programs and services
Programs & Services
The League for the Blind & Disabled, Inc. is a Center for Independent Living that serves people with disabilities and communities in a primary target area that encompasses eleven counties in Northeast Indiana. These counties include Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Whitley, and Wells County.
Programs and services are provided through a community based approach and include:
1. INDIVIDUAL & SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY SERVICES
Advocacy is conducted by all staff members and is what truly separates Centers for Independent Living from other programs for people with disabilities. Individual advocacy services assists people with disabilities exercise their basic rights and responsibilities and teaches personal advocacy skills. The League also works at local, state, and national levels to ensure that needed supports are available and that discriminatory practices and barriers to independent living are removed.
2. INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES
Information and referral (I&R) services are provided by all staff members. The basic purpose behind the provision of these services is to ensure that information relating to rights, options, issues and resources are available to any individual, organization or business in need of these services. Staffed by a full time I&R Coordinator, the program maintains an internet based set of local, state and national disability related information, sponsors distance learning opportunities, and conducts information research activities for individuals, organizations and business.
3. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING
This program provides daily living skills instruction to consumers, including home and personal management, as well as communication skills training. These are often the skills needed by individuals to remain in their home after the on-set of a disabling condition.
4. PEER SUPPORT SERVICES
This program is designed to promote personal independence for people with disabilities by providing opportunities for them to meet experienced mentors with a similar disabilities or experiences. The purpose of the service is to provide practical, real life solutions to everyday problems encountered as a result of a new disability. This program also includes peer support group activities.
5. ORIENTATION & MOBILITY TRAINING (O&M)
The purpose of O&M is to provide consumers with the skills needed to travel independently. Services include white cane travel training and public transportation travel training.
6. ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT SERVICES
The Adaptive Equipment Program maintains an inventory of independent living aids and adaptive technology used to provide equipment demonstration and loaner services for consumers and the community at large. This type of equipment often enables people with disabilities to perform personal, work, recreational and social functions that would otherwise not be possible. Individuals can also acquire some items through the League at no cost, prorate cost or at the League’s cost, depending on their ability to pay.
7. YOUTH SERVICES
This year round service to children, youth and their family members was established in 1995 as an expansion of the League's Summer Youth Program. It emphasizes integrating children and youth with severe disabilities into existing age appropriate, community based summer programs with individualized support from League staff members. It also includes advocacy training and assistance, parent support services, youth peer support opportunities, and adult/youth mentoring services.
8. BRAILLE SERVICES
The League produces materials in braille using a computerized braille printing system. Braille materials are produced on a fee for service basis for government and private sector organizations.
9. SENIOR BLIND SERVICES
This program provides daily living skills training, adaptive equipment, orientation and mobility instruction (travel training), and other independent living services (individual advocacy, peer support, information and referral assistance, services to family members and followup services) to people age 55 and above who are blind or visually impaired. The purpose of the program is to help these consumers maintain a high quality of life and live independently in their own homes and communities.
10. VOLUNTEER SERVICES
This program recruits and coordinates community volunteers to provide group meeting transportation, reader services, home visitors, pre-school vision services, recreational services, adaptive equipment services and office support at the League. Over 120 volunteers donate over 6,000 hour per year to the community through the League.
11. DEAFLINK
DeafLink is a program of the League that provides sign language interpreting and case coordination services for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing throughout northeast Indiana. Interpreting services are provided on a fee-for-service basis by an on-staff and private contract interpreters. Fees are paid by businesses, government entities and other third party payers who need assistance in communicating with people who are Deaf.
12. AGRABILITY PROGRAM
Through a partnership with Breaking New Ground at Purdue University in West Lafayette, the League provides case coordination services, conducts outreach, and provides public education services for people with disabilities in agriculture and communities in rural areas.
13. HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES
The League is currently developing plans to provide unskilled home health care services. Once finalized, individuals with disabilities will be able to get personal care and homemaking services that enable them to stay in their homes and community.
14. COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES
The League provides large and small meeting rooms at no cost to organizations that make positive contributions to the quality of life for all citizens. Meeting rooms are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.