• Age-Related Macular Degeneration Counseling, Low Vision and Medical Associations
• Low Vision Assistive Equipment Organizations
• Low Vision Recreational Resources
• Services for Seniors

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Counseling, Low Vision and Medical Associations

AMD Alliance

1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
877-263-7171
www.amdalliance.org

The AMD Alliance International is a nonprofit coalition of the world's leading vision and senior's organizations working to raise awareness of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and an understanding of available options for prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation and support services.

American Academy of Ophthalmology

PO Box 7424
San Francisco, CA 94120-7424
800-222-3937
www.aao.org

AAO is an association of doctors specializing in eye diseases. The Academy's Eye Care America help line provides information and publications and connects eligible older people with ophthalmologists who provide free eye care at age 65 if the patients have no health insurance and has not seen an eye doctor for at least 3 years.

American Counseling Association

5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
800-347-6647
www.counseling.org

ACA offers information to older people on adult psychological development and aging. A catalog of publications and videos is available.

American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc

4720 Montgomery Lane
Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
800-729-2682
www.aota.org

AOTA offers information on the role of occupational therapy in promoting functional independence, preventing disability, and maintaining health. Contact AOTA for referrals to local practitioners and therapy programs.

American Psychiatric Association

1400 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-682-6000
www.psych.org

APA is an association of psychiatrists, physicians specializing in diagnosing and treating people with mental and emotional disorders. Its Council on Aging establishes standards for psychiatric care to older people. Contact APA for referrals to local psychiatrists.

Better Vision Institute

1655 North Fort Myer Driver
Arlington, VA 22209
800-424-8422
www.visionsite.org

BVI provides news and information on vision health and care. Contact the Institute for facts on the detection, treatment, and prevention of eye diseases.

Ligthouse International

111 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1202
800-829-0500
www.lighthouse.org

Offers hope when vision fails.

Macular Degeneration Foundation

PO Box 531313
Henderson, NV 89053
888-633-9373
www.eyesight.org

Dedicated to serving the interests of those affected by macular degeneration and related low vision conditions.

Macular Degeneration International

800-683-5555
www.maculardegeneration.org

The non-profit center operates full time with paid professional staff to serve persons and families with both juvenile and age-related forms of macular degeneration. MDI offers information and support as its primary goal, which is done through personal contact, telephone, correspondence, Internet, and a variety of seminars and national conferences.

National Association of Social Workers

750 First Street NE
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
800-638-8799
www.naswdc.org

NASW is a membership organization promoting, advocating, developing, and protecting social workers and the practice of social work. Contact NASW for referrals to counseling resources and specialists, information about social work, and information on aging issues and health care.

National Eye Institute

31 Center Drive MSC 2510
Bethesda, MD 20892-2510
301-496-5248
www.nei.nih.gov/health/

The National Eye Institute (NEI) was established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision of the American people. As one of the federal government's National Institute of Health (NIH), the NEI conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye diseases and other disorders of vision. This research leads to sight-saving treatments, reduces visual impairment and blindness, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. NEI support research has advanced our knowledge of how the visual system functions in health and disease.

National Federation of the Blind

1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-659-9314
www.nfb.org

Founded in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the nation's largest and most influential membership organization of blind persons. With fifty thousand members, the NFB has affiliates in all 50 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, and over seven hundred local chapters. As a consumer and advocacy organization, the NFB is considered the leading force in the blindness field today.

The Duke Center for Macular Diseases

2351 Erwin Road
Durham, NC 27710
919-681-0896
www.amdcenter.org

The Center provides medical care, education, information, research and resources for patients and their families who are grappling with age-related macular degeneration.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness

11435 Cronhill Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117-2220
888-394-3937
www.blindness.org

The urgent mission of The Foundation Fighting Blindness is to find the causes, treatments, preventions, and cures for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

The Vitreous Foundation

8833 Perimeter Park Blvd, Suite 301
Jacksonville, FL 32219
904-998-0853
www.savingvision.org

The Vitreous Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to preventing blindness.

