VISION FORWARD ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED
912 NORTH HAWLEY ROAD, MILWAUKEE, WI 532133292 www.vision-forward.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: VISION FORWARD ASSOCIATION IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN THAT SERVES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND AT ALL STAGES OF VISION LOSS, PROVIDING A CONTINUUM OF SERVICES FROM BIRTH THROUGH ADULTHOOD. OUR MISSION IS: EMPOWER, EDUCATE AND ENHANCE THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY VISION LOSS THROUGH ALL OF LIFE'S TRANSITIONS. OUR VISION IS: ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH VISION LOSS HAVE REACHED THEIR FULL POTENTIAL TO LEAD ACTIVE, INDEPENDENT LIVES. THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, WE WORK TO EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED, ADDRESSING VISION CONCERNS AT VARIOUS STAGES THROUGHOUT A PERSON'S LIFE. OUR FOCUS IS ON ABILITY, NOT DISABILITY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT THEY CAN'T DO.

TO EMPOWER, EDUCATE AND ENHANCE THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY VISION LOSS THROUGH ALL OF LIFE'S TRANSITIONS.

CHILDREN'S SERVICES: OUR CHILDREN'S SERVICES INCLUDES PROGRAMMING THAT SERVES CHILDREN FROM SIX WEEKS TO 21 YEARS OF AGE. OUR CHILDREN'S PROGRAM PROVIDES SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTION, VISION AND SENSORY TRAINING, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY TRAINING, AND MUSIC, OCCUPATIONAL, PHYSICAL AND SPEECH/LANGUAGE THERAPY TO YOUNG CHILDREN, AGES SIX WEEKS TO SIX YEARS, WHO ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED. OUR YOUTH PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE LEARNING OF THE EXPANDED CORE CURRICULUM (ECC) FOR SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH, AGES THREE TO 21 YEARS, THROUGH REGULARLY SCHEDULED, HIGHLY STRUCTURED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE OFFERED IN THE EVENING, ON THE WEEKEND AND DURING THE SUMMER. THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ARE BASED ON EACH CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND ADDRESS THE SKILLS THAT ALL CHILDREN MUST LEARN AS WELL AS THE ADAPTIVE SKILLS USED BY THOSE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE SERVED 101 CHILDREN, AGES SIX WEEKS TO SIX YEARS; 78 SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH, AGES SIX TO 21 (MANY ATTENDED MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES); AND 99 ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS WHO REPRESENT PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, TEACHERS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED (TVIS), AND CERTIFIED ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY INSTRUCTORS (COMS).

ADULT SERVICES: OUR ADULT SERVICES OFFERS ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: LOW VISION, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, COMMUNICATION, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY (WAYFINDING AND WHITE CANE TRAVEL), AND TECHNOLOGY TO ADULTS, AGES 18 AND OLDER, WHO ARE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED. OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OFFERS REGULAR ACTIVITIES, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS TO HELP ADULTS WITH VISION LOSS LEARN ADAPTIVE LIFE AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS AS WELL AS ENJOY AND ENHANCE THEIR LIVES. WE ALSO OFFER A SERIES OF SUPPORT GROUPS THAT HELP ADULTS ADDRESS THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT ACCOMPANY VISION LOSS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE SERVED 569 ADULTS THROUGH OUR ADULT VISION REHABILITATION PROGRAM, 132 THROUGH OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, AND 2,084 THROUGH OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS. MANY OF THE ADULTS WERE SERVED THROUGH MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES AND TRAININGS PROVIDED BY EACH PROGRAM.

VISION FORWARD STORE: OUR STORE IS ONLY ONE OF A FEW RESOURCES IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN THAT SELLS ADAPTIVE PRODCTS FOR PEOPLE WITH VISION LOSS. THE HUNDREDS OF PRODUCTS WE CARRY ARE DESIGNED TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE BLIND, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH CHANGING VISION AND LOW VISION, TO SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH THE TASKS OF EVERYDAY LIFE. SOME OF THE TOP SELLING DEVICES WE FEATURE ARE MAGNIFIERS, CCTVS (VIDEO MAGNIFIERS), LARGE PRINT ITEMS, TALKING WATCHES AND CLOCKS, CHECK WRITING GUIDES AND SPECIALIZED LIGHTING. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE SERVED 983 CUSTOMERS WITH GUIDANCE AND ADAPTIVE PRODUCTS THAT HELP THEM ENHANCE THEIR SKILLS, MAXIMIZE THEIR REMAINING VISION, MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH, AND RETAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202022549349301552_public.xml