The Mission of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired Is to Promote

Mission

The mission of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired is to promote and provide services in the areas of education, employment, independence and eye health through informed choice and partnership with persons who are blind or visually impaired, their families and the community.

The Commission recognizes three major thrusts in carrying out this mission, which are (1) providing specialized services to persons with vision problems, and (2) educating and working in the community to reduce the incidence of vision loss and (3) to improve attitudes concerning people with vision loss.

CBVI’s Major Programs

Educational Services

CBVI provides educational services from birth through high school years to eligible children and their families. These services are designed to allow students who are visually impaired to participate equally with other students in regular classroom activities.

Once a child is found eligible for services CBVI works closely not only with the child but also with family members and local school personnel. Teachers of the blind or partially sighted provide educational instruction to the following students:

Early Intervention Services (birth to age 3) CBVI staff will assess a child’s vision and, if eligible, offer specialized instruction tailored to his or her needs in the home. CBVI staff also works closely with family members and early intervention providers and health care providers to assist the child in making a smooth transition to preschool at age three.

School Age Services (ages 3 to 21) CBVI contracts with local school districts to provide comprehensive services to children in school. These services include assessment and evaluation of a child’s visual abilities, and when applicable, instruction in Braille and related skills. Instructors provide information and training to family members, teachers, child study teams, and other school personnel. CBVI also will loan local school districts appropriate adaptive equipment and make aides and special educational materials available.

Deaf Blind Services

Deaf-Blind Unit Staff work in conjunction with CBVI Education Counselors, parents, and various community agencies, by providing consultation to school personnel on best-practices for assisting individual who are deaf-blind (with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss) in making the transition from school to work. Deaf-Blind Specialists begin working with students at age 14.

This program is responsible for the coordination and provision of a full range of services that help promote employment outcomes for people who are deaf-blind (with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss)

These services may include:

 Assisting secondary school students (age 14 to 21) in making the transition from school to work  Providing consultation to school personnel on best-practices for assisting in the transitioning and development of deaf-blind students  Supporting individuals in post-secondary trainings centers, including colleges, vocational/technical schools, and community based rehabilitation facilities  Assisting individuals in making decisions regarding their career choices through a rehabilitation counseling relationship  Providing environmental analysis to adapat home and work environments to promote independence and success in the workplace  Providing technical assistance on utilizing assistive technology, including Assitive Listening Devices (ALD) and Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD)  Job placement services, including helping individuals keep their current jobs when they are in jeopardy of loosing the job based on issues related to their disabilities  Post-employment services

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation services assists persons who are blind or visually impaired in the development, acquisition or updating of skills that will enable them to secure and maintain employment. This may include working in the labor force, operating their own business, supportive employment, or managing their own home.

Services include: Vocational evaluation, counseling, guidance and training; job placement; post-employment services; college counseling/support; vending facility and Business Enterprise Programs; marketing of home-crafted products; high school transitional services; special services for multi-handicapped persons; and training at the Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center in New Brunswick,and technology and career training programs.

Independent Living

The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) offers independent living training designed to help people of any age who are blind or visually impaired gain the skills of daily living they will need to lead a full and productive life. The Commission provides five general types of assistance or instruction as part of this program:

Social Casework

Caseworkers assess a person’s needs, provide information about the resources available through CBVI or the community and provide or coordinate services appropriate to meet any needs that have been identified.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation Teachers teach home management skills, how to use specialized equipment, communication skills such as Braille and typing, and leisure time activities such as crafts. They also provide assessment and counseling to their students and their families.

Orientation and Mobility

Orientation and mobility instruction teaches methods for safe, independent travel so people who are blind or visually impaired will be able to get to and around their own homes, schools, workplaces and communities. The training emphasizes how to be aware of the surrounding environment, how to use the other senses and how to make use of any remaining vision.

Eye Health

Eye Health nurses arrange for any medical care, including surgery, that is necessary to restore vision and/or prevent further vision loss. They teach people with visual disabilities and their families about eye disorders, the progression of eye diseases and the medications used to fight them along with the importance of good nutrition and proper eye care. Nurses also teach clients with diabetes how to administer their own insulin using specialized adaptive insulin devices.

Low Vision Low vision means that even with prescription eye glasses, contact lenses or surgery, people have difficulty with everyday tasks such as reading, shopping, cooking, watching TV and reading street and bus signs. CBVI will help people with low vision acquire visual aides appropriate for their degree of vision loss and also helps people learn how to cope with their vision loss in social situations, at work or at school and when involved in leisure time or recreational activities.

Prevention Services

DO YOU WANT TO HELP PREVENT BLINDNESS AND UNNECESSARY VISION LOSS?

SCHEDULE FREE EYE SCREENINGS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY BY CONTACTING

THE COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED (CBVI) Call: (973) 648-7400 / Toll Free (877) 685-8878

National Researchers say: “50% of all cases of blindness or severe vision loss could have been prevented by early detection of disorders and the appropriate follow-up care.”

The NJ Department of Human Services, Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired believes that every resident of NJ has the right of access to services that will prevent or limit the impact of vision loss. We are very proud that, for over 30 years, CBVI has provided services in the areas of eye health and eye safety by offering free vision screenings for adults and children with a concerted effort to provide these services to historically underserved sectors of the population (low income, elderly, minorities and individuals with special needs).

CBVI’s Prevention of Blindness Program works to save sight and restore vision whenever it is medically possible. Services include: mobile eye examination unit; vision screening for preschool and school-age children; on-site screening at institutions and in communities; special diabetic outreach program; and other specialized eye screening programs which target historically underserved populations (i.e. minorities, the elderly, migrant farm workers, etc.)

Project Prevention Services:

*Preschool Screening *Adult Vision Screening *Mobile Unit Screening *Diabetic Eye Screening *Migrant Screening

Studies show that 50 percent of all blindness and vision loss could have been prevented with proper eye care. The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) provides a wide range of services intended to save sight and restore vision whenever it is medically possible. These include vision screenings at schools and other institutions, a diabetic outreach program, eye-health nursing services and use of a mobile eye examination unit to help reach under-served groups such as special needs children and adults, migrant farm workers and the elderly.

In 2004, CBVI provided free eye health services to more than 45,000 individuals. Approximately ten percent of the people screened had an undetected eye condition and were referred for follow-up care.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

CBVI consumers can request any of the following services through their primary caseworker: applications for handicapped parking placards; income tax certification letters; self-help peer groups; community companions or volunteers; referral to community based programs and services; reduced fare applications for public transportation; low and high technical aids and appliances; complaint resolution; and consumer advocacy.

Visit online: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/cbvi/ ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: Phone: (973) 648-3333 Address: 153 Halsey Street, 6th Floor Post Office Box 47017 Newark, NJ 07101 Directions

REGIONAL OFFICES AND FACILITIES

NORTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE: Phone: (973)-648-2111 Address: 153 Halsey St., 5th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102. Counties Served: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren Directions Manager: Jose Morales; e-mail: [email protected]

CENTRAL REGIONAL OFFICE: Phone: (732)-255-0723 Address: 1510 Hooper Ave., Suite 240, Toms River, NJ 08753 Counties Served: Monmouth, Ocean, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union Directions Manager: John Reiff; e-mail: [email protected]

SOUTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE: Phone: (856)-614-3000 Address: 101 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ 08103 Counties Served: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, and Gloucester Directions Manager: Patricia Davis; e-mail: [email protected]

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP OFFICE: Counties Served: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Phone: (609)-645-6740 Address: 6712 Washington Ave., Suite 205, Egg Harbor Township., NJ 08234 Directions Manager: Patricia Davis; e-mail: [email protected]

JOSEPH KOHN REHABILITATION CENTER: Phone: (732)-937-6363 Address: 130 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Directions Manager: Donald Potenski; e-mail: [email protected] GEORGE F. MEYER INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE CENTER: Phone: (973)-648-2547 Address: 375 McCarter Hwy., Newark, NJ 07114 Directions Manager: Don Potenski; e-mail: [email protected]

CAMP MARCELLA: Phone: (973)-983-9414 Address: 27 Durham Rd., Rockaway, NJ 07866 Directions Manager: David DeNotaris; e-mail: [email protected]

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM: Phone: (609)-584-4905 Address: Quakerbridge Plaza, Bldg. 10, Rm. 102; P.O. Box 721, Trenton, NJ 08625 Directions Manager: John Klein; e-mail: [email protected]