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Specialized Services
The Specialized Services Department at ASB is dedicated to ensuring that blind and visually impaired adults in the Philadelphia region have the very highest quality of life possible. In order to assist our clients maintain and expand their hard-won independence, and to help them continue to enjoy life to its fullest, the Specialized Services Department offers a wide variety of educational, recreational, social service, and support services.
- Low Vision Support Group
Dealing with the emotional and practical consequences of vision loss can be extremely daunting. To assist clients successfully come to terms with visual limitations, learn tricks to make their lives easier, and build crucial supportive relationships; ASB offers several different support groups. Current offerings include a Low Vision Support Group in English and Low Vision Support Group in Spanish, a Men's Support Group, a Women's Support Group, a Senior's Group, and an assertiveness training group.
- Diabetes Information and Support Groups
Diabetes is the single most common cause of blindness and visual impairment among ASB clients. Yet visually impaired Diabetic individuals have needs that are not always addressed in other venues. How does one manage their own diabetes care, for instance, when one cannot see a regular glucomator? (Hint: Try a talking glucometer!) ASB offers Diabetes Information and Support Groups both in English and in Spanish for blind and visually impaired adults.
- Life Skills Education
Most visually impaired and blind adults very much want to maintain their independence. (Most ASB clients live alone, handling their own cooking, housekeeping, daily schedule, etc.) To help these individuals learn and expand on the skills critical to maintaining one's independence, ASB currently offers 6 different life skills classes: Life Skills I, Life Skills II, Life Skills, III, Life Skills in Spanish, Alumni of Life Skills Classes, and Latino Alumni of Life Skills classes. Participants learn practical skills and receive practical information on services, resources, adaptive equipment, and techniques for managing daily tasks in spite of visual limitations.
- English as a Second Language Classes
Understanding and being able to communicate in the English language is critical for everyone living in the US, but it is particularly crucial for individuals unable to use visual cues to compensate for language deficits. (How do you know where to get off the bus, for instance, if you can neither see where you are nor understand the bus driver's directions?) Yet most ESL classes are simply not equipped to deal with blind and visually impaired learners. ASB addresses this important problem by offering beginners and intermediate ESL classes to visually impaired new English speakers. Current class participants include individuals from various Spanish speaking countries as well as Puerto Rico, from Russia, from the Philippines, and from Trinidad.
- Garden Program
ASB's gardening program helps blind and visually impaired participants learn adaptive gardening techniques, enjoy educational field trips, and maintain a healthy and active hobby. Our talented gardeners have, for several years running, won first place prizes each year from the Philadelphia Horticultural Society in their size category, while competing against sighted competitors.
- Recreational Programs
Visual Impairment doesn't have to be the end of hobbies or enjoying other forms of recreation. ASB currently offers a knitting and crocheting class, and a chess class for our clients. Both classes are taught by volunteer teachers under ASB staff supervision.
- Drop-in Center
ASB's Drop-in Center provides a relaxing place for blind and visually impaired adults to enjoy one another's company, play a game of bingo, watch a "descriptive movie", or participate in an art project.
- Special Events
All of us need things to look forward to. At ASB we offer a wide variety of special events tailored to the unique needs of our blind and visually impaired clientele. From Holiday parties to Shopping trips, from Mardi Gras Celebrations to Bowling Outings, ASB seeks to bring joy into the lives of visually impaired adults in the Philadelphia region. ASB also offers special speakers and programs to help our clients learn about topics crucial to their every day lives. Volunteer speakers have helped our clients learn about Medicare Part D, nutrition, keeping fit, safety in the community, voting, and more.
- Legal Clinic
Through a cooperative arrangement with the Legal Clinic For the Disabled, ASB hosts a monthly legal clinic for blind and visually impaired clients. Through the legal clinic, clients are able to address consumer problems, tenant landlord issues, problems with Social Security, and more.
- Shopping Assistance
The ability to purchase groceries and other crucial items can make an enormous difference in the ability of blind and visually impaired adults to continue living independently in the community. ASB offers monthly shopping assistance to participating clients, assisting clients both to acquire the things they need, and to remain actively engaged in the community through visits to grocery stores etc.
- Senior Companions
Through a cooperative arrangement with the Philadelphia Corporation for Ageing, ASB is able to offer its clients home visits by Senior Companions. Participating senior companions visit clients at home, read to them, help them write letters, accompany them on walks, and more.
- Phone Friends
For those clients who are homebound, frail, or isolated; maintaining contact with the world at large can become truly difficult. ASB offers the phone friends program to ensure that, at least once a week, these individuals hear a friendly voice and have someone check on them to make sure everything is ok.
For more information, contact Barbara Levin, M.Ed..
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