Lion's World Services For the Blind

• Vocational Training
• Additional Services
• Make a Referral

Additional Services

Personal Adjustment	Independent Living Skills for the Elderly
College Preparation	Training and Professional Services

 

Personal Adjustment

The foundation of healthy personal adjustment is comprehensive training and counseling provided on an individualized basis.   Drawing from the vast array of services at LWSB, a training schedule for each person's needs is designed to achieve a well-rounded and healthy personal adjustment to visual disability. COMPREHENSIVE PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT SERVICES Psycho-social services Techniques for daily living Communication Orientation and mobility Vision rehabilitation Electronic aids Manual dexterity Vocational evaluation Social, leisure, recreation abilities

The philosophy of LWSB training maintains that effective and total rehabilitation can only be achieved in a therapeutic, multi-disciplinary environment that is found in a comprehensive residential rehabilitation center. Training and counseling is provided by professionally-qualified personal adjustment counselors rehabilitation teachers orientation and mobility instructors consulting psychiatrist and psychologist service program directors and coordinators

Psycho-social services
These services yield an emotional comfort zone which lays a foundation for development of independent living skills and vocational objectives.
Counseling

• Individual attention from a personal counselor and two consultants
• Small group sessions with 8-10 peers
• Large group meetings for information sharing
• Tests and examinations by a psychologist and a psychiatrist

Vision Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology
State-of-the-art electronic and optical devices make up a large inventory of adaptive aids for people with low vision.

• Training to read with magnifiers, closed circuit televisions, and other instruments
• Training to use personal computers with large print displays for people with low vision, and voice or Braille for persons who are totally blind

Manual dexterity Hand dexterity and coordination is strengthened. Craft and workshop facility for training and leisure. Social, Recreation, Relaxation Class and after-class activities incorporate stress reduction and development of self-confidence toward meaningful leisure activities.

Techniques for daily living
Tactual techniques are taught to perform numerous daily activities safely and efficiently. Included are cooking, housekeeping, table etiquette, clothing care, grooming, and overall home management.
Communicative skills
Tactual and auditory modes of communication are taught to compensate for the loss of visual techniques. Included are braille, typing, handwriting, handling money, talking calculators/watches/clocks, abacus, and tape recorders.

Orientation and mobility Systematic training techniques develop spatial concepts and kinesthetic awareness. Training includes: Orientation to environments Using the long cane to walk residential areas and busy streets Experience with travel aids-telescopes, colored glasses Use of public transportation Accessing transportation routes Vocational Evaluation Aptitudes, interests and academics are evaluated through tests and work samples.

The Structure
Professional staff and two consultants conduct a 30-day evaluation of each person as the primary step in LWSB program design.

• Functional skills assessment in all areas of services
• Examination and testing by the consulting doctors of psychiatry, psychology, medicine and ophthalmology.

The team reviews the evaluation results and customizes the rehabilitation program that meets the total needs of each individual. Daily evaluations of individual training progress further individualizes each trainee's program with modifications in training where needed.
Other Services

• Vocational Services - 13 training programs
• Job development and placement
• Employer education workshops
• College preparatory program
• Independent living skills training for persons who are elderly
• In-service training for rehabilitation professionals

For Information and/or Referral:
Lions World Services for the Blind
(501) 664-7100 or Toll Free 1-800-248-0734
Fax (501) 664-2743
email: training@lwsb.org

          Back to the Top

An investment in success for the college-bound individual.

The program has two rationales for preparatory training:
1.  college freshmen in general, whether sighted or visually impaired, are ill-prepared for college;
 2.  blind or visually impaired persons face specific problems when entering    college. The staff members at LWSB assist the students in developing purposeful and well-adjusted attitudes concerning college life, so the college experience can be self-directed and productive.
College Preparatory Learning Opportunities
The nine-week summer College Preparatory Program offers three general areas of training: personal adjustment or adaptive skills, academic skills, and socialization skills. The course is offered on a formal basis each summer from mid-June through mid-August, and is also available on an individual basis upon request throughout the year.
Adaptive Skills
LWSB's professional staff provides evaluation and training in compensatory skill areas to each person enrolled in the College Preparatory Program. These skill areas include travel through use of a long cane, orientation to the environment and use of transportation systems, clothing care, grooming, housekeeping and cooking. The program includes oral communication skill development, note taking skills, and utilization of volunteer readers and library resources.

All students can utilize training available in the state-of-the-art assistive technology and computer training area. The instruction and technology used is adapted for each student's needs. The students receive instruction regarding selection and scheduling of classes in a manageable manner, as well as methods for test taking as a blind or visually impaired person. They are also taught how to establish a degree plan and to use a college catalog. Counseling is provided both on an individual and group basis by professionals who have masters degrees with emphasis in working with blindness.

Group sessions are conducted providing information from professionals on career choice, college selection, dormitory life, registration and grant application procedures.
Academic Skills
Students are taught note-taking skills, good study habits, library utilization, use of readers, instructor/student relationship, stress/time management and college class selections.  An LWSB counselor provides individual case management services.
Socialization Skills

While on campus for the College Preparatory Program, students live in dormitories similar to those on college campuses. LWSB's social and recreational activities after class schedule and on weekends give students the experience of having the well-rounded and busy schedule they will need to become accustomed to on the college campus.

The wide variety of recreational and social activities includes outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and other active sports. They go on outing experiences to local restaurants and movies, and cultural activities at the local Arts Center and historical landmarks. The students are also counseled on dating, social and study time management and how to participate actively in the social environment of college life.

