This list is not intended to be a complete listing of all organizations which provide financial assistance, nor is it intended to be an endorsement of any organization or publication. All of the sources included are nationwide in scope. College scholarships are listed on our scholarship resource list.
National Eye Care Project
PO Box 429098
San Francisco, CA 94142-9098
(415) 561-8500
(800) 222-3937
FAX (415) 561-8567
National Eye Care Project
Offers medical and surgical assistance to financially disadvantaged
persons 65 and older who are not currently under an ophthalmologist,
through a network of volunteer doctors nationwide. Call them for
further information on the nearest doctor to you. They are also a
resource for information on eye diseases. They do not distribute
eyeglasses.
Eye Bank for Sight Restoration
120 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005-3902
(212) 742-9000
FAX (212) 269-3139
Collects and distributes healthy donated corneas for
transplantation.
Sight & Hearing Association
674 Transfer Road
St. Paul, MN 55114-1402
(651) 645-2546
FAX (651) 645-2742
mail@sightandhearing.org
Sight & Hearing Association
Preventing needless loss of vision and hearing through development
and delivery of effective screening (in Minnesota), education and
research programs.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation
5097 North Elston Ave. Suite 100
Chicago, IL 60630-2460
(773) 205-3838
FAX (773) 205-1689
ktef@Knightstemplar.org
Knights Templar Eye Foundation
Provides funding for eye treatment, surgery and hospitalization for
US citizens who meet financial criteria.
New Eyes for the Needy
PO Box 332
549 Milburn Avenue
Short Hills, NJ 07078
(973) 376-4903
FAX (973) 376-3807
neweyesfortheneedy@verizon.net
New Eyes For The Needy
Provides new eyeglasses for those who cannot afford to buy them. Referrals are made through school nurses and hospital personnel. You can send your old
eyeglasses, hearing aids or unwanted jewelry, the proceeds from which are used to provide eyeglasses.
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
Adaptive Technology Subsidy Program
741 North Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 663-1111
(800) BRAILLE (272-4553)
Braille Institute of America, Inc.
Provides financial subsidies for the purchase of electronic
equipment needed to enhance employability. Legally blind residents of
southern California are eligible to apply.
California Council of the Blind
578 B St.
Hayward, CA 94541
(800) 221-6359 10 am to 4 pm (CA only)
(510) 537-7877
Fax (510) 537-7830
ccotb@earthlink.net
Provides low-interest loans to blind and visually impaired residents
of California for special equipment needed to enhance employability.
Missouri Council of the Blind
8206-A Gravois Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63123
(800) 342-5632 (MO only)
Has a matching grant program of up to $3,000 over a five year
period for adaptive technology. Legally blind Residents of Missouri are
eligible to apply.
Social Security Administration There are two programs under Social Security that may be helpful to people who meet the legal definition of blindness:
1). Benefits based on earnings in work covered by Social Security if one has sufficient time in such work to make one eligible; and
2). Supplemental Security Income payable to people who are aged, blind or disabled and have little in the way of income and resources.
Disabled and blind children may benefit from the programs.
Call 1-800-772-1213 between 7:00am and 7:00pm weekdays, or write
or visit the Social Security office nearest you.
Social Security Online
Many state governments provide a variety of programs and services to the blind and visually impaired such as low interest mortgage loans, property tax credits and a variety of other financial assistance. Contact your local government agency for specific information in your state.
Many local vocational rehabilitation offices provide financial assistance for adaptive equipment and may also be able to identify other organizations who provide assistance. Contact your local office for detailed information.
Lions Clubs International
300 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842
(630) 571-5466
FAX (630) 571-8890
lions@lionsclubs.org
Local chapters of Lions Clubs may provide financial assistance to
individuals. To find a local Lions chapter, contact your local Chamber of
Commerce, if they do not have a listing, contact the national Lions
office (listed above) and leave your name, contact information and
assistance request, it will be forwarded to your nearest local chapter.
Reference Service Press
5000 Windplay Dr. Suite 4
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
(916) 939-9620
FAX (916) 939-9626
findaid@aol.com
Reference Service Press
Publishers of Financial Aid for the Disabled and Their Families,
1998-2000 $40.00, which lists 900 funding programs in all areas of
disabilities, Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments 1998: Large
Print Edition, $30.00, which lists all 175 sources listed in the above
book which are specifically for visually impaired persons, and Funding
for Persons with Visual Impairments 1998: PLUS Edition (ASCII 3 1/2"
disk, MAC and IBM-compatible available) $50.00. The disk edition has
300 additional sources of scholarships, loans and other aids available to
persons
with any disability, including visual impairments.
Smiling Interface
Box 2792
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10008-2792
(212) 222-0312
mendelsohn@delphi.com
Publishes a periodic newsletter, "Financing Assistive Technology"
which is available in print, cassette, diskette, fax or e-mail. A six issue
subscription is $39 for individuals and $45 for organizations. Contact
them for a sample issue.
In addition to the sources listed above, some organizations have loans which are available only to persons in their immediate area or state or who are members of their particular group.
Check with your state rehabilitation office, local and state blindness organizations and nearby adaptive equipment vendors to see if there are any further loans available in your area.