Below are resources for people experiencing low vision:
State and Local Resources
Tennessee Department of Human Services: Blind and Visually-Impaired Services and Independent Living and Vocational Rehabilitation: online at www.tn.gov/humanservices/ds/blind-visually-impaired-services and via phone at 1-800-628-7818 (TN in-state only)
You will fill out an application for services, have a phone assessment, then a low vision specialist will provide you with in-home advice and aids to help with independent living, or if seeking employment, you will be assigned to a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Disability Resource Center: online at drctn.org/ or 9111 Cross Park Dr., Building E, Ste 135, Knoxville, TN 37923. 1-865-637-3666
A nonprofit in Knoxville that provides training and information to people with all disabilities for independent living and vocational skills.
Spark: online at www.sparktn.org or 116 Childress St SW, Knoxville, TN 37920. 1-865-219-0130
A nonprofit in Knoxville that provides technology training for people with disabilities.
Tennessee Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: sos.tn.gov/tsla/labm and1-800-342-3308
State coordinator of the Library of Congress free program of Talking Books for the Blind. All equipment, books and shipping is free. Hundreds of thousands of unabridged audiobooks are available to download or on discs with the disc players provided.
Catalyst Sports: www.catalystsports.org
Offers opportunities every month for adaptive rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking in East Tennessee.
Transportation resources
GoGo Grandparent: https://gogograndparent.com/
Good resource for transportation. It’s not free but it’s a more accessible way to use transportation services such as Lyft, Taxis, Uber, Instacart, and Doordash.
East TN Human Resource Agency or ETHRA: https://www.ethra.org/
CAC Office on Aging
Provides transportation in Knox County. https://www.knoxseniors.org/
Volunteer Assisted Transportation or VAT
Knox County transportation resource: https://www.knoxseniors.org/vat/
National Organizations
American Council for the Blind: www.acb.org (national website). tn-acb.org (TN website). Knoxville chapter, 1-844-304-2006
ACB has many hobbies and social groups that meet on zoom or by phone, as well as information on all aspects of low vision. The American Council of the Blind has an extensive list of resources for both persons with visual impairments and those who develop materials to ensure they are ADA compliant and accessible. Go to the Menu, then Resources. There are many categories to choose from that are continually updated.
National Federation for the Blind: nfb.org
NFB is a national organization that advocates for the blind and visually-impaired and offers groups and information. They also offer free white canes through a program on their website.
American Federation for the Blind: www.afb.org and 1-212-502-7600
AFB is another national organization that has focused attention on the growing numbers and needs of older adults in America who are being diagnosed with eye diseases and want to continue to live independent, active lives.
Hadley: hadley.edu and 1-800-323-4238
Hadley is a tresource that began as a braille course by mail and developed into an organization that now offers workshops and training in a wide variety of independent living skills. It's free, lessons can be accessed by computer, phone or mail. They also offer a variety of informative podcasts. The staff are eager to help you get started and find what you need and want to try. A great organization to get you started!
Second Sense: www.second-sense.org or 1-312-236-8569
A Chicago nonprofit that supports low vision groups, mostly in their area, but they do have a lot of resources on their website, including a fantastic manual on getting started with a Low Vision group.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/low-vision-resources
Computers for the Blind (Texas): www.Computersfortheblind.org
American Printing House for the Blind’s Vision Aware: www.VisionAware.org
Website is a great online resource. There are a ton of articles, trainings, and information about specific eye conditions and new technology
Perkins School for the Blind: www.perkins.org
Good resource for kids and young adults
Adaptive Aids and Shopping
There are many different adaptive aids that help make daily tasks easier or possible with low or no vision. You can shop online at these major retailers or order from their catalogs.
MaxiAids: www.maxiaids.com and 1-800 -522-6294
L & S Group: lssproducts.com and 1-800-468-4789
Braille Superstore: www.braillebookstore.com and 1-800-987-1231
General Information
Screen readers and accessibility features in technology
Advancements in computers, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices allow the blind and people with low vision to access most information that is available to others. Screen reading software reads aloud what is written on the computer, phone or tablet screen and even describes pictures. Text size can be increased, colors changed, and items magnified to allow people with low vision to read and see pictures. You can find tutorials or classes online or in person to learn how you can access technology and be part of the digital world.
YouTube
There are countless YouTube videos and YouTube channels by blind people for blind and low vision people that have fantastic tips, tricks and advice. As with all YouTube videos, some are more helpful or more or less professionally done than others, so take the nuggets out of the ones you like and leave the rest.
Audio-described movies and tv shows
Audio-description is a way for people with low vision to enjoy movies and television. A narrator describes what is happening on the screen between the dialogue. At a movie theater, ask for headphones to wear with the audio-description during your movie. With cable or streaming media, check language settings for "English audio" or “Audio-description".