 Our Staff
LWSB's professional staff members are trained to work with persons who are blind or visually impaired in areas of individual and group counseling, rehabilitation teaching, orientation and mobility, vocational evaluation and low vision. The majority have graduate degrees in their respective areas of instruction. Other staff includes a full-time nurse. On a consultant basis are a psychiatrist, a psychologist, an ophthalmologist, and a general practice physician.
Our Center
LWSB is a private non-profit rehabilitation center that has served more than 9,200 people who are blind or visually impaired from all 50 states and 58 other countries since 1947. The center provides personal adjustment training, psychological testing and counseling, prevocational evaluation and vocational training. LWSB is fully accredited by the National Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Our Campus
LWSB's campus is a complex of buildings located on a full city block in southwest Little Rock just off Interstate 630. The six two-story buildings are constructed around a tree-shaded courtyard. On-campus housing is available for 91 persons in our women's and men's dormitories and two independent living apartments.
Our Admission Requirements
Persons interested in enrolling in the College Preparatory Program should submit an application through the referring source. All arrangements should be completed in advance between the referral source and LWSB.
         

Back to the Top

Comprehensive training and counseling creates a strong foundation for healthy independent living. Drawing from the vast array of services at LWSB, a training schedule for each person's needs is designed to achieve a well-rounded and healthy personal adjustment to visual disability. The philosophy of LWSB training maintains that effective and total rehabilitation can only be achieved in a therapeutic multi-disciplinary environment that is found in a comprehensive residential rehabilitation center. Home visits can substitute for the residential training when working with persons in the area who are elderly and visually impaired.

 Training and counseling are provided by professionally qualified:

• personal adjustment counselors
• rehabilitation teachers
• orientation and mobility instructors
• consulting psychiatrist and psychologist
• service program directors and coordinators         

Independent Living Skills training: Individual and group counseling Activities of daily living Leisure activities Orientation and mobility Communication Adaptive aids Assistive technology

All persons who are elderly and losing vision need a professional to help with the life changes they're experiencing. They want to remain as independent as possible, but find they need assistance.

Counseling: Individual attention Family counseling Support group sessions with peers Resources - where to turn? Dealing with multiple medical problems Coping strategies Activities of Daily Living: Clothing and grooming care Kitchen safety and eating techniques Labels for identification Organization skills Money identification Handwriting

Communication:

• Telephone usage
• Reading skills
• Writing aids
• Braille
• Typing
• Resources - where can I find help?

Orientation and mobility:

• Orientation to environments
• Sighted guide techniques
• Using the long cane to walk outside the home
• Experience with travel aids - support canes, telescopes, colored glasses
• Use of public transportation, including paratransit where available
• Accessing transportation routes
• Ideas for making home environment user-friendly

Assistive Technology
Personal computer training with assistive technology (voice output or large print display) for personal use: correspondence, financial needs, check writing, recipe files.

Adaptive aids: Low vision aids and optical aids Lighting Color contrast and texture usage Tape recorders Library resources Leisure activities: Social, recreation, relaxation Crafts and hobbies Table games Community group activities Support - telephone buddies

The Structure
Professional staff and two consultants conduct an evaluation of each person as the primary step in LWSB-program design.

• Functional skills assessment in all areas of services
• Medical management provided as needed.

The team reviews the evaluation results and customizes the training program that meets the total needs of each individual. Modifications and changes are made daily when needed. Adaptations in schedule are made to accommodate for health problems and multi-disabilities .
Other Services

• Vocational services - 13 training programs
• Family counseling when needed
• Support group organization and meetings
• In-service training or workshops for rehabilitation professionals working with persons who are elderly

For Information and/or Referral:
ElderCare Project
Lions World Services for the Blind
2811 Fair Park Boulevard
Little Rock. Arkansas 72214-4055
Telephone 1-800-248-0734; (501) 664-7100
FAX (501) 664-2743
email: training@lwsb.org

          Back to the Top

Psycho-Social

• Testing and evaluation
• Counseling
• Deaf/blind specialist
• Social skills
• Physical conditioning and recreation

In-service Training and Internship

• Orientation and mobility
• Rehabilitation teaching
• Administrative
• Counseling
• Vocational evaluation

Personal Management

• Grooming
• Home management (cooking)
• Clothing care
• Table etiquette
• Housekeeping
• Independent apartment living

Orientation and Mobility

• Cane travel
• Monocular training
• Electronic travel aid
• Braille compass
• Public transportation

Educational Services

• Braille (Grades I, II, III)
• Typing
• Arithmetic (abacus, talking and print calculators)
• Alpha communicative techniques (signature, money, telephone)
• Adult basic education
• Oral communications
• English as a second language (when needed)

Career Training Center

• Job readiness
• Job development/placement
• Job retention services
• Internet job search techniques

Low Vision

• Clinical examinations
• Ophthalmological services
• Optical and non-optical aids
• Training by low vision specialist
• Print reading

Assistive Technology Training

• Closed circuit television readers
• Scanners
• Speech synthesizers
• Braille terminals
• Braille-to-speech devices
• Braille-to-print devices
• Computer screen enlargement system
• Computer screen reader systems
• Talking calculators
• Audio paper money identifiers

Volunteer Services

• Drivers
• Readers
• Shopping attendants

Medical

• Nurse
• General Practitioner
• Ophthalmologist
• Psychiatrist
• Psychologist

Home and Leisure Skills

• Home repair
• Woodwork
• Crafts

Housing

• Laundry
• Dormitory
• Cafeteria and snack facilities
• 24-hour housing and security personnel

Recreational Services

• Physical fitness
• Field trips
• Cultural events
• Shopping
• Outdoor activities

      Back to the Top