WLOS Spotlight Carolina: Grant Weather and Dr. Sean Skierczynski speak about the Low Vision Center

Posted on by
IFB Solutions (formerly Industries for the Blind) Asheville’s mission is to provide employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. IFB Solutions Community Low Vision Center at 240 Sardis Road in Asheville is WNC’s resource for people who have low vision. Specialized low vision doctors provide low vision exams through our center, and IFB Solutions technicians offer low vision aids and training through our retail store open to the public from 8am-4pm Monday-Friday.
To view the Spotlight Carolina segment online, visit http://wlos.com/community/carolina-spotlight/ifb-solutions

Barbara Soderlund: Assistive Devices and Technology Help Seniors with Vision Problems

Posted on by

As we age, it is common for our vision to change. For some, these changes mean greater difficulty in reading or working on the computer. Others may have cataracts that require out-patient surgery. Still others are facing more serious age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that can have significant impact on independence and quality of life. 

The team at Community Low Vision Center at IFB Solutions (Industries for the Blind) in Winston-Salem works closely with seniors and their families to preserve their independence through assistive devices and easy-to-use technology such as:

  • Special magnifiers that offer continued enjoyment of favorite hobbies such as reading, cooking, needlepoint or woodworking.
  • Video magnifiers, often called CCTV (Closed Circuit Television), provide low-vision aid for many different types of visual needs from basic magnifying to contrast and color adjustment.
  • Video magnifiers that come in any number of formats from large desktop models to small, handheld devices that can be carried in a purse or pocket.
  • Innovative “talking” devices that can be programmed to read aloud fine-print items such as prescription labels.
  • Many varieties of talking watches and clocks.

The goal of Community Low Vision Center is to pair those with visual needs with the assistive tools that enable them to maintain and regain those activities that give them independence and a better quality of life. It can be a powerful and emotional experience for an individual to realize that they can return to following a recipe, reading a letter from a grandchild, or enjoying a book using one of our magnifying devices.

What makes the IFB Community Low Vision Center unique is their experienced team – two of their staff members have low vision and understand at a very personal level the challenges and frustrations that go along with facing a degenerative eye disease. They are experts with the products because they also use those same tools every day – at work and at home. They are also well connected with other low-vision resources in the community that partner with them. Their clients say that what they most value from coming to the IFB Community Low Vision Center is the expertise, experience and personal support of the team members.

Connecting with the Center is simple: It is open to the public Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., and appointments are encouraged but not required. There is no cost to be seen by a member of their team, and they work very hard to deliver an affordable range of prices for all of the devices. Through their Recycle for Sight program, they collect low vision assistive devices from individuals who no longer need them and recycle them to those who cannot afford the cost of new items.

Vision loss may not be preventable, but it is surmountable. Technology is improving every day to produce smarter, smaller, simpler solutions for regaining sight and personal independence that can help maximize the vision you have to enjoy a high quality of life.

Barbara Soderlund is the manager of Low Vision Services, of IFB Solutions located at 7730 North Point Blvd., Winston-Salem. For more information, call 336-245-5672.

IFB Solutions to Host Little Rock On The Links Golf Tournament

Posted on by

IFB Solutions, formerly Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind, will host its annual Little Rock On The Links Golf Tournament on Monday, May 8 at Pleasant Valley Country Club. Proceeds from this annual fundraiser will support IFB’s programs and services for people who are blind or visually impaired.

The tournament will be formatted as a four-person scramble. Players can register as a foursome ($900) or individually ($250). Individuals will be paired with other players.

SCHEDULE

  • 11 a.m. – Registration and Mulligans; Driving Range Open; Putting in the Dark
  • 11:20 a.m. – Lunch at Mixed Foursome Grill
  • 12 p.m. – Welcome at Clubhouse
  • 12:30 p.m. – Shotgun Start at Clubhouse
  • 4:30 p.m. – Reception and Awards at Mixed Foursome Grill

 

PUTTING IN THE DARK

While there are many golf tournaments in central Arkansas, this event is unlike any other because it features a special opportunity to directly connect with the mission of the host organization. Little Rock On the Links will feature Putting in the Dark, an opportunity for players to test their golf skills without utilizing their sight. While putting, participants will wear a pair of glasses that simulates what it is like to be blind. A guide will use auditory cues to direct them to the hole.

