About
Services And Programs

Our Community Services division offers life-changing services, programs and training to community members with visual impairments.

Assistive Technology

L.A.B. offers training on computers, smartphones, and other devices that allow clients to chart a path to a more independent lifestyle.

Children’s Program

L.A.B. experts prepare children in Northwest Louisiana with visual impairments for success by maximizing opportunities.

Supported Employment

Our coaches evaluate options, develop workplace skills, create a resume, build interview confidence, and pair clients with potential employers.

Independent Living Skills

Aids paired with a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant chart clients path to a more satisfying and independent lifestyle.

Low Vision Rehabilitation Center

L.A.B.’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Center offers evaluations for clients in Northwest Louisiana referred to us by area eye care professionals.

Visual Aids Store

Our collection of magnifiers, kitchen aids and other assistive devices help clients to achieve and maintain independence.

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Assistive Technology

At L.A.B., we believe professional success and satisfaction should be within the reach of everyone. We are committed to reducing the 70 percent national unemployment rate for those with visual impairment by preparing them for meaningful employment.

Advances in technology have greatly expanded the opportunities available and our Assistive Technology program is ever-evolving to meet changing workplace needs. Scanners, voice-to-text programs, electronic video magnifiers and more enable clients to pursue a wide variety of careers.

Assistive/adaptive aids paired with instruction and training from our staff allow clients to chart a path to a more satisfying and independent lifestyle.

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Children’s Programs

Creating Opportunities For Children

A child with severe visual impairment misses opportunities to learn by watching others and seeing things in his or her environment. Children who do not have access to specialized services and training frequently fall behind sighted children in developing basic skills necessary to learning. Our Children’s program provides specialized services and training in developing basic motor, mobility, sensory and social skills necessary to learning. We help children and adolescents with vision impairment maximize their opportunities for achieving their personal, educational, and/or professional goals.

Children with visual impairments require specialized teaching methods. With services and training by L.A.B. experts, children in Northwest Louisiana with visual impairments are prepared for success. Programs are offered for infants through 3 year olds as well as children and adolescents.

Children with visual impairment can learn what their sighted peers can, but may need to learn in an alternate way because they experience the world differently.

For instance, from birth to 3 years old, 80 percent of learning comes by imitation.  Without specialized teaching methods, these children can fall behind long before they head off to school.

L.A.B. has been meeting this need through its Children’s Program since 2005, offering services for infants through 3 year-olds, plus children and adolescents.

A growing segment of assistance for students is available through smartphones and tablets, offering such aids as note taking, verbal dictation with punctuation, talking scientific calculators and audible textbooks.

With services and training by our team, children in Northwest Louisiana with visual impairments are prepared for a rewarding future.

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Supported Employment

Landing a reliable job is a foundation for independence.  At Louisiana Association for the Blind, our job coaches and employment specialist help those with visual impairments and other disabilities evaluate their options, develop workplace skills, create a resume, build interview confidence and pair clients with potential employers.

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Independent Living Skills

Training that builds independence and confidence to live on your terms.

An abundance of aids paired with the knowledge of a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant includes education through our Independent Living Skills (ILS) program.  Instruction includes adaptive skills and techniques to increase independence. Cooking safely in the kitchen, financial, home, and medication management are just some of the skills addressed in ILS.

Clients receive practical, hands-on experience in our on-site learning environments, such as a fully equipped kitchen, as well as participate in community outings relative to independent living. Our ILS program makes it possible for people who are visually impaired to build self-reliance and independence. 

Instruction includes adaptive skills and techniques to increase independence. Cooking safely in the kitchen, financial, home, and medication management are just some of the skills addressed in ILS.

Assists individuals in adapting to vision loss. A component of ILS includes cooking. Our clients do not think cooking will be possible once they start losing their vision, but soon realize that creating and sharing a healthy and delicious meal with family and friends is still part of their reality. Engaging a client to prepare a meal is an in-depth process, but provides an opportunity to the client to utilize other skills they are learning at our LVRC.
Services.

Our Community Services division offers life-changing services, programs and training to community members with visual impairments.

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Older Blind Program

Helping People Adapt To Life’s Changes

Helping seniors understand vision loss, as well as assist in obtaining coping mechanisms for blindness and mastering the problems of living with low vision. Additionally, our Older Blind program provides qualified persons with low vision evaluations along with recommendations for low vision devices, plus, instruction and training to ensure the client understands how best to utilize the technology.

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Low Vision Rehabilitation Center

Offering evaluations for clients in Northwest Louisiana referred to us by area eye care professionals. 

L.A.B.’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Center offers evaluations for clients in Northwest Louisiana referred to us by area eye care professionals. Testing includes low vision evaluations, visual field testing and evaluations for work placement. Disability testing for exiting members of the military as well as occupational therapy are offered to our clients. L.A.B.’s clinicians and therapists craft personalized plans to help each client achieve their best life.

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Visual Aids Store

A Multitude of Sensory Aids to Assist With Daily Living

L.A.B.’s Visual Aids store, located inside the Community Services division, offers a wide range of aids to assist with daily living. Our collection of magnifiers, kitchen aids and other assistive devices help clients to achieve and maintain independence. 

Specialty glasses, handheld magnifiers, electronic video magnifiers, talking watches and kitchen aids are among the equipment geared to enable clients to maintain independence.  These aids also include wearable devices that read text, recognize faces, identify products, and much more.

Community Services

Staff

Audra Muslow-Hicks

Vice President
Community Services

Mindy Brown

Senior Director
Client Solutions

Jennifer Smith

Manager
COTA

Melissa Garcia

Manager
Supported Employment

 

Cali Beshea

Manager
Billing/Administration

Testimonials

Dad has macular degeneration and he can’t drive, read, or even see the boys on the football field. He reached out to Louisiana Association for the Blind, and (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) Tracy Green has changed his life! Through a grant, she has given Dad specialty glasses and even a gadget that helps him read. He says he can now watch TV, see the boys play on a sports field, and read. Tracy has given Dad hope again!

- Chrisanna Saums

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