OVR says services available for visually-impaired

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Director Tee Abraham is pushing for more public awareness on various forms of services available for the visually impaired in efforts to assist individuals who are in need of visual aids.

“There are a lot of things that some people in the community are not aware of. They think that they have to be really blind to have access to our services,” said Ms. Abraham.

OVR defines low vision or visual impairment as a condition not correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery and which interferes with the one’s ability to perform everyday activities.

Low vision, according to the vocational rehabilitation, can result from a variety of diseases, disorders, and injuries that affect the eye and many people with low vision have age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. Age-related macular degeneration accounts for almost 45 percent of the all cases of low vision.

OVR has recently been awarded $40,000 worth of federal funds to assist visually-impaired individuals aged 55 and above acquire the necessary vision aids that would support their plight to be independent.

The agency has been guaranteed continuous $40,000 funding under its Independent Living for the Older Blind program.

Ms. Abraham is urging blind or poor-visioned individuals 55 and older to avail of the series of services the agency is offering.

Under the program, qualified applicants can be provided eye examinations, eye glasses or other low vision mobility aids.

These devices could include colored tapes for placing on edges of steps and dark colored electrical outlets as safety precautionary instruments.

Writing and reading tools such as large print publications, computers with large print, cassette recording, talking books are also supplied to eligible applicants.

“Our philosophy here is to help individuals with these kinds of disabilities do a lot of things on their own, to live independently,” Ms. Abraham explained.

OVR’s ILOB program has so far served over 200 consumers, mostly Saipan residents.
The agency’s counselors are in the process of thoroughly reviewing applications from 68 individuals who have sought assistance from the agency.

The ILOB program aims to help people 55 and above who are blind and visually-impaired and encourage them to be independent and live on their own.

The program is also designed to conduct activities that will promote or expand services for older blind individuals.

It has also been implemented to increase level of awareness among the public about problems of the older and blind individuals.