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Vision Loss Alliance

General Information

Vision Loss Alliance
155 Morris Ave # 2
Denville, NJ 07834
973-627-0055
kmarino@njffb.org
https://www.vlanj.org

Brief Description

The mission of the NJ Foundation for the Blind is to provide the emotional support and practical training to help adults who become blind or visually impaired return to a full and meaningful life: adjust to vision loss, acquire independent living skills and regain their physical and mental health.

Services Offered

  • Daily Living Skills/Independent Living Skills Training
    • Provides training in activities of daily living.

  • Computer Training/Assistive Technology
    • We provide monthly demonstrations and weekly training on Apple iPads and iPhones at our Denville campus. Students learn about the integrated apps and accessibility features as well as specialized apps designed for people who are blind and visually impaired.

  • Assessment
    • Assessments for our Essential Low Vision Program and Health & Wellness Program are conducted over-the-phone. Assessments for our Comprehensive Core Program are conducted in-person in Denville, NJ.

  • Counseling
    • In the peer support group, experienced counselors guide students through a series of thought-provoking questions and activities, so the student may learn to cope with vision loss and learn to access information in their communities.

  • Low Vision Services
    • Our Essential Low Vision Program provides immediate assistance to people who have recently experienced a loss of some or all of their vision. Participants and their family members will learn about the myriad of products, services and resources that exist to help people maintain their independence.

  • Travel/Orientation and Mobility
    • O&M training targets overall safety while traveling indoors, outdoors, and in residential or business areas. Once a functional performance assessment is conducted, a mutual decision based on input from both the student and instructor determines what tools the student will use to travel safely and independently. Examples of travel tools are optical aids that are prescribed by doctors, and a long, white travel cane. O&M instruction emphasizes use of visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, and olfactory input in conjunction with cane skills to promote safe movement in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Initially, students work on learning to safely travel inside the building using spatial orientation methods. If the student has an interest and/or need, outdoor travel in residential and business areas is introduced.

  • Support Groups
    • In the peer support group, our experienced counselors guide students through a series of thought-provoking questions and activities, so the student may learn to cope with vision loss and learn to access information in their communities. Individual counseling is available to students who prefer or who are in need of intensive support.

  • Health
    • Our weekly, community-based Health & Wellness Programs consist of: Yoga, Horticultural Therapy, African Drumming, T’ai Chi Chih, and Peer Support Group. These courses provide a holistic approach to living with vision loss. This Program is currently offered at locations in Morris, Bergen and Essex Counties, and over the next several years we will expand this program into other counties throughout New Jersey.