Low Vision Assistive Equipment Organizations

Adaptive Environments

374 Congress Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02210
617-695-1225
www.adaptenv.org/

Adaptive Environments is a 25-year-old educational non-profit organization committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages and abilities. Adaptive Environments' work balances expertise in legally required accessibility with promotion of the best practices in human-centered or universal design. Projects vary from local to international. All are characterized by collaboration and user participation.

American Foundation for the Blind

11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
800-232-5463
www.afb.org

Since 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind -- to which Helen Keller devoted her life -- has been eliminating barriers that prevent the 10 million Americans who are blind or visually impaired from reaching their potential. AFB is dedicated to addressing the most critical issues facing this growing population: independent living, literacy, employment, and technology.

American Thermoform Corporation

1758 Brackett St
La Verne, CA 91750
800-331-9676
www.atcbrleqp.com

American Thermoform Corporation provides supplies and equipment for use by and for the blind.

Generations Online

3615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-222-6400
www.generationsonline.com

Generations Online is a non-profit Web site offering resources for older people unfamiliar with computers or the Internet.

Independent Living Aids

27 East Mall
Plainview, NY 11803
800-534-2188
www.designlinc.com/livaids.htm

Independent Living Aids provides products that allow people with various types of disabilities to gain independence over their everyday life. These specially designed products help to decrease the limitations and makes it easier to function in your home environment.

Library of Congress for the Blind

1291 Taylor Street NW
Washington, DC 20542
800-424-9100
www.loc.gov/nls/index.html

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, administers the free program that loans recorded and braille books and magazines, music scores in braille and large print, and specially designed playback equipment to residents of the United States who are unable to read or use standard print materials because of visual or physical impairment.

Narrative Television Network

5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312
Tulsa, OK 74145-9082
800-801-8184
www.narrativetv.com

The Narrative Television network makes movies and television programs.

National Association for the Visually Handicapped

22 West 21st Street, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10010
212-889-3141
www.navh.org

Working with millions of people worldwide coping with the difficulties of vision impairment.

North Carolina Assistive Technology Program

1110 Navaho Drive, Suite 101
Raleigh, NC 27609
919-850-2787
www.ncatp.org

The North Carolina Assistive Technology Program (NCATP) is a state and federally funded program that provides statewide assistive technology services to people of all ages and abilities.

North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind

2601 Mail Service Center
309 Ashe Ave, Fisher Bldg
Raleigh, NC 27699-2601
www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dsb/

Since 1935, the mission of the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind has been to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired to achieve their maximum potential through services provided by competent and caring professionals.

Pulse Data Humanware

175 Mason Circle
Concord, CA 94520
800-722-3393
www.pulsedata.com

Pulse Data Humanware offers the Keynote, a laptop computer with speech designed specifically for those who can no longer read due to low vision or are blind.

Recordings for the Blind

20 Roszel Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540
800-221-4792
www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/terms/rfbd.html

Recordings for the Blind is a national nonprofit organization that serves people who cannot read standard print because of visual, perceptual or other physical disability. It provides academic and professional textbooks from elementary through post-graduate and professional levels on audio tape. They also have dictionaries, reference materials, professional books on CDs for sale.

Telesensory Corporation

520 Almanor Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
800-804-8004
www.telesensory.com

For three decades, Telesensory has been helping visually impaired and blind people achieve greater independence through innovative, technology-based products.

The Hadley School for the Blind

700 Elm St
Winnetka, IL 60093
800-323-4238
www.hadley-school.org

The Hadley School for the Blind offers more than 90 distance courses to eligible students completely free of charge. From "Braille Reading for Family Members" to "Birdsong Tutor," you can select from a wide variety of Hadley courses. You can study in the comfort of your own home at a time convenient for you. Course materials arrive in the mail (a few are downloadable), and for students in the U.S. and Canada, instructors are just a toll-free call away.

Low Vision Recreational Resources

Achilles Track Club

42 West 38th Street, 48th Floor
New York, NY 10018
212-354-0300
www.achillestrackclub.net

Achilles is a worldwide organization that encourages people with all kinds of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics, to promote personal achievement, enhanced self-esteem, and the lowering of barriers between people.

American Blind Skiing Foundation

416 East Thornhill Lane
Palatine, IL 60074
Telephone number unavailable
www.absf.org

ABSF was founded in 1971 and is a non-profit tax exempt (501-C3) national organization chartered in the State of Illinois. The purpose of ABSF is to provide an educational skiing program that is open to any blind or visually impaired person in the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.

Elder Craftsman

610 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10022
212-319-8128
www.eldercraftsmen.org

EC offers programs and services that promote the skills and creativity of older people. Training programs are available for many crafts. Intergenerational programs, community service programs, and artist-in-residence are also offered.

Elderhostel

11 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA 02111-1746
877-426-8056
www.elderhostel.org

Elderhostel is a non-profit organization providing educational travel programs to people over age 55. Their catalog, published 10 times a year, lists thousands of national and international programs.

Fishing Has No Boundaries

P.O. Box 175
Hayward, WI 54843
800-243-3462
www.fhnbinc.org

Fishing Has No Boundaries, Inc. (FHNB) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to open up the great outdoors for people with disabilities through the world of fishing.

National Beep Baseball Association

9623 Spencer Highway
LaPorte, TX 77571
No phone number available
www.nbba.org

The NBBA web site is the adaptive version of America's favorite pastime for the blind and visually impaired.

Ski for Light

1455 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-827-3232
www.sfl.org

Ski for Light, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1975 to promote the physical fitness of visually and mobility impaired adults, in an environment where "we can't" is replaced with "we can." Disabled and able-bodied people join together in a one-on-one partnership to learn from each other through physically demanding activities.

The Campanian Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 167
Oxford, OH 45056
531-524-4846
www.campanian.org

The Campanian Society, Inc. specializes in travel programs for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Our travel programs are designed to meet the special needs of our travelers and to provide a rich educational experience unavailable on regularly scheduled sighted trips. Each travel program offers unique opportunities for tactile experiences and hands-on encounters. On site lectures, readings and audio-description combined with music enlarge the total sensory and intellectual enjoyment of our programs. Furthermore, our programs offer unique opportunities for relaxation and socialization with others who share your passion for travel and adventure.

United States Association for Blind Athletes

33 N. Institute Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-630-0422
www.usaba.org

The mission of the United States Association of Blind Athletes is to increase the number and quality of grassroots-through-competitive, world-class athletic opportunities for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. We do this by providing athlete and coach identification and support, program and event management, and national and international representation. We value the life-enhancing aspects of sports and the opportunity to demonstrate the abilities of people who are blind and visually impaired.

United States Blind Golf Association

No address available
615-885-2952
www.blindgolf.com/United_States/USHomePage.htm

In 2002 the United States Blind Golf Association partnered with Lions Clubs International Foundation. Today there are several sanctioned regional blind golf tournaments. They are in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.

Services for Seniors

Administration on Aging: Services for Seniors

Washington, DC 20201
202-619-0724
www.aoa.dhhs.gov/about/contact/contact.asp

Administration on Aging (AoA) is the Federal focal point and advocated agency for older persons and their concerns. In this role, AoA works to heighten awareness among other Federal agencies, organizations, groups, and the public about the valuable contributions that older Americans make to the nation and alerts them to the needs of vulnerable older people. Through information and referral and outreach efforts at the community level, AoA seeks to educate older people and their caregivers about the benefits and services available to help them.

Alliance for Aging Research

2021 K Street, NW, Suite 305
Washington, DC 20006
202-293-2856
www.agingresearch.org

The Alliance is a national, citizen advocacy organization offering free publications. The Alliance supports the health and independence of older people through public and private funding of medical research and geriatric education.

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

2519 Connecticut Ave
Washington, DC 20008-1520
202-783-2242
www.aahsa.org

AAHSA is a national, nonprofit organization providing older people with services and information on housing, health care, and community involvement. Visit the AAHSA Web site information for seniors and caregivers.

American Association of Retired Persons

601 E. Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20049
888-687-2277
www.aarp.org

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over, dedicated to enhancing their quality of life. AARP also provides a wide range of services, benefits, products, as well as information and advocacy.

Assisted Living Federation of America

11200 Waples Mill Road, Suite 150
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-691-8100
www.alfa.org

ALFA represents for-profit and nonprofit providers of assisted living, continuing care retirement communities, independent living and other forms of housing and services. The Federation works to advance the assisted living industry and enhance the quality of life for consumers.

