General Information
Arkansas Department of Human Services: Division of Services for the Blind
1 Commerce Way
Little Rock,
AR 72202
501-682-5463
[email protected]
https://dws.arkansas.gov/services-for-the-blind/
Brief Description
The Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind (DSB) is dedicated to the independence of Arkansans who are blind or visually impaired and is committed to the principle that these individuals have the right to make informed choices regarding where they live, where they work, how they participate in the community, and how they interact with others.
Services Offered
- Counseling
- Provides counseling and referral services.
- Employment/Job Training
- Provides pre-vocational evaluation, career and skill counseling, occupational skill development, vocational training, job retention and job retraining, vocational placement, follow-up service, vending stand training. The Vending Facility Program (VFP) Services are available to eligible blind persons who are interested in and have the necessary skills to manage snack bars throughout the state. VFP locates the sales site, equips and stocks the facility initially, maintains the equipment and provides oversight and record keeping.
- Professional Training
- Offers internships and supervised field placements in rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility, rehabilitation teaching and social work.
- Daily Living Skills/Independent Living Skills Training
- Provides training in personal management, communication, home management, and sensory skills. Offers remedial education in client's home and community. Oversees state independent living program.
- Computer Training/Assistive Technology
- Offers training in the use of assistive devices.
- Low Vision Services
- Provides low vision evaluation and follow-up. Prescribes and supplies low vision devices.
- Travel/Orientation and Mobility
- Provides orientation and mobility training directly and indirectly.
- Health
- Provides evaluation of eye health, treatment of eye conditions, prescription of spectacles or devices, low vision services, audiology therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy.
- Braille and Reading Instruction
- Offers braille instruction.
- Information and Referral
- Refers to programs for seniors.
- Support Groups
- Provides a list of support groups for the visually impaired throughout Arkansas, organized by city.
- Recreation Services
- Offers recreation activities for seniors.
- Reading Services
- Arkansas Information Reading Service broadcasts news and information 24 hours a day over the digital channels of Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN). A digital television is required to receive the signal in conjunction with AIRS, DSB provides NFB-NEWSLINE. Through the service, consumers who are blind and severely visually impaired can independently access over 300 newspapers and magazines, over a standard touch-tone telephone, through the Internet, or by downloading to a digital talking-book player or mp3-playing device.