Maryland Resources for People with Visual Impairments

American Council of the Blind of Maryland - one of more than 70 affiliates of the American Council of the Blind which advocates for and with its members to assure full access to meaningful employment, public transportation, literacy, health care, the information superhighway, and community life. PO Box 20112, Baltimore, Maryland 21286. Phone: 410-321-6624.

Blind Industries and Services of Maryland - training, and employment opportunities to blind adults, an innovative rehabilitation training program that teaches real-world survival skills, computerized Braille production, aids and appliances, human service needs. 2901 Strickland Street, Baltimore, MD 21223. Phone: (888)322-4567.

Braille Enterprises - provides high-quality Braille and Large Print service literatures such as menus, programs, brochures, greeting cards, schedules etc. 3713 Swift Run Court, Suite #100, Abingdon MD 21009. Phone: 410-612-1252.

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind - offers a state-of-the-art technology center where people can receive instruction in a variety of assistive devices, mentoring programs which expose children and parents to successful blind and low vision adults, career and rehabilitation services. 1421 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 462-2900.

Connections - a partnership of the Maryland State Department of Education and The University of Maryland at College Park which provides resources, training and technical assistance for children and youth referred to as deafblind. Phone: Lucy Hession at MSDE 410-767-0242 or Frances Kohl at UMD 301-405-6490 or send email to M. Loretta McGraw

The International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind - the world's most extensive demonstration and evaluation center for computer-related technology serving the needs of blind persons. The Center's goal is to acquire on an ongoing basis for comparative evaluation and demonstration purposes at least one of every computer-driven Braille embossing device that is commercially available. The Center has an extensive selection of Braille translation programs (software that converts print into Braille), speech synthesizers, audible screen review programs, reading machines (devices that scan a printed page and translate text into spoken words), scanners, optical character recognition systems, refreshable Braille Displays, Braille note-taking devices, and raised-line drawing equipment. 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Phone: (410) 659-9314.

America's Job Line® Network formerly known as Job Opportunities for the Blind - operates a nationwide job referral service, matching interested employers with qualified blind job applicants. 1800 Johnson St., Baltimore, MD 21230. Phone: 800-638-7518. You can get a demonstration of the service by calling (410)767-2626.

The Maryland Society for Sight - provides vision screenings and guides people with visual impairments to resources they need. They also match people who are newly visually impaired with sighted volunteers who provide assistance with reading, letter writing, shopping, planning activities, driving, companionship through home visits and telephone calls, and audio taping. 1313 West Old Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21209. Phone: 410- 243-2020

Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped - provides recorded materials for people who are blind, visually impaired, physically handicapped or have a reading disability. 415 Park Avenue, Baltimore MD 21201-3603. Phone: 410-333-2668 - Baltimore Metro or 410-333-8679 - TDD. Outside Metro Area - Phone: 1-800-964-9209 or 1-800-934-2541 - TDD.

The Maryland School for the Blind - a statewide resource for the specific educational and living skill needs of all individuals (particularly ages 0-21) with visual impairment in Maryland. It is the only residential and day school in Maryland for students who are blind or visually impaired. The school offers grade K-12 education, vocational and rehabilitation services. 3501 Taylor Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21236. Phone: 410-444-5000.

Metropolitan Washington Ear - provides a daily radio reading service where readings of newspapers, magazines and books are broadcast over special receivers which are available free of charge, a dial-in newspaper service which enables individuals to read the Washington Post via telephone, a Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for selected live theater performances via a small FM radio transmitter and provides recorded notes for National Symphony Orchestra performances. They also have available tactile and large print atlases of Maryland and Washington DC. 35 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Phone: 301-681-6636

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children - 1800 Johnson St., Baltimore, MD 21230. Phone: (410) 659-9314

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland - provides essential support, encouragement, and information to blind and visually impaired persons in every walk of life, and reaches out to blind children, students, adults, and senior citizens in order to help those who are currently losing vision. 9736 Basket Ring Road, Columbia, MD 21045. Phone: 410-992-9608.

Newsline for the Blind - the first talking digital newspaper for the blind makes USA TODAY accessible via touchtone telephone. Phone: 410/659-9314. Subscribers can pick sections and articles from the newspaper by using phone code numbers. Speed-reading is possible because computer technology reads the text. For further information, call 410/659-9314.

Radio Reading Network of Maryland - serves persons who are either visually or physically impaired to the degree that they cannot read standard print for themselves. Volunteers read portions of selected newspapers and magazines which are broadcast on radio or on stereo television sets over the Second Audio Program (SAP) channel of Maryland Public Television (MPT). 2901 Liberty Heights Ave., Baltimore, MD 21215-7807. Phone: 410- 333-5720 or 800/455-5605.

Services for the Visually Handicapped - recruits and matches volunteers with individuals who need help with reading and shopping and provides peer counseling on adjustment to blindness as well as information and referral. 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 210, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Phone: 301- 589-0894.