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Services Overview

Independence with Low Vision

An older man and a young girl are seated together on an outdoor bench in a park-like setting on a sunny day. The older man is wearing a brimmed hat, glasses, a striped button-down shirt, blue jeans, and dark shoes. He is holding a white mobility cane upright in his left hand, indicating vision impairment. His right arm is resting along the back of the bench. The young girl is seated beside him, smiling toward the camera. She is wearing a sleeveless brown top, a patterned skirt, and open-toed sandals, with her hands resting together on her lap. They are seated on a curved bench made of light-colored material, with gravel on the ground beneath their feet. In the background, there are green trees, grass, and a softly blurred outdoor landscape, suggesting a calm, accessible public space.

The Independence with Low Vision Program, in partnership with the Florida Division of Blind Services, provides training for adults and seniors who have experienced severe vision loss or blindness to enable them to continue to live safely and independently in their homes, travel safely in the community and improve their quality of life.

The Independence with Low Vision Program enables individuals with vision loss or blindness to:

  • Learn to use magnification, lighting and eccentric viewing techniques to read mail and pay bills
  • Learn methods of labeling and organizing medications to aid in proper dosage
  • Safely prepare nutritious meals
  • Learn to accomplish daily tasks with little or no vision
  • Learn to use a long cane to detect obstacles and drop-offs and methods to travel safely in the home and in the community
  • Learn to use smartphones, tablets and computers with access technology.

For Health care professionals, vision rehabilitation services provided by Independence with Low Vision aim to improve patient outcomes in the following ways:

  • Improve reading efficiency through more effective use of remaining vision combined with magnification and lighting
  • Administer medication properly through the use of labeling and organizational techniques
  • Prevent falls through the use of a long cane and orientation and mobility skills training
  • Lessen the impact of vision loss through adjustment counseling, adaptive skills training and the provision of aids and devices

Independence with Low Vision Program provides expert care:

  • Training is provided at no charge to the individual through funding provided by the Florida Department of Education, Florida Division of Blind Services
  • Training is individualized and offered in the client’s home and in group classes at the Senior Recreation Center.
  • Training is provided by professional staff with a master’s degree in visual disabilities and dual certification as an orientation and mobility specialist and a vision rehabilitation specialist along with an assistant instructor with over 20 years of experience in the Independence with Low Vision Program

Eligibility for Services:

  • Adults 18 years of age or older
  • Resident of Alachua County
  • Presence of a bilateral visual impairment that creates challenges to his or her ability to live independently
  • The potential to benefit from the training provided

How to apply or make a referral for services:

Learn more about White Can Safety Day on October 15th!

Nationally Accredited By:
The logo for the Accreditation Council on Education in Rehabilitation, also known as ACER. The logo features a stylized lowercase word “aer” in blue, with a circular arrow design forming part of the letter “a.” Below the logo is a horizontal blue line, and beneath it appears the text “Accreditation Council” in blue capital letters.
Flyer for ElderCare of Alachua County’s Independence with Low Vision Program. The program helps individuals with vision loss remain independent by teaching magnification and lighting techniques, methods for completing daily tasks with low or no vision, safe travel using a long cane, and how to use assistive technology such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. To learn more or apply, contact Beverly Bennett, Program Manager, at 352-810-9117 or Beverly.Bennett@ufhealth.org . Sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Blind Services. Training is provided at no charge to the client.

View accessible text version of this flyer

Accessible Text Version: Independence with Low Vision

ElderCare of Alachua County

Independence with Low Vision

DO YOU, OR DOES SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW, HAVE VISION LOSS AND HAVE DIFFICULTY REMAINING INDEPENDENT?

OUR PROGRAM CAN ASSIST WITH:

  • Learning to use magnification and lighting
  • Learning methods to complete daily tasks with low vision/no vision
  • Learning to use a long cane to travel safely & independently
  • Learning to use assistive technology to access smartphones, tablets, & computers

To learn more or apply for the program, contact Beverly Bennett, Program Manager:
352-810-9117
Beverly.Bennett@ufhealth.org

The Independence with Low Vision Program is sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Blind Services.

Training is provided at no charge to the client.

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