#wsblind

The State of World Services for the Blind

World Services for the Blind was founded by Roy Kumpe in 1947 to serve blind or visually impaired people who needed to learn independent living skills or job training skills tailored to the special requirements of their individual visual impairments. The goal of WSB then, as it is today, is to empower blind or visually impaired adults to achieve sustainable independence through life skills, career training, and community access.

For 67 years, World Services for the Blind continued to serve adults with blindness and low vision, with the ups and downs that any nonprofit organization faces. However, 2014 was a particularly difficult year, with several transitions in leadership and difficulty keeping a high census of clients. Around Thanksgiving that year, there were several layoffs, and WSB closed their doors in December of 2014, unsure of whether they would be opening again in 2015. It seemed as though after nearly 70 years of serving the blind and low vision community in the United States and 58 other countries around the world, we would have to permanently shut our doors due to lack of funding and clientele.

However, WSB managed to open once more. With a census in the teens and a small staff, WSB fought its way uphill into 2015. For World Services for the Blind, 2015 was a year of massive transition. We gained many new and passionate staff members, and now a third of our total staff are WSB alumni. With a greater focus on marketing and modernizing our programs for the needs of today, in addition to the transition of staff members, WSB managed to have a census of nearly 40 by June. In August, Sharon Giovinazzo joined our team as our new president and CEO, which only served to strengthen WSB even more in connecting with our community, as she has many contacts in the Lions club and blind community.

We now have a team that is fully equipped and passionate about moving forward into 2016, with the same great mission that we have always had at WSB: to empower adults who are blind or visually impaired in the United States and around the world to achieve sustainable independence.

With the larger number of students and an invested staff, we were able to have more community events for the students, such as a Halloween party, and have made much more of an effort to help them feel like when they are at WSB, they aren’t just here to fly through a program and leave, but they are part of a community and building relationships.

In February, we expect our census to rise to nearly 50, which is a first in a long while for WSB. This is largely due to the growth that we experienced as an organization in 2015. It was a huge uphill climb, and it will continue to be, but we go into 2016 hopeful and knowing that things will only continue to get better for World Services for the Blind, and that we will continue to expand our reach to the blind and low vision community so that we can lower the unemployment rates for blind adults across the globe. We thank you, our supporters, for being such a huge part of our trying but great 2015, and we ask that you continue to support us in our endeavors in 2016.

Candlelight Vigil for Fallen Hero, Stepson of WSB Staff Member

Friday morning, local firefighter Ronald Jason Adams was shot and killed while trying to aid a patient having a seizure. He was the stepson of our incredibly helpful and kind maintenance staff member, Gary Farley. Tonight (Monday the 25th), there will be a candlelight vigil in his honor at the capitol at 6:30, and Gary states that all who wish to come and pay respects are welcome. We extend Gary and the rest of Mr. Adams’s family our deepest condolences.

Happy Birthday to one of our Students and one of our Staff Members!

The staff at The Insider wishes both Case Manager, Terry Stevenson, and client DeAndre Cleveland, a very happy birthday today! We hope you have a spectacular day surrounded by friends!

Terry Stevenson, Case Manager

DeAndre Cleveland, Client

WSB Job Opportunity!

Position available: World Services for the Blind Test Reader

Start date: As soon as possible

Hours: as needed (2 hours per test)

Pay rate: $50 per test

Requirements for reader:

Ability to read aloud clearly, at a normal pace and with good pronunciation.

Familiarity with the words, terms, symbols or signs that are specific to the test content (Microsoft Office).

Ability to follow instructions to read, verbatim, only the words in the test book or on the screen, without changing or adding words or assisting the test taker in selecting a response.

Willingness to be patient and to understand that the test taker may need many test questions repeated several times.

Ability to work with the test taker comfortably and compatibly without creating unnecessary pressure or unrealistic expectations.

For more information, contact Rachel Buchanan at [email protected] or (501) 664-7100, ext. 272.

Want to know more about what’s going on at World Services for the Blind?

Website: wsblind.org

Facebook: facebook.com/worldservicesfortheblind

Twitter: @wsb1947

Tumblr: tumblr.com/worldservicesfortheblind

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