Press Release
The Patrick Family Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to support the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina's (ABVI) Own Your Life program. Through the Own Your Life program, ABVI provides personal independence and vocational rehabilitation training for adults who are blind, visually impaired or have a progressive eye condition in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties.
Classes and opportunities provided through Own Your Life include: Activities of Daily Living, Assistive Technology, Braille, Client Connections (social activities and events), Computer, Educational Webinars, Guide Dog Scholarships, Low Vision Device Sales, Occupational Therapy, Orientation and Mobility Training, Soft Skills (interview prep, resume support, etc), Support Services (Art Therapy, Group Therapy and Peer-to-Peer Mentoring) and Typing.
“We are grateful to the Patrick Family Foundation for recognizing the need for vision rehabilitation training for the more than 15,000 adults who are blind or visually impaired living in the Tri-County,” said Anne Reid, Chief Development Officer for ABVI. “With their support, ABVI can continue to provide adults who are blind or visually impaired with the critical skills they need to live, learn and earn with vision loss.”
ABVI has vision rehabilitation training facilities in Charleston and Ladson and offers virtual training as well. There is no fee to become a client, and nearly all services are free of charge. The only requirement is to complete an application. To learn more about ABVI, visit www.abvisc.org.
About the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina's (ABVI) mission is to enrich the quality of life of the blind and visually impaired. Through our Own Your Life program, ABVI helps adults who are blind, visually impaired or have a progressive eye condition in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties learn new approaches to daily life. Own Your Life offers two tracks: Personal Independence teaches adults how to navigate daily life with a visual impairment, while Vocational Rehabilitation helps clients who are ready to learn the adaptive skills needed to enter or re-enter the workforce. To learn more about ABVI's services, visit www.abvisc.org/services.
