Services

Our programs for people who are blind or visually impaired are built on the idea of autonomy, as we believe that visual impairments should not prevent a person from living a fulfilling and self-sufficient life in their own home. These programs and services include:

• Adjustment to Blindness - a loss of vision can be a very traumatic experience at any age. Our services assist the consumer as they adapt to changes in vision while providing essential information about  resources available.
• Support Services - Staff will assist the blind or visually impaired client with bill paying, check writing, form completion, grocery shopping and sorting.
• Life Skills Education  - CSSS conducts monthly Life Skill Education meetings, providing consumers with access to a variety of helpful resources and opportunities to share experiences with others.
• Transportation and Escort Service - Our primarily rural service area makes transportation even more difficult for someone who is blind and visually impaired. Eligible customers with no other means of transportation for appointments are provided with travel and escort services.
• Access Technology Support Group - smart phones and other technology devices have become a way of life for most.  This should be no different for someone who is blind or has low vision.  Our Access Technology Support Group helps those who have vision loss to gain the skills and confidence needed to navigate the "information highway".

Approximately 50% of blindness is preventable, and CSSS offers a variety of programs and services for people of all ages to provide education on blindness prevention and identify vision problems through vision screenings. Our prevention programs include:

• Preschool Vision Screenings - Vision problems can be particularly difficult to diagnose in preschool children, who may not realize their vision is blurry. When our screenings identify a problem, the child is referred for a complete professional eye exam.
• Adult Vision Screenings - Adults are screened using the Spot Vision Screener as well.  In many cases, our screening is the first eye screening the customer has had in many years.
• Public Education - CSSS promotes public education through press releases and public service announcements, provides educational materials on a variety of eye conditions, and prepares presentations on a variety of topics related to blindness and vision loss, blindness prevention and sensitivity to blindness training.
• Low Cost Eye Care - Low cost eye wear is available to income eligible residents that do not have insurance covering eye care/wear.