Children of Aging Parents

1609 Woodbourne Road, Suite 302A
Levittown, PA 19057
800-227-7294
www.caps4caregivers.org

CAPS is a nonprofit organization that provides support services to caregivers of older people. It serves as a clearinghouse for information on elder care resources and issues, including Instant Aging workshops to help communities understand the needs of older people.

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420
800-827-1000
www.va.gov

The VA, part of the Federal Government, provides benefits for eligible benefits for eligible veterans and their families in outpatient clinics, medical centers, and nursing homes across the U.S.

Eldercare Locator

Address unavailable
800-677-1116
www.eldercare.gov

The Eldercare Locator is a nationwide, directory assistance service helping older people and their caregivers locate local support and resources for older Americans. It is funded by the Administration on Aging.

Gerontological Society of America

1030 15th Street, NW, Suite 302
Washington, DC 20005-1503
202.842.1275
www.geron.org

GSA is a professional organization providing information, advocacy, and support for research into the study of aging. GSA distributes publications on a variety of aging-related topics.

Meals on Wheels Association of America

1414 Prince Street, Suite 302
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-5558
www.mowaa.org

MOWAA is a national, nonprofit organization providing training and grants to programs that provide food to older people, and those who are frail, disabled, at-risk, or homebound.

MedicAlert Foundation

2323 Colorado Avenue
Turlock, CA 95382
800-432-5378
www.medicalert.org

MedicAlert is a nonprofit, membership organization providing identification and medical information in emergencies. Contact MedicAlert for information about its membership services and costs.

Medicare

Address unavailable
800-633-4273
www.medicare.gov

Medicare Rights Center

1460 Broadway, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10036
212-869-3850
www.medicarerights.org

MRC is a national nonprofit service helping older adults, and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)

927 15th Street, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
800-677-1116
www.n4a.org

N4A is the umbrella organization for the Area Agencies on Aging.

National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers

1604 N. Country Club Road
Tucson, AZ 85716-3102
520-881-8008
www.caremanager.org

Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) is a nonprofit, professional organization of practitioners whose goal is the advancement of dignified care for the elderly and their families. With more than 1,500 members, GCM is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of elders while striving to ensure that the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services are used when and where appropriate.

National Family Caregivers Association

10400 Connecticut Avenue, #500
Kensington, MD 20895-3944
800-896-3650
www.nfcacares.org

NFCA is a grassroots organization providing advocacy, support, and information for family members who care for chronically ill, older or disabled relatives. There is no charge for family members to be on the mailing list and to receive the newsletter, Take Care!

National Institute on Aging

Bethesda, MD 20892-2292
800-222-2225
www.nih.gov/nia

NIA, part of NIH, conducts and supports biomedical, social and behavioral research on aging processes, diseases, and the special problems and needs of older people.

National Institute of Senior Health

Address unavailable
888-346-3656
www.nihseniorhealth.gov/about.html

The Web site's senior-friendly features include large print, short, easy-to-read segments of information and simple navigation. A "talking" function reads the text aloud and special buttons to enlarge the text or turn on high contrast make text more readable. NIH Senior Health makes every effort to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which aims to make federal electronic technology accessible for persons with disabilities.

Personal Emergency Response Systems

Address unavailable
877-382-4357
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/services/pers.htm

Produced in cooperation with the American Association of Retired Persons. A Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) is an electronic device designed to let you summon help in an emergency. If you are disabled or an older person living alone, you may be thinking about buying a PERS (also called a Medical Emergency Response System).

Senior Net

121 Second Street, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
800-747-6848
www.seniornet.org

SeniorNet is a nonprofit, educational organization that provides information and services to help older people become computer literate.

Social Security Administration

6401 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21235
800.772.1213
www.ssa.gov

Provides information on social security eligibility and benefits. Contact SSA for information and assistance with Social Security benefits as well as eligibility and disability issues.

Volunteers of America

1660 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
800-899-0089
www.VolunteersofAmerica.org

Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, spiritually-based organization providing local human service programs and opportunities for individual involvement.