Helping People Live Well With Low Vision: Braille Institute unveils two new community resource centers in Santa Barbara

Thanks to a generous donation from the Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, Braille Institute Santa Barbara will open the doors to two new facilities designed to help people live well with low vision. The new Low Vision WellnessSM Center and the Connection PointeSM technology training center are located inside Braille Institute’s facility at 2031 De La Vina Street. The new resource centers will provide clients with individualized lifestyle training to help them regain their confidence in their home, through out the community, and stay connected to the world around them through mainstream and adaptive technology.

The grand opening of Braille Institute’s new Low Vision Wellness Center and Connection Pointe will take place on Tuesday, October 22, from 9 am to 4 pm. Visitors can receive tours of the facility, as well as experience demonstrations of the latest devices and find out how to sign up for free services.

The Low Vision Wellness Center will provide clients and their families new approaches in helping them set and achieve personal goals on their road to independence. The center will be staffed by trained specialists who will meet one on one with students to help identify and design an individualized set of courses like household management, mobility and technology skills for home, work or school, that are based on each student’s individual needs.

Connection Pointe, a new mainstream technology center, will feature demonstrations and training areas staffed by knowledgeable access technology specialists. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn and practice on the latest accessible and mainstream devices, including the iPad, audio Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) that enlarge the font on screen, refreshable braille displays, talking books that can be downloaded , and much more.

If you would like additional information about the Low Vision Wellness Center or Connection Pointe please contact Lynn Dubinsky or Tracy Alfino at 682-6222.