MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INC
601 SW 8TH AVENUE, MIAMI, FL 33130 www.miamilighthouse.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: AS A CENTER OF LEARNING, THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS, "THROUGH EDUCATION, TRAINING, RESEARCH AND VISION ENHANCEMENT, MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED PROVIDES HOPE, CONFIDENCE, AND INDEPENDENCE TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES."

OUR FLORIDA HEIKEN CHILDREN'S VISION PROGRAM, LLC. BRINGS PRIMARY EYE HEALTH CARE DIRECTLY TO FLORIDA SCHOOLCHILDREN ATTENDING TITLE ONE SCHOOLS USING OUR FOUR MOBILE EYE CARE UNITS AS WELL AS PROVIDING VOUCHERS IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR NETWORK OF 1,200 OPTOMETRISTS. IN 2020, THE HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA FUNDED A RESEARCH STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE ELIZA RESEARCH TEAM WHO FOUND THAT 77% OF PARENTS SURVEYED REPORTED ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE OF THEIR CHILD'S PRESCRIPTION GLASSES AND 96% OF PARENTS REPORTED OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH OUR HEIKEN EYE CARE PROGRAM.OUR LOW VISION PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND EYE EXAMINATIONS AND INSTRUCTION ON ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND OPTICS FOR SENIORS WITH AGE-RELATED VISION LOSS. THESE LOW VISION SERVICES ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN UTILIZING THEIR REMAINING VISION TO ACHIEVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND MAINTAIN THEIR MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE. EXAMS ARE PROVIDED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF OUR LOW VISION CONSULTING OPTOMETRIST ASSISTED BY OUR CERTIFIED LOW VISION OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, CERTIFIED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT, AND LICENSED DISPENSING OPTICIAN. IN 2019, WE WERE THE RECIPIENT OF A COVETED INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE FOUR-YEAR RENEWAL GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA BLUE FOUNDATION AS AN EXPANSION TO A PROJECT THEY FUNDED INITIALLY IN 2015. OVER THE FOUR-YEAR PERIOD, MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE WILL PROVIDE LOW-VISION PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS (55+) IN VULNERABLE, LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN ALLAPATTAH, BROWNSVILLE, LIBERTY CITY, AND OVERTOWN, POTENTIALLY IMPACTING 3,200 LOW-INCOME, MINORITY SENIORS. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY OFFERING "LIVING WITH LOW VISION" SEMINARS IN THE COMMUNITY THUS EDUCATING SENIORS WITH AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE ABOUT THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR TREATMENT AND ASSISTIVE DEVISES TO HELP THEM LEAD A FULLER, MORE SATISFYING LIFE. THIS INITIATIVE RESULTED IN PUBLICATION OF A PEER-REVIEWED, ARCHIVAL JOURNAL ARTICLE "BRINGING LOW VISION ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS TO UNDERSERVED SENIORS AFFECTED BY AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE," BRITISH JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, DECEMBER 2019, VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1, PP. 15-23.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CLIENTS OUR PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRAM IS A YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES YOUTH 14-22 THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SKILLS TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE OR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS FLORIDA DIVISION OF BLIND SERVICES FUNDED PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AND YOUTH WHO ENTER COMPETITIVE INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND/OR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. THESE OBJECTIVES ARE FULFILLED BY THE PROVISION OF HIGH-QUALITY COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION INSTRUCTION THAT ENHANCES EACH INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND ACADEMIC SETTINGS. STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT LIFE SKILLS LIKE HOME AND PERSONAL MANAGEMENT, COMPUTER/ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, JOB READINESS, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, SOCIAL SKILLS AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION. STUDENTS LEARN ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT PREPARE THEM FOR THE WORKFORCE AND ARE EXPOSED TO MANY CAREER OPTIONS THROUGH THE WORK EXPERIENCE ASPECT OF OUR PROGRAM. THESE POSITIONS HELP STUDENTS PREPARE FOR COMPETITIVE INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS IN OUR ABLE TRUST HIGH SCHOOL HIGH TECH COMPONENT OF THE PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM ARE TAUGHT HOW TO PREPARE RESUMES, PARTICIPATE IN MOCK JOB INTERVIEWS AND CAREER PREPARATION THROUGH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. OUR GOAL IS TO HELP THESE YOUNG ADULTS REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. OUR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM IS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED ADULTS THAT ARE EITHER WORKING OR WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN SELF-HELP SKILLS, COMPUTER/ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, AND JOB READINESS. OTHER TOPICS COVERED IN THE PROGRAM INCLUDE ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, LOW VISION SERVICES, AND PERSONAL AND HOME MANAGEMENT. IN 2019, WE SECURED A GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF BLIND SERVICES ENABLING US TO PAIR EMPLOYED OR RETIRED MENTORS WHO ARE BLIND WITH MENTEES WHO ARE ALSO BLIND AND SEEKING EMPLOYMENT. THIS INNOVATIVE CONCEPT ALLOWED BLIND INDIVIDUALS DIRECT ACCESS TO OTHER ADULTS WHO HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES AND COULD OFFER INSIGHT ABOUT BEING EMPLOYED DESPITE THEIR VISION IMPAIRMENT.

EARLY INTERVENTION AND LIGHTHOUSE LEARNING CENTER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAMSTHE MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM PROVIDES HIGH QUALITY SERVICES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED BLIND BABIES, TODDLERS, AND THEIR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS IN THE CHILD'S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH TYPICALLY IS IN THE CHILD'S HOME. THE PROGRAM UTILIZES PARENTS AS TEACHERS, AN EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN THE HOME AND IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY. THROUGH THE INDIVIDUALIZED CHILD AND FAMILY PLANS, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AS WELL AS ADDRESSING THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS AND BUILDS UPON THE ASSETS OF THE ADULTS IN EACH CHILD'S LIFE. PROGRAM GOALS INCLUDE FACILITATING DEVELOPMENTAL FUNCTIONING OF PARTICIPATING CHILDREN (AGES BIRTH TO FIVE); INCREASING THE LEVEL OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN THEIR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT; INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ADDRESS VISUAL IMPAIRMENT PROBLEMS; AND PREPARING CHILDREN TO ENTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUCCESSFULLY. THIS BLIND BABIES EARLY INTERVENTION HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS MIAMI'S CHILDREN'S PROGRAM OF THE YEAR BY THE CHILDREN'S TRUST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. OUR MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE LEARNING CENTER FOR CHILDREN IS AN ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL PRESCHOOL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (APPLE). OUR LEARNING CENTER FOR CHILDREN CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. OUR PRE-KINDERGARTEN IS FOR EARLY LEARNERS AGES ONE TO FOUR AND IS THE ONLY FULLY INCLUSIVE PROGRAM IN THE U.S. THIS PROGRAM MODEL IS UNIQUE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (M-DCPS). IN 2019 KINDERGARTEN WAS ADDED FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN AND, IN 2020 WE BEGAN OFFERING FIRST GRADE FOR BLIND CHILDREN WITH SECOND GRADE SLATED TO OPEN IN FALL 2021. DUE TO ADDING KINDERGARTEN, AND FIRST AND SECOND GRADES, INCREASED ENROLLMENT AND SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS PUT IN PLACE IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, WE ARE OUT OF CLASSROOM SPACE. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, IN OCTOBER OF 2019, WE ANNOUNCED OUR "LIGHT THE WAY" MATCHING CHALLENGE TO RAISE $9 MILLION IN CAPITAL FUNDS TO INCREASE OUR LEARNING CENTER CLASSROOM CAPACITY. CONSTRUCTION COMMENCED IN 2020 AND IS SLATED FOR COMPLETION IN AUGUST 2021 AT THE START OF THE FALL SEMESTER.

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