OUR MISSION
“To empower people with vision loss to realize their full potential, and to shape the community's vision of that potential.”
More About Our Mission
Annually, close to 50 children (infants through age five) participate in our preschool program at agency classrooms or at home. Early Childhood Education specialists teach developmental, social and school readiness skills preparing these children to compete in mainstream classes alongside their sighted classmates. We offer support and practical information encouraging parents to take an active role as their child’s most valuable teacher. About 600 students to age 18 benefit from social and recreational activities, educational and career counseling and advocacy services.
Working-age adults need meaningful jobs, volunteer or paid. The unemployment rate among those with a visual disability is over 70 percent. Cleveland Sight Center’s Employment Services secures jobs for visually disabled workers by providing counseling, job-related evaluation and training, and placement. In addition to teaching daily living skills for travel and household management, we offer adaptive devices in our “EYE-dea” Shop, Low Vision Clinic and the Storer Computer Access Center. These range from simple marking systems for clothing, to sophisticated state-of-the-art computerized communication tools, to auto-focusing telescopic lenses.
Seventy percent of our clients are seniors over the age of 60. Like other adults they need the skills and adaptive devices to take care of their daily needs. Our community rehabilitation and mobility instructors provide these services in the individual’s home. Alternative means of communication such as Talking Books, Braille and Recording Services, and our Radio Reading Service are available. We also teach seniors and others with low vision to use magnification, lighting and other aids to live safely and independently with diminished vision.
Our comprehensive services provide the basis for a productive and independent life for our clients no matter their age.