Newton Business The Carroll Center For The Blind Needs Your Help
The new coronavirus has changed life for all of us. Local businesses have taken a huge economic hit, but communities are finding creative ways to support the establishments they know and love.
In an effort to help local businesses in our communities stay connected and succeed, Patch will be shining a light on some of them through a series of Q&A articles during this time.
The Carroll Center for the Blind is one of the businesses in town facing struggles during the coronavirus. You can lend your support by reading more about the company, below, and by contacting them here.
Tell us about your business and its history in your town.
Established in 1936, the renowned Carroll Center for the Blind has been serving those with vision impairment for over eight decades and is known nationally as a premier Vision Rehabilitation Center.
Located just outside of Boston on a sprawling campus in Newton, Massachusetts, the Carroll Center proudly serves thousands of individuals of all ages and all stages of vision loss each year.
The Carroll Center for the Blind's mission is to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired to achieve independence and to lead a fulfilling life.
How has the new coronavirus impacted your business and its employees?
To ensure that people dealing with vision loss receive the critical training and support needed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carroll Center for the Blind has launched and expanded a variety of virtual program offerings. The adjustment to vision loss does not stop given the ongoing pandemic — in fact, the need to stay connected to critical blindness rehabilitation is more important than ever.
Although the nonprofit is not currently providing face-to-face instruction on its campus or in the community, the blindness rehabilitation institution is providing instruction through a variety of remote methods to school-aged students, adults and seniors.
The Carroll Center’s team of expert vision professionals are remotely teaching on a variety of topics, including Activities of Daily Living, Technology Skills and Assistive Technology, Braille, Low Vision Devices, Employment Readiness and Health Management.
Recognizing that schooling and many workplace meetings are now being offered through Zoom and similar telecommunications platforms, the nonprofit is also teaching consumers how to effectively use these technologies.
Additionally, the Center is providing counseling support, assistance with resources and diabetes management, as well as support to use the variety of remote methods such as Zoom.
How can local customers support you now and in the future?
You can help to us continue to provide these much needed remote services during this difficult and uncertain time by making a donation here. Your donation today will ensure individuals of all ages and all stages of vision loss can continue to get the help they need, when they need it most.
Do you have any words of encouragement for your community?
Thank you all for your care, concern, and compassion. Together, we will ensure that people of all ages and all stages of vision loss have the support they need to stay safe and healthy through this crisis and beyond.
Please let us know how you are doing and if you have concerns that we can help with. We are in this together and we care about each and every one of you.
The entire team at the Carroll Center for the Blind wishes you safety and health during this difficult time. Please email info@carroll.org if you have questions.
Are you offering any special services, promotions or hours during this time?
Remote training and support is available to any blind or visually impaired Massachusetts resident registered with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Out-of-state individuals who are registered with their local state blindness agency are eligible for training and should make an inquiry to their case manager. For a full list of training opportunities, please visit this link.
Are there any other outstanding businesses in town you think deserve some community support?
From fitness companies to makers of assistive technology software, organizations across the board are stepping up to support the blind and visually impaired community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Carroll Center has put together some of its favorite free resources that are currently being offered to help you make the most of these times. Those can be found here.
Do you own a local business in need of a feature on Patch? Fill out the questions in this form for consideration. Or, check out Patch's full list of resources for small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.
Thank you, and stay safe!
[RECIRC]
This article originally appeared on the Newton Patch
