Vermont Association for the Blind and
Visually Impaired (VABVI)

VABVI stands on its own as the only private agency in the state providing training, services, and support to children, and adults who are blind or visually impaired.

Our main objective is to help all of our clients achieve and maintain independence. All our services and programs have this goal, and focus on fulfilling our mission. As one client put it, VABVI helps our clients to "become contributing members to society, and not a burden to it." VABVI promotes self-advocacy, independence, and coping skills through our education programs and adult services.

Age-related eye diseases can be debilitating, but VABVI provides older Vermonters with the skills and confidence they need to learn to live a new way, thereby helping them regain their independence and, in their own words, learn to "become contributing members to society and not a burden to it." We also provide services, training, and support that put a concerned parent's mind at ease when assessing a visually impaired infant. School-aged children coping with blindness are encouraged and provided with the skills they need to be competitive with sighted peers.

VABVI Statistics

• All services are provided without charge to the consumer to ensure that no one is denied service because of financial concerns.
• Consumers served in all 14 counties
• We served 1,397 consumers in FY2004.
• Sixty-three Cities & Towns provided $28,180 in support throughout the year.
• During FY03 Eighty-seven cents out of every dollar we received went back out into the community in the form of services that we provide. Every dollar received stayed in Vermont, helping Vermonters.
• 253 Volunteers drove 199,672 miles and donated 14,036 hours of services!
• 296 adults participated in the Peer Assisted Learning and Support (PALS) Groups.