Skip to Content

Horizons for the Blind

General Information

Horizons for the Blind
125 Erick Street, A103
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(815) 444 8800
http://www.horizons-blind.org

Brief Description

Horizons for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired by increasing accessibility to consumer products and services, education, recreation, and the cultural arts.

Horizons has become a leading provider of braille, large print, and audio transcription services to the business community, specializing in partnering with companies to provide accessible billing and financial statements, newsletters, restaurant menus, hotel directories, and user manuals for cell phones and other electronic equipment.

Horizons also processes over 25,000 billing statements per month in braille, large print, and audio for financial institutions, utility companies, communications companies and others.

Horizons provides braille, large print, and audiocassette instruction in crafts; plants and gardening; recipes; knitting; crocheting; and sewing needles and craft supplies.

Horizons has also created Directions For Me, a one-stop source for accessible packaging information, including preparation instructions, ingredient lists, and nutrition labels for many common grocery, health, and beauty products.

Directions was designed to be completely accessible to those who use adaptive technology. It also offers adjustable fonts for those who need larger print.

Horizon also offers a catalog of over 400 low-cost, braille and large print books, guides, crafts and more

.
Horizon’s has an outreach social group, the Weekenders, for those who enjoy visiting restaurants, cultural centers, popular attractions and other events. We also offer braille and large print transcriptions services. Please note, Horizons strongly encourages blind or visually impaired people to contact their utility companies, financial institutions and other billing entities to request billing statements and supplemental information in a braille, large print or audio format.

Services Offered

  • Consultation/Technical Program Assistance
    • Offers technical assistance to agencies and other providers to make their facilities more accessible.

  • Recreation Services
    • Horizons sponsors an outreach social group, called the Weekenders, for blind and visually impaired people who enjoy visiting restaurants, cultural events theaters and other popular attractions in the Chicagoland area. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends. The group is open to the public. In addition, we offer a monthly magazine called Seeing It Our Way, which is filled with interesting, relevant articles, stories, puzzles and more. Visit our website for more information.

  • Braille/Electronic/Audio/Large Print Production
    • Horizons is a leading provider of braille, large print and audio transcription services to the business community. We partner with companies and organizations to provide accessible billing and financial statements, newsletters, restaurant menus, hotel directories and user manuals for cell phones and other electronics. We process approximately 30,000 billing statements per month in braille, large print and audio for financial institutions, utility companies and other billing entities. In addition, we offer a catalog of over 400 braille and large print books and materials, including cookbooks, books on knitting and crocheting, crafts, gardening household hints and popular books of general interest, along with a unique selection of accessible daily living products. Visit our website: horizons-blind.org or call us, 815-444-8800.