National Federation of the Blind of Michigan

Program A: Education, Civil Rights, and Self-Organization: Operated community outreach offices to provide information to the public about blindness and how to help blind people and to locate blind persons in need of assistance. Provided assistance to blind people to attend seminars and workshops designed to assist the blind in learning methods and techniques of organizing local groups of blind people for self-help and in learning about library services, rehabilitation services, new technology, aids, devices, and other resources and materials. Developed, produced, or distributed in print, Braille, and/or recorded media materials relating to blindness. Provided information to individuals, employers, governmental agencies, and the public through written, telephone, personal, and media contacts. Developed and strengthened state and local organizations of the blind (self-help and support groups) and provided legal assistance, encouragement, information, or advocacy assistance to blind persons. Worked to educate government officials and the public on accessible voting for blind people. Worked to improve services of governmental and private agencies established to give services to the blind through consumer input, technical assistance, and monitoring. It is estimated that educational activities in one way or another impact upon at least one million individuals in this state annually. Such services are available to and benefit all of the blind of this state. Additionally, since improvements for blind persons in this state affect all blind persons in the country, these activities potentially benefit more than half-a-million blind people.

Program B: Specialized Programs and Services: Provided scholarships to blind students. Provided direct assistance to individual blind persons to meet specific needs. Sponsored seminars and other activities to assist parents of blind children. Sponsored seminars and other activities to create better employment opportunities for blind persons. Helped to make available specialized aids, devices, tools, and materials for the blind-Braille writing equipment, measuring devices, white canes, clocks, watches, talking calculators, etc. Operated NEWSLINE for the Blind(R), a free digital talking newspaper service available by telephone for the blind. Provided Braille materials to the blind. Assisted blind people who encountered inaccessible voting systems; worked to promote accessible voting for all disabled people. Made grants to provide services of the kind described herein and to improve educational, vocational, and cultural opportunities for the blind. The activities described herein potentially benefit all blind persons in this state, and improvements in opportunities here expand opportunities for the half million blind persons in the country as well as creating more opportunities for the blind adults of tomorrow.