The staff and volunteers at New Vision continually research and find new resources that may assist in your vision loss journey. Have a resource that should be here? Email Chantel at cbuck@newvisionfl.org
Local Support Groups
Find Blindness Services Outside Lake, Sumter & The Villages
Blindness Services in Florida
Florida Agencies Serving the Blind member list: look up by county the agencies throughout Florida serving people with vision loss (like New Vision)
Blindness Services Outside of Florida
Vision Serve Alliance member list: look up by state agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada serving people with vision loss
Vision Conditions
Glossaries of Eye Conditions
APH ConnectCenter’s Glossary of Eye Conditions
Foundation Fighting Blindness’s Vision Loss Glossary
Prevent Blindness’s Common terms to help you learn more about your eyes and vision
Cataracts
Hadley’s Living with Cataracts
Choroideremia
Diabetic Retinopathy
Hadley’s Living with Diabetic Retinopathy
How Diabetes Affects Your Vision
Prevent Blindness: What is diabetes-related eye disease?
Leber Congenital Amaurosis
Macular Degeneration (AMD)
American Macular Degeneration Foundation
Hadley’s Living with Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration Foundation
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Stargardt Disease
Usher Syndrome
Research
Foundation Fighting Blindness – retinal diseases:
- My Retina Tracker Registry: a research database of people and families affected by rare inherited retinal degenerative diseases (IRD). There are over 20 retinal degenerative diseases which the Foundation Fighting Blindness studies. The list, includes retinitis pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis, Stargardt disease, Usher syndrome, Best disease, choroideremia, and achromatopsia, amongst others.
- Clinical Trial Pipeline
Prevent Blindness: Clinical trials for eye diseases and vision
Living with Vision Loss
Living with Vision Loss
Hadley: practical and social/emotional help to older adults adjusting to vision loss, empowering them to adapt and thrive
APH Vision Aware: free, easy-to-use informational service for adults who are blind or have low vision, their families, caregivers, healthcare providers, and social service professionals
- Living with Blindness or Low Vision: If you are new to blindness or low vision, take the journey one day and one step at a time. Utilize our tips for adjusting to vision changes, living independently, caring for yourself, navigating relationships, getting around your environment, redesigning your home and fall prevention, making home and vehicle repairs, maintaining employment, and choosing where to live.
The Connection Between Health and Vision Impairment
What Are Vision Rehabilitation Services and How Can They Help Older Adults?
Working with Vision Loss
APH’s CareerConnect
How Vocational Rehabilitation Can Translate Vision Loss into Career Success
Legal Rights and Protections for Disabled Workers in Florida
For Families & Friends of Adults with Vision Loss
APH Vision Aware: Families and Friends
Prevent Blindness:
For Caregivers of Children with Vision Loss
APH Family Connect: APH FamilyConnect ® is here to support you, your child, your family, and your child’s medical and educational team members. Discover tips, ideas, information, and personal stories to support your family in raising your child. Getting Started guides birth to 3rd grade and 4th to 12th grade
College: Navigating College with Visual Impairments
National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation:
Seedlings Braille Books for Children
Vision Serve Alliance’s “Interacting with Children who are Visually Impaired”
Counseling Resources
Janice Barrocas, LPC, CRC, NCC
Therapist specializing in personal adjustment and vision loss
Career Development Facilitator
janice@adjustingtovisionloss.com
470-635-9499 call or text
Special Interests
Music
Music By Ear: learn guitar, piano, or other instruments non-visually
Reading
Sports
Accessible Outdoor Adventures: Environmental Travel Companions
Beep Baseball: National Beep Baseball Association
Skiing: American Blind Skiing Foundation
US Association of Blind Athletes: goalball, soccer, endurance races, and much more
Technology
American Foundation for the Blind’s AccessWorld: A trusted source of information for the intersection of disability and technology. Published quarterly, view our honest commentary, expert insights, and trending discussions in AccessWorld®.
