MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INC

OUR FLORIDA HEIKEN CHILDREN'S VISION PROGRAM, LLC, TAKES PRIMARY EYE HEALTH CARE DIRECTLY TO FLORIDA SCHOOLCHILDREN TARGETING TITLE ONE SCHOOLS USING OUR FIVE MOBILE EYE CARE UNITS THAT VISIT OVER 500 SCHOOLS ANNUALLY AS WELL AS PROVIDING VOUCHERS IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR NETWORK OF OVER 1,100 OPTOMETRISTS. DURING 2024, 19,161 LOW-INCOME SCHOOLCHILDREN RECEIVED A DILATED EYE EXAM AND 64% REQUIRED AND RECEIVED PRESCRIPTION GLASSES AT NO COST TO THEIR PARENTS. IN OUR 2020 MARKET RESEARCH SURVEY FUNDED BY THE HEALTH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA, NEARLY 80% OF RESPONDENTS REPORTED THAT THEIR CHILD HAD IMPROVED ACADEMICALLY AT THEIR SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR HEIKEN PROGRAM. OUR LOW VISION PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND EYE EXAMINATIONS AS WELL AS INSTRUCTION ON ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND OPTICS FOR SENIORS WITH AGE-RELATED VISION LOSS. THESE LOW VISION SERVICES ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN UTILIZING THEIR REMAINING VISION TO ACHIEVE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND MAINTAIN THEIR MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE. EXAMS ARE PROVIDED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF OUR LOW VISION CONSULTING OPTOMETRIST ASSISTED BY OUR CERTIFIED LOW VISION OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, CERTIFIED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT, AND LICENSED DISPENSING OPTICIAN. IN 2019, WE WERE THE RECIPIENT OF A COVETED INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE FOUR-YEAR RENEWAL GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA BLUE FOUNDATION AS AN EXPANSION TO A PROJECT THEY FUNDED INITIALLY IN 2015. THE ORIGINAL INITIATIVE RESULTED IN PUBLICATION OF A PEER-REVIEWED, ARCHIVAL JOURNAL ARTICLE "BRINGING LOW VISION ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVENTIONS TO UNDERSERVED SENIORS AFFECTED BY AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE" IN THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. THE FOUR-YEAR GRANT RENEWAL ENABLES MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE TO PROVIDE LOW-VISION PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS (55+) IN VULNERABLE, LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN ALLAPATTAH, BROWNSVILLE, LIBERTY CITY, AND OVERTOWN. IN 2024 WE PROVIDED 6,128 COMMUNITY MEMBERS PRIMARILY AFFECTED BY AGE- RELATED EYE DISEASE WITH "LEARNING TO LIVE WITH LOW VISION" PRESENTATIONS AND ADMINISTERED 398 LOW VISION EXAMS, 329 PATIENTS (302 ADULTS + 27 ACADEMY STUDENTS) RECEIVED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, 25 PATIENTS RECEIVED SPEECH THERAPY, 123 PATIENTS RECEIVED PHYSICAL THERAPY, 1,123 PEOPLE VISITED OUR SOLUTIONS CENTER, AND MORE THAN 8,000 VISITS WERE MADE TO OUR ONLINE LIGHTHOUSESHOP.ORG PLATFORM SEEKING DEVICES TO ASSIST WITH EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CLIENTS OUR PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRAM IS A YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES YOUTH 14-22 THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SKILLS TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE OR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS FLORIDA DIVISION OF BLIND SERVICES FUNDED PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AND YOUTH WHO ENTER COMPETITIVE INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND/OR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. THESE OBJECTIVES ARE FULFILLED BY THE PROVISION OF HIGH-QUALITY COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION INSTRUCTION THAT ENHANCES EACH INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND ACADEMIC SETTINGS. STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT LIFE SKILLS LIKE HOME AND PERSONAL MANAGEMENT, COMPUTER/ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, JOB READINESS, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, SOCIAL SKILLS AND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION. STUDENTS LEARN ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT PREPARE THEM FOR THE WORKFORCE. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS IN OUR ABLE TRUST HIGH SCHOOL HIGH TECH COMPONENT OF THE PRE- EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM ARE TAUGHT HOW TO PREPARE RESUMES, PARTICIPATE IN MOCK JOB INTERVIEWS AND CAREER PREPARATION. OUR GOAL IS TO HELP THESE YOUNG ADULTS REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM THE ABLE TRUST FOR EXCEEDING THE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT GUIDEPOST IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL HIGH TECH PROGRAM FOR OUR PRE- EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM STUDENTS. WE EXCEEDED THE SERVICES PROVIDED AMONG ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL HIGH TECH PROGRAMS IN FLORIDA AND ARE HONORED TO HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY PROGRAM SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS IN 2024. 41 YOUTH WERE SERVED IN OUR PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION PROGRAM. AS OUR WORLD EXAMINES THE IDEA OF INCLUSION AND EQUITY, IT IS IMPORTANT WE USE THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. TWO OF THE GREATEST EQUALIZERS WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL ARE TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION. THROUGH TECHNOLOGY MANY PEOPLE WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT CAN PERFORM JOBS AS WELL AS OR BETTER THAN THEIR SIGHTED PEERS AND EDUCATION IS PIVOTAL FOR TEENS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR VARIED CAREER OPTIONS AS THEY TRANSITION OUT OF SCHOOL. THROUGH OUR TRANSITION PROGRAM OUR FOCUS IS TO REMOVE THE CONVENTIONAL LIMITATIONS THAT ARE OFTEN IMPOSED ON SOMEONE WITH A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. WE WANT TO CREATE A GENERATION OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED LAWYERS, ARTISTS, TEACHERS, RESEARCHERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE THAT REFLECTS DIVERSE ABILITIES. OUR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM IS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED ADULTS THAT ARE EITHER WORKING OR WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN SELF-HELP SKILLS, COMPUTER/ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, AND JOB READINESS. OTHER TOPICS COVERED IN THE PROGRAM INCLUDE ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, LOW VISION SERVICES, AND PERSONAL AND HOME MANAGEMENT. OUR JOB READINESS PROGRAM PROVIDES VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO ENTER, REMAIN IN OR RETURN TO THE WORKFORCE IN A VARIETY OF FOR-PROFIT AND NONPROFIT ENTITIES, AND WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR NETWORK OF EMPLOYERS. DURING 2024, WE PROVIDED 191 CLIENTS WITH VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION TRAINING. IN A DIGITALLY DEPENDENT WORLD, ACCESSIBLE WEBSITE DESIGN HAS NEVER BEEN MORE VITAL. UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ALL WEBSITES ARE ACCESSIBLE. OUR WEB AUDITING SERVICES HELP ENSURE THAT ENTITIES WITH ONLINE PRESENCE HAVE ACCESSIBLE WEBSITES THAT ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA). FOR EXAMPLE, MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE HAS PROVIDED ASSESSMENTS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LAW FIRMS, HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, SUPERMARKETS, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, HOSPITALS AND AIRLINES. IN 2024, WE PROVIDED 40 WEBSITE AUDITS TO MAKE WEBSITES FULLY ACCESSIBLE. MORE THAN 250 COMPANIES HAVE UTILIZED OUR WEBSITE AUDITING SERVICES. EXPERTISE ALONG WITH ACCESSIBLE WEBSITE AUDITING HAS BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION TO MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE BY ENTITIES SUCH AS TIME INC., FORBES, AND NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO.