Programs
ACBCO prides itself in providing personalized service to each and every individual. Staff and volunteers understand that each person has individual needs and different learning styles. There is no "one size fits all" as we provide a variety of alternatives to assist clients achieve their greatest level of independence.
Sight for Seniors & Sighted Allies - The Sight for Seniors Program promotes the independence of blind and visually impaired seniors by assisting those who must adjust and adapt to vision loss to remain safe and healthy within their own homes. The program is designed to teach seniors how to use alternative techniques and adaptive devices to help compensate for vision impairment. We provide home modification and repair services to help seniors to adapt to vision loss and to be safe from obstacles in the home that could cause injury. We offer family and caregiver training and support to aid the individual in adapting to vision loss. Part of the goal of the program is to keep people engaged in the community and to prevent isolation caused by fear. We provide support groups that do keep individuals engaged and provides them with networking opportunities.. Because blindness is often caused by other health problems, we also help to train individuals on their eye disease and the health issues associated with that. Sighted Allies is our volunteer program that provides volunteers from the community who help blind and visually impaired individuals in daily tasks such as reading mail or other materials, helping with organization, companionship, and similar activities.
Vision Link Program - This program is based on the Sight for Seniors program but tailored to younger adults. The program does provide all the services and amenities of the Sight for Senior Program.
Orientation and Mobility - Orientation and mobility is the practice of a certified Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist teaching those who are blind or visually impaired various skills that lead to independent travel. Some of the things taught include human guide techniques, use of the long white cane, various types of street crossings, finding addresses, and other skills which will allow the client to find his or her existing place in the environment and move to a desired destination. Orientation and mobility also includes learning how to navigate indoor spaces, such as the home environment. One of the main objectives of orientation and mobility training is for the client to gracefully achieve independence while remaining safe.
Advocacy & Public Awareness - Events such as White Cane Day, Dinner in the Dark, the Denver Marathon, as well as community presentations, workshops and seminars provide venues for ACBCO to raise awareness about the issues facing people who are blind and visually impaired. We also advocate on many things that will provide for more accessible communities, reduce oppression and discrimination, and foster independence and freedom. Our constituents also receive legislative information about current issues on the State and Federal levels. ACBCO has representation on the State Commission for the Blind/Visually Impaired, the Secretary of State's Task Force for Voter Accessibility, Independence and Privacy and CDOT's Transportation and Mobility Council. ACBCO is a fully inclusive organization and welcomes all individuals regardless of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
Outreach & Support Services - Addressing the urgent or continuing needs of the blind and visually impaired is vital to their independence. ACBCO provides a hotline for information and referrals, peer counseling, and an Emergency Needs Program (ENP) to provide support for those we serve as well as support for local chapters. ENP provides support, resources and/or funding for situations which could cause an individual to be in danger of being without such necessities as food, shelter or utilities or for situations in which a blind or visually impaired person is in an unsafe situation which requires interventions.
Educational Opportunities - We strive to prevent the kinds of problems our constituents can have which cause their lives to become so unstable. We do this by providing educational seminars that offer all the information a person may need to access other community resources. We do several of these events each year in various communities. Participants learn about how to obtain other services, adaptive aids, and how to access government resources. These programs provide participants with the most up-to-date information that helps them to live safely and independently in the community. Our quarterly newsletter “Sixth Sense” provides in-depth information on issues, available services, and anything relevant to the population we serve. An AMBASSADOR program has also been implemented. The Ambassadors are blind/visually impaired individuals who will help business owners one-on-one throughout the state better understand the needs of the blind/visually impaired who patronize their businesses. This is an friendly way to help the sighted learn how to be a "guide" for an blind/visually impaired individual attempting to make a purchase, order a meal, enjoy an evening of entertainment, secure a service, etc.
