Development Services & Rehabilitation Agencies

BLIND (Blindness: Learning In New Dimensions), Inc.
100 East Twenty-Second Street
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 872-0100

BLIND, Incorporated was founded in 1986 by blind Minnesotans who believed that, given the proper training and opportunity, blind people can lead normal, independent, and fulfilled lives They believe that "blindness is respectable" and that with proper training, the average blind person can succeed in his or her chosen field and personal endeavors. They are affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), which believes blind people are seeking the same goals as all Americans: independence, self-sufficiency and satisfying and gainful employment. BLIND, Inc. offers orientation-to-blindness training programs with a positive consumer-oriented approach. They have based their programs on a wellness model. They assume that a person, blind or sighted, has dignity and is capable of making competent decisions. They encourage their students to believe in themselves and in their ability to live meaningful and productive lives.

Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation
940 Commonwealth Avenue West
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 353-3549

The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a research, training, and service organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons who have psychiatric disabilities.

Courage Center
3915 Golden Valley Road
Minneapolis, MN 55422
(888) 846-8253

The mission of Courage Center, a not-for-profit rehabilitation organization, is to empower people with physical disabilities to reach for their full potential in every aspect of life. They are guided by the vision that one day, all people will live, work, learn and play in a community based on abilities not disabilities.

Lighthouse International
The Sol and Lillian Goldman Building
111 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1202
(800) 829-0500

Since 1905, Lighthouse International has been the leader worldwide in helping people who are blind or partially sighted overcome the challenges of vision loss. The Lighthouse is dedicated to preventing the disabling effects of uncorrectable vision loss from conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetes-related eye disease, cataracts and glaucoma. Their work enables people of all ages who are visually impaired to remain independent, active and productive. The Lighthouse helps people of all ages with vision loss live better through the following activities:

Providing vision rehabilitation services (counseling and training to improve day-to-day functioning)

Educating eyecare and vision rehabilitation professionals, along with the general public

Conducting vision, psychosocial, evaluation and accessibility research that provides practical solutions for everyday living

Promoting the early detection and prevention of vision loss

Urging policy change through advocacy to ensure equal access to health care, the environment and information

Minneapolis Rehabilitation Center (MRC)
1900 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 752-8100 (Voice) (612) 752-8019 (TTY)

The Minneapolis Rehabilitation Center (MRC) has been working with local companies to meet business needs and to open up employment opportunities for qualified job candidates with disabilities. MRC has helped more individuals with disabilities find competitive employment than any other private agency in Minnesota. MRC takes its services to various community sites including workplaces, community education centers, Rehabilitation Services Branch offices, and individuals' homes.

National Technical Assistance Consortium

Area 1

Teaching Research Institute
Western Oregon University
345 N. Monmouth, Avenue
Monmouth, OR 97361
(503) 838-9623 (TTY)

Serves: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, NV, NM, OR, WA, WY, and the Pacific Basin.

Area 2

Kansas Office
4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway Suite 108
Shawnee Mission, KS 66205
(913) 677-0604 (TTY)

Serves: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, OH, and WI.

Area 3

Georgia Office
1003 Virginia Avenue, Suite 106
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 766-4009 (TTY)

Serves: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, Puerto Rico, SC, TN, TX, and the Virgin Islands.

Area 4

Helen Keller National Center
141 Middle Neck Road
Sands Point, NY 11050
(516) 883-9059 (TTY)

Serves: CT, DC, DE, MA, ME, MD, NH, NY, NJ, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV, and the District of Columbia.

NTAC assists families, service providers and State Deaf-Blind projects, as well as other local and state agencies, in their efforts to improve the quality of early intervention, education and transition services to children and young adults who are deaf-blind. This is accomplished by providing technical assistance on effective practice and promoting collaborative partnerships for meeting the unique and diverse needs of children and young adults who are deaf-blind and their families.

PACER Center
8161 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55437
(952) 838-9000 (Voice)
(952) 838-0190 (TTY)

The mission of PACER Center is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents. Through its ALLIANCE and other national projects, PACER, a national center, responds to thousands of parents and professionals each year. From California to Minnesota to New York, PACER resources make a difference in the lives of 6.5 million children with disabilities nationwide. With assistance to individual families, workshops, materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children, PACER's work affects and encourages families in Minnesota and across the nation.

Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision
PO Drawer 6189
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(662) 325-2001 (Voice) (662) 325-8693 (TTY)

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University was established in October, 1981 through support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U. S. Department of Education and is the nation's only RRTC studying blindness and low vision. The mission of the RRTC is to prevent or alleviate the vocational, economic, and personal effects of blindness and severe visual impairment. Research and training programs focus on the need to identify, assess, and augment services intended to facilitate the employment and career development of persons who are blind or severely visually impaired.

Vision Loss Resources
1936 Lyndale Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612)871-2222

Vision Loss Resources is an independent nonprofit 501 C(3) agency. Its mission is to assist people who are blind or visually impaired achieve their full potential and to enrich the lives of all persons affected by blindness or vision loss.