The Memorial Foundation for the Blind is dedicated to helping people with disabilities live independent lives. The Memorial Foundation was founded by a group of prominent Worcesterians who felt that blind individuals would be better served in smaller group homes operated by trained staff rather than large impersonal establishments. Today, more than ever, people with disabilities need safe and comfortable living spaces in order to live a full life. The Mission House is one such establishment.
The mission house is a residential home designed specifically for people with a visual impairment and designed so that the interior design focuses on the safety and comfort of the individual in order to encourage a feeling of independence. The interior design of the home features a modified tri-level design with an elevator going up to the top level, a staircase on the lower level, and rooms on the bottom level with floor-to-ceiling windows. The four-story building also features a lobby that is open to guests. Most units feature a queen-size bed, a large sitting area, a kitchenette with stove and refrigerator, a bathroom with walk-in shower, a bedroom with a queen or king size bed, and a living/dining room with a couch, loveseat, and chair. Some units are wheelchair accessible.
The Memorial Foundation for the Blind will accept donations in any form, and will not discriminate against members because of physical disability, age, or gender. Donations may be placed in a trust fund, which will be used to pay for the purchase of necessary equipment for the blind and for care of the blind and their family in case of a financial emergency. Funds in the trust fund may be used to pay for advertising in newspapers, magazines, online, and other media, and for activities such as fund-raising, music lessons, and travel for visiting blind people and their family members. When you make a gift to the Foundation, your donation will be tax deductible to the Government. The Foundation welcomes contributions in any amount.
A blind person needs the assistance of an assisted living facility if he or she has developed a physical impairment that prevents them from living alone. A nursing home may provide the necessary personal care services needed by the visually impaired for a period of one year after the person becomes permanently disabled. In the meantime, the visually impaired person can receive services under the care and assistance of a licensed aide who is not related to the family. A nursing home service also provides the necessary professional care needed by the blind and the mentally retarded. Blinds for offices provide visual impairment assistance through: window tinting, permanent makeup, sunglasses, laser pointer contact lenses, combs, brushes, medicine cabinets, toilet seats, bath seats, and hand held shower heads.
The United States Conference of Mayors has produced a manual on how blind people can benefit from a provision in the bill called the “Least Significant Needs Consolidation Act.” The purpose of this provision is to eliminate or restrict the application of a requirement that blind individuals must have two separate licenses to operate motor vehicles. According to the manual, “The provision will eliminate the cost and paperwork of two separate licenses for persons with disabilities. The qualified person will still need to have a driver’s license to operate a vehicle. And, the least significant need standard will not apply to the provision,” meaning that persons who are deaf and hard of hearing would not have to meet the minimum requirements under the provision.
Many homes for the blind are provided through governmental agencies and other non-profit organizations. However, not all houses for the blind can be found in homes for the blind. Some houses for the blind are mansions or large buildings rented by the Government. Other houses for the blind are smaller buildings, such as mobile homes or RVs. Government and other organizations provide houses for the blind in exchange for something, most often money.