Prizes will be awarded for:

  • First Place Overall: $100 to the Pleasant Valley Country Club Pro Shop
  • Second Place Overall: $75 to the Pleasant Valley Country Club Pro Shop
  • Third Place Overall: Golf Balls
  • Longest Drive: $50 to Outback Steakhouse
  • Closest to the Hole: $50 to Outback Steakhouse

Registration is open now and will run through the day of the event. To register online, visit https://ifbsolutions.org/event/little-rock-on-the-links-golf-tournament/.

Corporate, individual and team sponsorship opportunities are available. Donations are welcome and appreciated. For more information and to inquire about becoming a sponsor, contact Ronda Lewis at rlewis@ifbsolutions.org or (870) 489-2481.

IFB Solutions Earns Employment Growth Award from the National Industries for the Blind

Posted on by

IFB Solutions, formerly Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, was recently honored with a 2016 Employment Growth Award for its efforts to increase employment retention, growth, and upward mobility for people who are blind. Presented by National Industries for the Blind (NIB), this award recognizes IFB’s commitment to increasing employment and economic opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

IFB Solutions has received this national award in prior years, and is the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country. Across its three locations in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., IFB Solutions employs more than 450 individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

The Employee Growth Award highlights the importance of creating and sustaining employment opportunities. According to NIB, there is a 70 percent unemployment rate for working-aged Americans who are blind, so all efforts to create jobs help are vital to changing this statistic and providing economic and personal freedom for people with visual disabilities.

“This award reflects the tireless efforts of our team to create jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired – many of whom have never had the opportunity to bring home a paycheck,” said David Horton, CEO of IFB Solutions. “Through quality jobs, specialized training and a wide-range of services, we are fostering greater independence and improving the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired.”

Horton highlighted IFB’s success in growing its Optical division as a key contributor to the organization’s employment record in 2016. Across all of its divisions, IFB Solutions grew Blind Hours Worked by more 43,000 hours in fiscal year 2016, which equates to 21 additional jobs. In late 2016, IFB joined forces with the Department of Veterans Affairs in court proceedings to protect the non-profit’s right to pursue optical contracts.  Without a favorable court ruling, IFB’s Optical jobs could be in jeopardy.

Employment Growth Award recipients are awarded cash payments from a fund created to recognize and encourage NIB-associated nonprofit agencies that grow or sustain employment for people who are blind.

“It is an honor for me to recognize IFB Solutions with an Employment Growth Award for 2016,” said Kevin Lynch, president and CEO of NIB. “IFB continues to lead the way in creating employment and high-growth career opportunities for people who are blind.”

IFB Solutions Announces Promotions in Operations, Human Resources, Retail Stores and Optical

Posted on by

IFB Solutions, formerly Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, announces promotions across several of its business areas.

Ken Edwards has been promoted to Vice President of Integrated Supply & Logistics. He oversees all functions of IFB’s supply chain management. Edwards joined IFB Solutions in 2014 as Senior Director of Consolidated Supply. A Greensboro native, Edwards is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Laura True has been promoted to Director of Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development. She is responsible for hiring, HR compliance, & training/development of the visually impaired at all of IFB’s manufacturing, retail, optical and distribution facilities. She joined IFB Solutions in 2012 as a Recruiting Specialist. True, a resident of Bermuda Run, is a graduate of Norwich University.

Sheryl Cooks, Teresa Miller and Shannon Martin were promoted in IFB’s Base Supply Center (BSC) division that operates retail outlets at military bases and other government locations. Cooks was promoted to BSC Senior Account Manager focusing on customer relations and business development. She joined IFB in 2006 as an Assistant Manager at IFB’s Base Supply Center at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Fla. Miller was promoted to BSC Sales Manager overseeing the strategic direction of the BSC sales initiatives. She joined IFB in 2016 as Key Accounts Manager. Martin was promoted to BSC District Manager – Military Stores. She joined IFB in 2007 as a Cashier at IFB’s Gearin’ Up store at McGuire AFB.

Crystal Alexander was promoted to Site Supervisor for the IFB Optical location in Birmingham, AL where she will oversee the daily operations. She joined IFB in 2014 as an Optician.

IFB Solutions Foundation Receives Reynolds American Foundation Grant for SEE Afterschool Program

Posted on by

IFB Solutions Foundation, the supporting fundraising arm for IFB Solutions, received a grant from the Reynolds American Foundation for its Student Enrichment Experience (SEE) Afterschool Program. The grant of $47,000 will be used to fund specially-trained teaching instructors for the year-round program that works with area K-12 students who are blind or visually impaired.

