What is the Older Individuals who are Blind Program – OIB?
OIB is a grant-funded program aimed at assisting Individuals, 55 years and older, with ANY type of vision loss. Our goal is to: assist our blind and visually impaired consumers maximize and adapt to residual vison; and to discover how to continue living a healthy, independent, and productive life with vision loss.
OIB Services are FREE to the community
OIB consumers are given personal training with computers, phones, devices and much more.
What Services are provided to ILCKC’s OIB Consumers?
Assistive Technology/Adaptive Equipment: We teach computer literacy, magnification and screen-reader programs, and adaptive equipment including cellphones, iPhones, video magnifiers that are available for demonstration.
Communication: Instructions on how to use email, social media, keyboarding and more.
Daily Living Skills: Training skills on budgeting, techniques for shopping and home management, and more.
Adjustment Counseling: Support with coping skills and resources are highly encouraged.
Orientation and Mobility: Instruction on mobility techniques used to maintain orientation in your environment.
Self-Advocacy: Motivation for consumers to acquire self-advocacy skills is highly encouraged.
Transportation: Instruction and information in the use of available modes of public transportation.
Low-Vision Training: Training on use of remaining vision, sse of optical and non-optical devices.
The Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) program provides services to visually impaired individuals, 55 years of age and older, to assist them to live as independently as they can in Kern County. The OIB program seeks to stimulate independent living, empowerment, and full inclusion of older individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Training and skill-building for professionals and consumers serving the aging, blind population is provided.