Forging a Path Forward in the Face of Unprecedented Challenges

Last month, I shared the difficult news that our Senior IMPACT Project is facing a 60% cut in grant funding from the state due to the loss of supplemental social security funds. As our largest and most rapidly growing program, this was a massive blow. And, as the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.”

On August 31st, the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) announced an immediate “Order of Selection,” closing its doors to all new clients until further notice, as it faces a historic budget shortfall.

Each year, Society for the Blind enrolls more than 100 new adult students in our Core Program, with DOR paying flat rates for essential courses like Orientation and Mobility (cane travel), Braille, Assistive Technology and Independent Living Skills. With DOR frozen for the foreseeable future, here is what this crisis means for our community:

• A Freeze on New Services: Individuals who experience vision loss can still submit applications, but they will be placed on an indefinite waitlist. Applications will only be processed once DOR reopens.
• Severe Financial Strain on Providers: DOR is currently struggling to pay vendors like us within the mandated 45-day period. Delaying payments for services already rendered puts an immense strain on nonprofits operating on tight budgets. Smaller agencies in California risk shutting down permanently.
• Work Retention Services on Hold: Individuals with vision loss who are currently employed but need additional training to keep their jobs cannot access state services. This deeply threatens job security for a population that already faces immense employment hurdles.

How Society for the Blind is Responding

While the scale of this challenge is unprecedented, our resolve is unbreakable. We are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that no one facing vision loss is left behind, and we are already taking decisive action:

• Honoring Current Clients: Anyone already approved for DOR services will continue their training at Society for the Blind without interruption.
• Launching Bridge Services: Going without help when facing vision loss is simply not an option—it is a critical health and safety issue. We are proactively exploring ways to offer basic blindness skills training to individuals while they wait for the Department of Rehabilitation to reopen.
• Protecting Our Seniors: We will continue to resolutely support our older adults with vision loss. Without our training, many seniors risk losing their independence and being forced into costly skilled nursing facilities. With training in use of a white cane and accessible technology, they can continue living active, independent lives.

We Will Prevail—With Your Help

More than half of our incredible staff are blind or have low vision. Every single day, they demonstrate what it means to live with resilience, creativity and adaptability. That same unstoppable spirit is driving our leadership team right now. We will find a way through this, but we cannot do it alone.

We are in the final phase of our Vision Forward Initiative, with just $500,000 left to reach our goal. Every dollar raised goes directly to funding program services for children, adults and seniors navigating vision loss.

We ask you, our dedicated community of supporters, to join us in this monumental effort. Together, we can bridge the gap left by the state, keep our doors wide open, and ensure that everyone living with low vision or blindness can discover, develop and achieve their full potential.