The SEE program was conceived by a team of employees at IFB Solutions, formerly Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, as an extension of its adult services focused on independent living skills, training and personal development. Today, SEE is housed at Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse on the IFB Solutions campus, which features classrooms, a computer center, arts & crafts room, outdoor garden and playground. Buses, funded by Winston-Salem-based Miracles In Sight eye bank, provide transportation for the students from their respective elementary, middle and high schools.

The SEE program operates throughout the school year with each student working with a team of teachers to build independent learning and living skills. IFB Solutions collaborates with the Winston-Salem Forsyth County school system to reach all students potentially eligible for its services. A 3-week SEE Summer Camp, overnight SEE Adventure Camp and other programs round out SEE’s calendar.

“We are extremely grateful to the Reynolds American Foundation for helping us fund the teaching staff at the SEE program,” said David Barnwell, President of the IFB Solutions Foundation. “Our services are bridging gaps for young students in the local community who are blind or visually impaired, while also improving their independence and self-confidence.”

SEE’s certified teachers guide the students through a wide range of activities gaining independent living skills such as orientation & mobility, computer literacy, communication and socialization skills.

In addition to the Student Enrichment Experience, IFB Solutions and the IFB Solutions Foundation support Community Low Vision Centers in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Chapel Hill that provide training and assistive technologies needed to maximize an individual’s remaining vision; Focus on Literacy, a program that connects school-age children with assistive technology for at-home learning; and A Brighter Path Programs, a curriculum of learning and recreational offerings for adults who are blind or visually impaired from computer and internet literacy to arts & crafts and sports.

 

 

Dan Kelly: Life-changing experiences for the blind

Posted on by Seth

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity to highlight the challenges of finding of job for people with disabilities. If you are blind, as I am, the unemployment rate is shockingly high — 70 percent. Imagine: Seven of every 10 persons who are blind cannot find a job.

In my case, I’ve been blind since childhood. I share a hereditary eye disease with my grandfather, father and now my young son. Both my grandfather and my father worked, and they instilled in me their same drive to pursue an education, build a career and raise a family. In many respects, I was fortunate to have their genes, because I never thought about what wasn’t possible. My focus was always on what I could accomplish.

Today, I am chief operating officer at IFB Solutions, previously known as Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind. We are the largest employer of people who are blind in the country, with a mission that impacts even more people through our community programs and services available to the public.

Our new name — IFB Solutions — suits our organization perfectly as we strive to create innovative solutions for people who are blind or visually impaired. We offer employment opportunities in our three manufacturing facilities, in our optical lab and at dozens of customer locations across the United States. We’re also finding jobs for people that enable them to work from home — a tremendous opportunity for people without access to transportation.

Throughout my career, I’ve been focused on creating opportunities for people who are blind. It started in high school when I responded to a job posting with a local human resources and recruiting firm. After graduating from college, I took a full-time position with that same company before joining National Industries for the Blind in 2001, where I had an opportunity to focus on employment for people with vision challenges. After earning my MBA from George Mason University, I moved to the Triad to join Greensboro Industries of the Blind before coming to my current workplace in 2007.

Like me, some of our employees at IFB Solutions come with work experience, but for the majority, we are their first job and their first opportunity to experience personal and financial independence since losing their sight. We build on this first job by providing additional solutions — training and services — to help our employees acquire new skills and pursue outside interests.

Guest columnist: Grateful for National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Posted on by Seth

“Although my visual impairment kept me from pursuing the career I wanted as a golf pro, it’s given me the most satisfying career I could ever ask for and I am grateful.” Read more about Grant Weathers, Low Vision Technician at our Asheville Community Low Vision Center and his thoughts about October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Industries for the Blind faces legal challenge for VA optical contracts

Posted on by Seth

“Since (the agency) was established as a nonprofit agency in the AbilityOne program nearly 80 years ago, there has never been a more real threat to the work we do in providing employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired,’ said Danny Kelly, the agency’s chief operating officer.”

Much appreciation to The Winston-Salem Journal for highlighting a legal case that could prevent our ability to continue serving US Veterans with eyeglasses made by people who are blind or visually impaired.

Link to Article: http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/industries-for-the-blind-faces-legal-challenge-for-va-optical/article_7121024a-23b9-5c56-8738-cbebe15cb491.html