continue to be a cornerstone of the agency, reaching over 1,000 blind and visually impaired persons, from toddlers to seniors.  Community outreach included disseminating information on eye disease and blindness prevention throughout the five boroughs of New York City.  The Blindline® project opened its website to the public, complementing the call center service which opened over a year ago.  Blindline® is VISIONS’ initiative to maintain a database of state-wide services and products for people who are blind.  Blindline® also serves as an internship placement for blind clients to learn computer and help desk operator skills.  Funding for Blindline® is provided in part by the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Blanche T. Enders Charitable Trust and American Express Foundation.

VISIONS completed two renewal grants in support of vision rehabilitation services for people with vision loss.  The Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation funded a second year of in-home occupational therapy and vision rehabilitation for children who are blind or visually impaired.  The SI Bank & Trust Foundation awarded VISIONS a second year of funding for occupational therapy and vision rehabilitation instruction for adults and seniors with vision loss who live on Staten Island.

VISIONS AT SELIS MANOR

VISIONS at Selis Manor celebrated its fifth anniversary and the number of clients served at this site continues to grow.  This community center program at Selis Manor (a HUD Section 202 low-income housing building for people who are blind located on West 23rd Street in Manhattan) attracts blind New Yorkers from all five boroughs as well as neighboring counties.  VISIONS provides a full program of vision rehabilitation, educational, therapeutic recreation, and social services for building residents and blind community users.  The educational component includes classes in computers, fitness, creative arts, self development, personal management, mobility, and Braille.  Social services include individual and group counseling, benefits assistance, and case management.  Other offerings include a daily coffee hour, a monthly jazz concert, programs for seniors, and a snack bar operated by blind teens.

A grant from the Norman and Bettina Roberts Foundation enabled VISIONS to expand the fitness center at Selis Manor.  The space has been renovated and equipment replaced, enhancing the adapted fitness programming offered to adult participants and blind youth.  A generous grant from Ezra Kaplan supported the expansion of work experiences for blind youth.

Senior Speak Out remains a keystone for the blind seniors who attend this weekly program at VISIONS at Selis Manor.  With funding from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind and the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), VISIONS offers seminars on topics of interest to elders with vision loss, along with a hot dinner meal and opportunities to socialize, access counseling and benefits assistance as needed.  Senior Speak Out offers blind seniors a safe environment adapted to the specific needs of people with visual impairment in which they can learn self advocacy skills.  Seniors from all five boroughs attend.  Many seniors have reported that this is the only meal during the week that they share in the company of another person.

Door-to-door transportation is provided for those seniors who are not able to travel independently to attend Senior Speak Out.  VISIONS also funds emergency car service transportation for clients and visually impaired staff who are stranded.  Blind clients and staff are sometimes able to get the paratransit service Access-A-Ride to bring them to a location but not to pick them up for the return trip.

YOUTH SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES EXPANSIONS

VISIONS has experienced a dramatic increase in youth services and employment services over the past year.  Through the successful procurement of a contract with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), VISIONS began providing an Out-of-School Time (OST) program for blind high school youth.  Held at VISIONS at Selis Manor, the program provides blind high school youth with safe, adapted programming for the hours in which they are not in school.  Blind youth have the opportunity to learn job readiness skills, participate in job internships, enjoy therapeutic recreation and adapted fitness classes, and take classes in subjects such as basic financial skills and healthy living.  Twenty-five blind high school youth participated in the first year of the program.

Additionally, VISIONS participates in partnerships with businesses and not-for-profits to place blind youth in paid summer internships, train the blind youth in job readiness skills, and train the employers and their employees to work effectively with youth with disabilities.  Seventy-six blind youth were placed in Summer 2006.

Through a new grant from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, VISIONS will augment its employment services staff with the addition of a new job developer.  The addition of this staff member will enable VISIONS to meet the growing demand from clients for assistance with job searches and employment placement.  The goal is to place 24 adults with vision loss in competitive, full-time employment each year.

GRANTS TO VISIONS

VISIONS is the recipient of support from New York State Senator Serphin R. Maltese for services in Queens and from the Borough Presidents of Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens for programs serving residents of their respective boroughs.  VISIONS also received support from New York City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito for services in her district.

VISIONS was awarded a two year grant from the Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH Perpetual Charitable Trust to expand individual counseling, fitness and educational services at VISIONS at Selis Manor.

A challenge gift from an anonymous donor in celebration of the 80th anniversary of VISIONS and Vacation Camp for the Blind has matched dollar for dollar $20,000 in contributions given by and solicited by VISIONS Board of Directors.

VISIONS has been selected by the New York City Department for the Aging to provide Intergenerational Services for six more years.  This new support will enable VISIONS to continue and enhance the Intergenerational Volunteer program which trains New York City high school students to provide volunteer services for blind seniors.

MEDIA COVERAGE AND AWARDS

The knitting class at VISIONS at Selis Manor was the subject of a story in the magazine Interweave Knits.  The story described the class, with special emphasis that the class is taught by a blind instructor.

The Intergenerational Volunteer program received the 2006 Senior Services Achievement Award, Intergenerational Programs Category from the New York State Coalition for the Aging for its benefit to the New York City community.  The program is the feature story in the NYSIGN newsletter in September 2006.

In April 2006, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published a story about VISIONS 80th anniversary celebration and the Brooklyn Advisory Board luncheon which included a vignette about a VISIONS client who resides in Brooklyn.

In May 2006, Dawn Suvino, VISIONS Director of Information Services and Technology Training was honored with an Employee of the Year Award from the Industries for the Blind of New York State, Inc.

VISIONS’ newly created Public Service Announcement has been airing on radio and television in the Spring and Summer of 2006.

“Sight Unseen,” an article about a VISIONS client in Brooklyn and his orientation and mobility training, appeared in the June 2006 edition of The Brooklyn Rail.  The article profiled Victor Andrews and his training from Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist Annalyn Courtney Barbier to teach Mr. Andrews how to travel independently on the street and by bus.

Our Town published an article on September 7, 2006, highlighting VISIONS mission and the programs at VISIONS at Selis Manor.

The New York Times included VISIONS headquarters at 500 Greenwich Street in an article about non-profits and office condominiums on November 1, 2006.

THANK YOU!

It is through the ongoing support of our loyal donors and friends that VISIONS is able to provide substantial improvement in the lives of the blind people we serve.  We hope that you share our pride as we work together to promote the independence of people who are blind and that you continue to support the mission of VISIONS in the future.

Contributions to VISIONS are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
A copy of our most recent financial statement is available by writing VISIONS or
Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

Incorporated as a 501(c) (3) charity in 1926, VISIONS meets the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability