COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
2453 GRAND CANAL BLVD NO 5, STOCKTON, CA 952078259 www.communitycenterfortheblind.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: OUR MISSION AT COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED IS TO PROVIDE THE MEANS BY WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED CAN IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN THEIR CAPABILITIES AND POTENTIALS TO RE-ESTABLISH PURPOSE AND SELF-ESTEEM IN THEIR LIVES AND IN SOCIETY, WHILE LEADING INDEPENDENT LIVES.

TO PROVIDE REHABILITATION, SOCIAL, RECREATIONAL AND OTHER SERVICES TO BLIND PERSONS.

CCBVI SERVICES ARE VITAL FOR CLIENTS ADJUSTING TO VISION LOSS - ORIENTATION & MOBILITY (O&M) TEACHES SKILLS SUCH AS HOW TO USE A WHITE CANE PROPERLY AND HOW TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT TO TRAVEL INDEPENDENTLY. FOR EXAMPLE, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY INSTRUCTION GAVE A RECENT CLIENT THE CONFIDENCE TO RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT BETWEEN HER HOME AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION. SHE LEARNED TO PLAN ROUTES USING GOOGLE MAPS, FIND HER WAY TO THE NEAREST BUS STOP, ACCESS THE CORRECT BUS ROUTE, ARRIVE AT HER DESTINATION, AND LOCATE CLASSROOMS ON CAMPUS.BRAILLE TEACHES HOW TO READ TACTICALLY USING PATTERNS OF UP TO SIX RAISED DOTS THAT REPRESENT LETTERS AND NUMBERS. UNIFIED ENGLISH BRAILLE (UEB) IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF LITERACY FOR PERSONS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION. IN THIS PROGRAM INDIVIDUALS ALSO LEARN HOW TO USE A BRAILLER SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE LABELS AND DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES. USING THE SENSE OF TOUCH TO READ ALLOWS THE INDIVIDUAL TO BECOME COMPETITIVE IN WHATEVER THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE IN THEIR LIVES. IN ADDITION TO THESE BASIC SKILLS, CCBVI ALSO OFFERS A VARIETY OF SUPPORT GROUPS FOR THE YOUNG AND OLD, THEY ASSIST CLIENTS TO TALK TO OTHERS WHO HAVE OR ARE EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGES. IT GIVES CLIENTS COMFORT IN KNOWING THEY ARE NOT ALONE IN WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AND FEELING. WORKSHOPS FOR BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS AID THE CLIENT IN GAINING EMPLOYMENT, FURTHERING SECONDARY EDUCATION, OBTAINING ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, ETC. SUMMER YOUTH CAMPS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS HAVE BECOME A STAPLE AT CCBVI DURING RECENT YEARS. ADDITIONALLY, FEDERAL FUNDS HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR CCBVI TO PROVIDE SELECT DEVICES AND TRAINING TO INDIVIDUALS 55+ YEARS OF AGE AT NO CHARGE TO THE CLIENT. THE DEVICES RANGE FROM TALKING ALARM CLOCKS TO CCTV'S. REMOTE INSTRUCTION - AS SOCIETY BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT DISTANCE LEARNING, THE STAFF AT CCBVI WAS ALREADY PREPARING FOR THEIR CONTINGENCY PLANS. PREPARING TO TEACH REMOTELY AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL THEIR CLIENTS WAS ALREADY BEING PLANNED WEEKS PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE BY THE STATE IN EARLY MARCH OF 2020. AS SUCH, CCBVI WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO ADOPT AN EASY-TO-USE, LOCAL, DIRECT DIAL, CONFERENCE CALL LINE WHERE NO ADDITIONAL PASSWORDS OR CODES WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THIS LOCAL CONNECTION. STAFF MOVED TO USING PHONE CALLS, MICROSOFT TEAMS, ZOOM, UBERCONFERENCE, FACETIME AND GOOGLE DUO ALL IN AN EFFORT TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH CLIENT IN THEIR PREFERRED (OR SOMETIMES ONLY) METHOD OF COMMUNICATION. CLIENTS ACTIVELY ATTENDED MULTIPLE REMOTE YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK, MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION AND PEER SUPPORT GROUP SESSIONS AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGY, BRAILLE, AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS REMOTE LESSONS. CCBVI IS SHINING BRIGHTLY AS A BEACON OF SERVICES THAT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE TO CLIENTELE EVEN IN TIMES OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC! CCBVI SERVED 262 PEOPLE DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. OF THOSE PEOPLE, 16% WERE YOUTH 17 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER, 35% WERE ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18-54 YEARS OF AGE, AND 49% WERE ADULTS AGED 55+ YEARS.THE LARGEST SOURCE OF INCOME THIS YEAR WAS FROM CONTRACT AGENCIES SUCH AS DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AT 62%, FOLLOWED BY DONATIONS AT 15%, FUNDRAISING EVENTS AT 13%, GRANTS AT 9%, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INCOME AT 1%.ACCORDING TO THE PEOPLE SERVED THIS YEAR, WE FOUND THAT MACULAR DEGENERATION WAS THE MOST COMMON EYE CONDITION AFFECTING THE BLIND AND LOW VISION COMMUNITY AT 55%, WITH GLAUCOMA AND DIABETIC RETINOPATHY ALMOST EQUAL AT 25% AND 20% RESPECTIVELY.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) TEACHES HOW TO USE DEVICES SUCH AS COMPUTERS WITH SCREEN READERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILY OR GAIN EMPLOYMENT. IN ADDITION TO INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION, CCBVI HOSTS A MONTHLY TECH TALK THAT IS CRUCIAL WITH THE ONGOING CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY. PRESENTATIONS ON NEW PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, APPS FOR SMART PHONES, AND TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES ARE ALWAYS BEING CREATED AND ENHANCED. IF INTERESTED, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS ABLE TO SIMPLY CALL IN TO THESE TECH TALKS AND FIND OUT WHAT IS NEW WITH THE 'LATEST AND GREATEST' IN ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS IN THE MARKET.INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS (ILS) TEACHES HOW TO COMPLETE TASKS OF DAILY LIVING SUCH AS PREPARING MEALS AND KEEPING A CLEAN RESIDENCE. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND DEVICES NEEDED TO IDENTIFY AND KEEP TRACK OF CURRENCY AND COINS, USE THEIR STOVE AND OVEN SAFELY TO PREPARE MEALS, AND LABEL CANNED GOODS IN THE PANTRY TO AVOID MISTAKING CANNED PEAS FOR CANNED CORN. CCBVI'S SUMMER CAMP 2019 WAS FUN FOR STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR DAILY ACTIVITIES. THE GROUP ENJOYED AN OUTING TO LODI LAKE WHERE THEY EXPERIENCED THE FUN OF TANDEM KAYAKING WHICH TAUGHT THEM TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM. THE STUDENTS CREATED THEIR OWN PERSONAL PIZZA'S AS THEY LEARNED IMPORTANT INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAMP WAS A DAY TRIP TO BIG TREES WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO TOUCH THE DIFFERENT TREES AND ENJOY THE NATURE TRAIL WHILE READING BRAILLE PLAQUES ALONG THE WAY. NOT ONLY DID THE STUDENTS MAKE EVERLASTING FRIENDSHIPS, THEY ALSO LEARNED TEAMBUILDING SKILLS AND EXPERIENCED A WHOLE NEW WORLD THAT IS THERE FOR THE TAKING.HIGHLIGHTED GRANTS:THE MILDRED LUCK LEWIS FOUNDATION AWARDED CCBVI $5,300.00 TO PROVIDE YOGA SESSIONS SEMIWEEKLY FOR 48 WEEKS IN 2020 AND PURCHASE SIX ROUSETTUS VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOGA MATS (VIYMR). SIX SERIES OF CLASSES RUN FOR EIGHT WEEKS EACH AND ACCOMMODATE UP TO SIX PARTICIPANTS. AS MANY AS 36 PEOPLE MAY BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM. THE VIYMR MATS ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED WITH CLEAR RAISED MARKINGS TO HELP PARTICIPANTS MAINTAIN HEAD AND SPINAL ALIGNMENT DURING YOGA POSTURES, FOOT AND HAND STATIONS FOR PLACEMENT AND BRAILLE LABELS. SCIENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE THE STRESS THAT ACCOMPANIES VISION LOSS, RELIEVE ANXIETY, IMPROVE BALANCE AND FITNESS, INCREASE KINESTHETIC AWARENESS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA ALSO HAS BEEN FOUND TO HEIGHTEN ACTIVITY IN THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CORRELATES TO GREATER LEVELS OF HAPPINESS AND BETTER IMMUNE FUNCTION.ABILITY CENTRAL PHILANTHROPY AWARDED CCBVI $20,000.00 TO BUILD CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED. THE GRANT SUPPORTED THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CCBVI STAFF WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION, RESULTING IN INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF DISABILITIES OTHER THAN BLINDNESS, MORE ACCURATE ASSESSMENTS FOR CLIENTS WITH ADDITIONAL DISABILITIES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM TO OFFER ACCESS TO NONVISUAL DESKTOP ACCESS (NVDA), A FREE, OPEN SOURCE PORTABLE SCREEN READER FOR WINDOWS. CCBVI STAFF ATTENDED THE ANNUAL CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE (CSUN) ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) CONFERENCE AND PURSUED THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (ATACP) AND NVDA EXPERT CERTIFICATION.

CCBVI CONTINUES TO RE-ASSESS THE NEEDS OF THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITY IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY AND ADD SERVICES AS NEEDED. NO MATTER YOUR AGE OR STAGE OF YOUR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, CCBVI HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER.SINCE INCORPORATION AS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT 501(C)(3) IN MAY OF 1949, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY WHO ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED HAVE STEPPED THROUGH THE DOORS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES. YOUR ASSISTANCE MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THESE VITAL SERVICES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO NEED THEM. NOT ONLY TODAY BUT FOR TOMORROW AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND DEDICATION OF THE COMMUNITY. WE THANK YOU.LEARN MORE ABOUT CCBVI HERE: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/OXTB8VYKIK0

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