Massachusetts Consumer Groups for People with Vision Impairments

Association of Blind Citizens (ABC)
telephone: 781-961-1023

Baystate Council of the Blind
web address: http://www.acb.org/baystate/ | email: Jerry.berrier@townsip.com

The Foundation Fighting Blindness Mass.
Chapter web address:
http://www.blindness.org/index.php?view=article&catid=134%3Amassachusetts&id=457%3Aboston-ma&option=com_content&Itemid=158 |
telephone: 617-284-1466

Guidelines For the Specialized Assessments of Students with Visual Impairments is a document released by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Schools in July 2012. This document details the requirements for qualified service providers, the types of assessments to appropriately define the needs of these students, and resources for locating specialized professionals and materials. Service providers, families, students, teachers and administrators can use this document to justify appropriate services. Click here to download.

Massachusetts Association for the Blind (MAB) Community Services
telephone: 617-923-2790 | web address: www.mablind.org

Massachusetts Commission For The Blind
web address: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/mcb/
telephone: 617-626-7660 or 800-393-6450 x7660

National Federation of the Blind
telephone: 508-679-8543 | web address: www.nfb.org 

Visually Impaired & Blind User Group (VIBUG)
telephone: 617-266-6160 x48 | email: president@viburg.org

Hadley School for the Blind has a course geared to folks who are interested in getting a Guide Dog. Go to their website for more information.web address: www.hadley-school.org

Massachusetts Assoc. of Guide Dog Users / National Federation of the Blind (NFB): telephone: 508-679-8543 

THE LAW

DOJ and DOE joint guidance issued
November 2014
Today, DOJ Civil Rights Division and DOE OCR and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services issued joint guidance about the rights of public elementary and secondary students with hearing, vision or speech disabilities to effective communication. The guidance includes a letter to educators, a Frequently Asked  Questions document, and a summary Fact Sheet. It is intended to help  schools, parents, and others understand schools’ obligations under Federal law to meet the communication needs of students with disabilities.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-faqs-effective-communication-201411.pdf