General Information
Lighthouse Central Florida
215 East New Hampshire Street
Orlando,
FL 32804
(407) 898 2483
http://www.lighthousecfl.org
Brief Description
Since 1976, Lighthouse Central Florida (LCF) has served adults and children with low vision and blindness by providing professional rehabilitation and training programs in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties. Lighthouse is the sole non-profit provider of comprehensive vision rehabilitation services in the Central Florida area.
Services Offered
- Computer Training/Assistive Technology
- Access Technology training enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to use computer technology in the home, school and workplace. Instruction is based on access software, which helps the user on Windows and Apple operating systems, navigation, reading & writing e-mails, browsing the Internet and learning how to use assistive devices such as refreshable Braille displays.
Mobile device training is also available through Lighthouse Central Florida Access Technology classes. Applications available in some mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad and Android platform, offer extraordinary accessibility for persons with visual impairments and blindness. Tasks such as identifying currency denominations, color, objects and much more are available at your fingertips and instruction on how to use these applications are taught through Access Technology courses.
- Travel/Orientation and Mobility
- Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training provides individuals with improved ability to travel safely and independently. Skills addressed include: Introduction to O&M, basic skills, orientation skills, use of a long cane, use of a support cane, use of public transportation, sighted guide, residential travel, commercial travel, and use of low vision aids for travel.
- Braille and Reading Instruction
- Lighthouse Central Florida provides individual and group instruction in the skills of learning and utilizing braille in everyday life. Graduates of braille instruction are better equipped to maintain independence personally and professionally with the ability to read and write braille. Areas of instruction may include braille for labeling, orientation, recreation, note taking or extensive reading. Learning braille can make it much easier to perform a variety of daily tasks such as taking medications, cooking, accessing telephone numbers and restaurant menus or simply taking down a quick note.
- Information and Referral
- We provide information and referral for those with blindness and sight impairment and their families.
- Employment/Job Training
- Ability to Market job readiness training provides participants with the ability to develop job search tools and techniques, and learn effective work habits needed to maintain employment.
Job Placement services are provided to individuals who do not require intensive supports to gain or maintain employment. Participants are placed into competitive employment in an integrated setting and provided with job site evaluation, job site adaptation, and initial job coaching if needed. Follow up monitoring is provided for 90 days after placement has occurred.
Supported Employment includes the provision of job placement, job coaching, and follow-along services for individuals with visual impairment and other significant disabilities that require intensive support to gain and maintain competitive employment.
- Daily Living Skills/Independent Living Skills Training
- Independent Living Skills (ILS) training is designed for persons who lose their vision late in life, but is threaded through all of our program services. ILS training provides individuals with improved ability to perform activities of daily living with adaptations for vision impairment.