HUMANE CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

National Association for the Visually Handicapped

Fifty years ago, Lorraine Marchi learned the difference between “blind” and “visually impaired” when her son’s school would not provide adequate large-print materials for him. Since he was not legally blind, he did not need to use Braille. To prevent this frustrating problem from affecting other parents, Marchi started the National Association for the Visually Handicapped (NAVH).

Since then, NAVH has grown into a national organization with offices in New York and San Francisco. The organization offers visual aids, free access to a large-print library with 7,000 titles, “fun” rooms with ergonomically designed lighting, and counseling services and home visits for the visually handicapped.

NAVH’s educational materials serve an essential need: More than 26 million Americans over age 40 suffer from common diseases that can lead to visual impairment, such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration.
NAVH offers assistance to young and old alike. Here are a few of the vital services provided by the organization:

• Support groups
• Transportation
• Professional advice
• Services for non-English speakers
• Advice about new computerized and adaptive technologies

The organization’s Web site is fully compatible with a visually impaired person’s needs. It offers links to helpful services and tips, including information about how to make a Windows Operating System easier to use for a visually impaired person.

NAVH also holds various symposiums, educational series, and conferences throughout the year to support the continuing education of medical professionals who specialize in the visually impaired.

NAVH offers the visually impaired the chance to continue to live as productively in the sighted world as they did before their vision changed. And for young people who were born with or developed impaired vision, NAVH offer an opportunity to lead constructive lives. NAVH is the only organization in the world to focus solely on the visually handicapped, and it deserves the support of compassionate donors everywhere.

For more information, visit www.NAVH.org.

Each month the Council on Humane Giving profiles a health charity that displays the Humane Charity Seal of Approval on its Web site or literature. Please consider showing your support by writing a letter of thanks or giving a donation, and be sure to tell your friends, family, and coworkers about this outstanding health charity.

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