Society for the Blind Receives Three-year Re-certification

On July 25th, Society for the Blind received its official notification from the California Department of Rehabilitation that we were awarded a three-year re-certification to provide assessments and training in Independent Living Skills, Braille, Assistive Technology and Orientation and Mobility.

As a state-certified Community Rehabilitation Program, Society for the Blind is required to undergo an agency-wide audit every three years to ensure our programs, administration and facilities meet the state requirements for providing services to individuals with vision loss or blindness.

The three-year certification is the gold standard. Conditional certifications allow six months to correct issues and a Non-renewal of Certification means an agency has to cease providing services.

Preparing for this re-certification audit requires nearly two months of preparation. The reviewer from the Department of Rehabilitation then spends two days on site reviewing files, interviewing staff and inspecting Society’s facility.

Receiving the three-year certification means that the Department of Rehabilitation will continue to refer clients for services. Our reviewer met with our board president, the director of programs and me following her review. Not only did she tell us that we had an excellent review, she also encouraged us to consider expanding our services to include additional employment training services.

In her final report she wrote: “Society for the Blind is a well-established and respected community rehabilitation program and teaching center with collaborative relationships throughout California. Society and the Department of Rehabilitation have a positive and collaborative working relationship. DOR is appreciative of the services Society provides to our mutual consumers.”

Society for the Blind is proud to have received another three-year certification. We are actively considering adding more services related to employment to enhance our current curriculum and increase the employment potential of the people we serve.