Computers for the Blind: provides refurbished computers with accessibility software, as well as training and other services to individuals across the United States
Hadley’s Technology Workshops: free workshops on iPhone, iPad, Android, computer, and other useful tech
Top Tech Tidbits: The world’s #1 online resource for current news and trends in access technology
Veterans
Blinded Veterans Association: serving blind veterans since WWII
Accessing Medical Care
New Vision is not a medical provider. We cannot improve your vision or assist in the purchase of eyeglasses (sorry!), but these resources may be useful.
Resources for eye medical assistance and eyeglasses
EyeCare America: no-cost medical eye exams by an ophthalmologist for eligible seniors and those at risk for glaucoma
American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Resources for eye glasses
Prevent Blindness’s Medicare Benefits and Your Eyes
Prevent Blindness’s Vision Care Financial Assistance Information
Accessibility
Access Information News: The world’s #1 online resource for current news and trends in access information
What Is Accessibility and Why Is It Important for People with Vision Loss?
Legal Assistance
Community Legal Services
Community Legal Services provides no-cost legal services to the most vulnerable in Central Florida and help them protect their families, health, and livelihood.
- Web: https://www.legalaccessforall.org/
- Tavares office: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office open by appointment only.
- Phone: (352) 343-0815
- Fax: (352) 343-8853
- 226 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778
Community Legal Services HELPline 1-800-405-1417
CLS HELPline 1-800-405-1417
Community Legal Services (CLS) Helpline is an intake and attorney-staffed telephone advice, brief services, pro se, and referral system serving low income individuals, seniors, and other vulnerable people with civil legal issues throughout Central Florida. The attorneys who answer Helpline calls provide eligible clients with immediate brief legal services and/or referrals.
CLS Helpline attorneys are trained to counsel holistically, working with each caller to look at all areas of their life (such as housing, finances, family stability, education, safety, and healthcare) rather than simply addressing only a single need.
Helpline attorneys also provide on-the-spot referrals to a wide variety of governmental and social service providers, including local domestic violence shelters, housing resources, prescription drug programs for low income persons, and emergency food resources.
Disability Rights Florida
https://disabilityrightsflorida.org
Tel 1-800-342-0823
Disability Rights Florida was founded in 1977 as the state’s designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for individuals with disabilities in the State of Florida. The P&A system exists to ensure the safety, well-being, and success of people with disabilities.
Disability Rights Florida is a nonprofit organization that provides legal advocacy and rights protection for adults and children with a wide range of disabilities. Our staff attorneys, advocates and investigators address civil rights violations, abuse and neglect, and discrimination specifically in these areas:
- Disputes involving Medicaid eligibility including Protected Medicaid, Home & Community Based Services Waivers, and Medicare Savings Programs.
- Discrimination in housing, architectural barriers, service animals, transportation, and access to public and private programs and services.
- Abuse, neglect, and rights violations in an institution, prison or jail.
- Rights to a least restrictive environment, privacy, choice, dignity, and other basic human and civil rights.
- Barriers to a free and appropriate education, K-12 special education, transition services, and post-secondary education.
- Access to mental health and support services that provide individualized treatment including adults and students with psychiatric disabilities.
- Employment accommodations, as well as accessing, maintaining or regaining employment, and vocational rehabilitation (through our Client Assistance Program).
- Rights to effective and accessible communication like American Sign Language and accessible print and electronic information.
- Access to services that will enable veterans with service-related injuries a successful transition to civilian life.
- Investigation of stolen or misused funds, exploitation, or neglect by representative payees.
- Voting registration, vote casting, and accessible polling places.
- Access to assistive technology and devices such as communication devices and power wheelchairs.
- Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship.
If we can’t be of direct assistance, we refer people to other sources of help.
All services are free and confidential.
Statewide Initiatives
- Educating policy makers about the needs of people with disabilities
- Systemic and legal advocacy
- Collaborative work on disability rights issues
- Monitoring of public programs and facilities
- Workshops and trainings
Disability Resources and Publications (Disability Rights Florida)