For students in the metro area, Minneapolis Adult Education south campus has trained staff and equipment to successfully serve students with vision loss or blindness.  Please call them directly at the number listed below.  For students outside the metro area, PANDA can provide referrals, phone/email support, assistive technology loans and how-to guides to successfully serve students with vision loss and blindness.  For assistance, click here to email PANDA or call (763) 504-4095.

MPS Center for Adult Learning (South Campus)
2015 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN  55407
(612) 668-3800
https://abe.mpls.k12.mn.us/Home

Vision Exams

Minnesota Vision Project
Provides free eye and dental exams. Find more information at the Salvation Army.
https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/twin-cities/news/hundreds-receive-free-dental-vision-care-1

Minnesota Health Resources Directory for Diverse Cultural Communities – Vision Health Services
A list of providers that offer low cost vision services.
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/refugee/visionserv.pdf

Northpoint Health and Wellness Center
A multi-specialty medical, dental and mental health center and human service agency located. Provides services to uninsured individuals, including eye exams.
1313 Penn Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 543-2522
www.northpointhealth.org

Sharing and Caring Hands
Provides vouchers for eye exams and glasses for uninsured and under-insured. To request vision services you must see MaryJo Copeland during her office hours.
www.sharingandcaringhands.org

Southside Vision Care
Provides optometry services to people of all ages and income levels. They also sell lenses and frames at a discounted rate.
324 E 35th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 821-2003
www.southsidechs.org/southside-vision-care/

Resources

All About Vision
Starting college can be an intimidating experience for any prospective student.  With the help of this guide, blind or visually impaired students can feel confident setting out on their academic journey.
https://www.allaboutvision.com/resources/guide-for-visually-impaired-college-students/

Blind Institute of Technology
Blind Institute of Technology is a non-profit organization leading the charge to include disabled professionals in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives nationwide.  BIT aims to help professionals with disabilities, and the employers who hire them, find success in the workplace.  Our vision is a world in which people with disabilities have the same employment opportunities as their peers.
https://blindinstituteoftechnology.org/

Colourblind Awareness
This site is from the United Kingdom and provides great resources for teachers.
http://www.colourblindawareness.org/teachers/secondary-school-higher-education/

Minnesota State Academy for the Blind
The Minnesota State Academies provide an accessible, standards-based education for students who are blind, including services for those with additional disabilities. Located in Faribault, MN
(507) 384-6602
VP (507) 412-5109
http://msab.msa.state.mn.us/

Minnesota Employment and Economic Development – Blind or Visually Impaired
Provides tools, training and technology to help people who are blind, visually impaired, Deaf/Blind or experiencing vision loss to live independently and to prepare for, find and keep a job.
http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/blind-visual-impaired/

Minnesota State Services for the Blind
Provides a variety of services for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired, including vocational rehabilitation, mobility training and assistive technology.
www.mnssb.org

Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library
The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library (MBTBL), located in Faribault, Minnesota, provides direct library service to pre-school age children to seniors with visual, physical and reading disabilities for whom conventional print is a barrier to reading.
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/StuSuc/Lib/MBTBL/index.html

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Library Services
The Communication Center is the place to find books in accessible formats for Minnesotans. Our holdings include textbooks in braille and audio formats; books previously recorded for Radio Talking Book; and, books and other materials we’ve transcribed for our customers.
http://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/blind-visual-impaired/braille/library-services/

Minnesota Low-Vision Store
www.mnlowvision.com

American Council for the Blind
http://www.acb.org/node/12

American Foundation for the Blind
www.afb.org

American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
www.aph.org/

Blind Inc.
Blind, Incorporated is a non-profit training center that offers ‘adjustment to blindness’ training for adults, children, teenagers and seniors.  They teach Braille, home management, the use of the white cane, computers with screen reading software and more.
www.blindinc.org/

Dancing Dots
A site for musicians who are blind and their instructors.
www.dancingdots.com

Hadley School for the Blind
www.hadley.edu/

Learning Ally
Producer of accessible educational materials for students with disabilities such as visual impairment or dyslexia.
learningally.org

Lighthouse Guild
Several apps for vision loss/blindness, audio books, and more.
http://www.lighthouseguild.org

Mac/Apple Tutorials
For those with limited vision and other special needs.
www.apple.com/education/special-education/

National Braille Press
www.nbp.org

National Clearinghouse for ELL Literacy Education
www.cal.org/search.html

National Federation of the Blind
www.nfb.org

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Free library program of Braille and audio materials.
www.loc.gov/nls/

Project EASI
Online training on Accessible Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities.
http://people.rit.edu/easi/

Project Gutenberg
Electronic texts to be used with JAWS or other voiced computer program.
http://www.gutenberg.org/

Seeing AI
Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world and describe nearby people, text and objects.  Optimized for use with Apple VoiceOver.  Available in the App Store for iOS devices.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/seeing-ai/id999062298

Strategies for Teaching Blind Students
https:/uni.edu/walsh/blindresources.html 

Teaching ELL to Adult Students
www.nwlincs.org/kaizen/

Teaching Math to Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
https://www.perkinselearning.org/videos/webcast/teaching-math-students-who-are-blind-or-visually-impaired#chapter2

Usability Geek
Ten free screen readers for blind or visually impaired users.
http://usabilitygeek.com/10-free-screen-reader-blind-visually-impaired-users/

Vision Loss Resources
Math and Science and Technology Resources
Provides the services, skills and community of support to assist in regaining independence after vision loss.
www.visionlossresources.org

Volunteer Braille Services of Minnesota
VBS exists to provide braille related services and products for sight impaired individuals and school districts throughout the United States.  Some of their services include, but are not limited to the following:  braille transcription, embossing, training, and library services.
http://www.vbsmn.org/index.html