FamilyConnect

Scott Truax: The American Foundation for the Blind for many years has provided a directory of agencies providing services, to children and adults. FamilyConnect has it’s own version of that directory specifically designed for children.

The benefits of FamilyConnect program are that it’s a place where people can come to find each other, to learn about blindness and visual impairment, so we have lots of information.

Things about medical issues, educational issues, and also information by age range. How do I get my blind infant to crawl? How do I get my six year old interested in reading? How do I talk to my 16 year old about how to get around with orientation mobility? And things like that.

When you are in a very small community or even in a large, it’s very unlikely you will be able to find another family with a child who has the same eye condition as you. By registering with FamilyConnect and using the message boards, that’s a way for individuals to find each other. In fact we have a large international presence. Over 125 countries, routinely use FamilyConnect as a source of information.

The type of feedback we receive at FamilyConnect for families who use it, are that they feel less isolated and more confident after reading what’s there, finding other families. Sometimes the issues that are relevant have to do with blindness, and so your typical community resources of families and friends may not have the answer you are looking for but another parent with a child with a similar condition will be able to be your guide.

Narrator: FamilyConnect, familyconnect.org