THE CENTER FOR THE PARTIALLY SIGHTED
“Because There’s Hope In Sight”
Vision loss can be emotionally and physically challenging, but it doesn’t have to mean that life is over. The mission of Center for the Partially Sighted is to help people of all ages make remaining vision more effective and provide information and training to make the adjustments needed for enjoying independent and satisfying lives.
Nearly all of the visually impaired population (90%) and most of the legally blind (70%) have remaining sight. Even though vision can’t be restored with medicine, surgery or regular glasses, it can still be very useful.
The Center for the Partially Sighted helps infants and children, college students, people in the work force and retirees make the most of their remaining sight. Each year, over 2,500 children and adults come to the Center’s Culver City, Eagle Rock, Tarzana, or Torrance sites for help. Many clients also receive training in their homes or at work.
- Optometrists perform functional vision evaluations, prescribe specially-designed glasses, telescopes and microscopes to help clients use their vision;
- Psychologists and counselors provide emotional support to clients and their family members and facilitate support groups to reduce depression;
- Case workers connect people with community resources including talking books, special telephone assistance, and transportation programs;
- Rehabilitation professionals offer in-home and worksite training in independent living skills and safe mobility with a white cane or scanning techniques;
- Assistive Technology Specialists demonstrate video magnifiers and computers that are adapted with speech output and train people to use adapted software for access to the Internet and email.
The Center is funded by private donations and bequests (50%), government contracts (30%) and limited fees for service (20%). Many services are provided free of charge and fees are based on ability to pay. Over half of our clients have low incomes or live below the poverty level.
Since the Center’s inception in 1978, we helped over 24,000 partially sighted individuals, trained 435 optometric interns from the Southern California College of Optometry and 10 optometric residents in low vision care. Thousands more have benefited from our family and community education programs.
310-988-1970
