Blind Industries & Services of Maryland

At any given time, over 100,000 people in the state of Maryland are facing some form of visual impairment. These individuals are underserved in job-training, ability to use public transportation, ability to live independently, to manage their finances, to shop and enjoy their communities. They need training programs to learn skills to regain independence, increase self-esteem and establish networks to help them manage their vision loss. As baby boomers approach retirement age, a growing population of people with vision loss from glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, and other eye disease will need options and training to maintain their independence and continue to enjoy life.

BISM provides training opportunities and rehabilitation programs throughout the state. We have three training facilities: Baltimore, Cumberland, and Salisbury. To extend our reach even farther we provide workshops throughout the state at senior centers and assisted living facilities. Each year we serve over 2500 individuals through training opportunities, support groups and referral services. With proper training and skills in the areas of travel, mobility, and job preparation these individuals can achieve independence. The skills training and support we provide ensure that participants can enjoy their homes and families and continue to contribute to their communities and pursue activities of their choosing. Through our extensive rehabilitation programs we seek to meet the following goals: 

• To provide travel, Braille and independent
  living skills to enable students to seek challenges and pursue their individual
  goals 
• To provide peer support and social interaction
  with a strong emphasis on adjustment to blindness through discussions and
  problem solving
• To expose students to adaptive technology and to
  provide training in non-visual techniques to handle daily living challenges

Please read Ellen's story about her journey through our SAIL program.

At age 79 and newly widowed, Ellen suddenly lost her eyesight. As one of her nieces explains, “Aunt Ellen went from being totally sighted to totally blind in just several minutes. She was terrified, as you can imagine. I wanted to ease her fears, see there were other people out there dealing very well with vision loss, and know that she could do it as well. She has always been an independent person, and I wanted her to regain that independence.”

When Ellen moved to a senior community in a different state and was faced with new surroundings, her nieces encouraged her to take part in BISM’s Seniors Achieving Independent Living program (SAIL). Ellen’s main goal in joining last year was to get back to doing the same activities she used to love, like baking and dancing. “I want to be as independent as possible. I’m still the same person. I just can’t see,” she says.

As part of SAIL, Ellen and fellow members attend classes focusing on Braille, cane travel, computers, and cooking. They also participate in group discussions about how to adjust to blindness and deal with it in a positive way. Plus, members take part in a variety of off-site activities that help put their training into practice, including shopping, going to restaurants, and traveling to the Library for the Blind.

Now, one year after becoming blind, Ellen feels much “stronger,” because of the programs at BISM. “I feel like SAIL makes you more independent,” she raves. “You feel like you can do things. You don’t have fear. SAIL makes me a person who wants to get up and go and say, ‘Why not?’ BISM teaches people how to have a happy, normal life.”

 

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