Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments - A Large Print Reviews' Book Review

Large Print Reviews

Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments
By Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber

Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments: 2003
Large Print Edition - ISBN: 1-58841-073-0
Plus Edition - ISBN: 1-58841-074-9
By Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber
Reference Service Press - El Dorado Hills, CA: 2003
Genre: Financial Aid, Visual Impairments

Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - October 9, 2003

Please note:The 2004 large print edition of Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments is now available.

The Reference Service Press's Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments is a valuable resource compiled by Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber that offers detailed descriptions of funding options offered to individuals with vision impairments. They have issued two versions of this resource guide. The large print edition contains about 250 funding options offered exclusively to visually impaired individuals. The Plus Edition is provided on a floppy disk, which is available in both PC and MAC versions. The Plus Edition contains all the financial aid listings found in the large print edition, plus hundreds of additional listing for programs offering funding to individuals with any type of disability. In total the Plus Edition has about 700 listings of funding resources for disabled individuals, with an emphasis on financial aid programs for the visually impaired. On both versions (PC and Mac) of the Plus Edition of the Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments directory, the text on the disk is presented in ASCII format, and it is accessible with most screen reading software and magnification programs.

Only financial aid / funding options that offer awards over $500 are listed in these two guides. Each guide is divided into six sections:

Scholarships
Fellowships
Loans
Grants-in-Aid
Awards
Internship

Each listing includes information about the granting agency, the name of the program, contact information for the agency / program -including a website address when applicable. Each listing also includes a summary of the program, who is eligible to apply, how much money is awarded, the number of awards given out each year, and any relevant application deadlines. When applicable, information concerning the duration of the award is listed, plus any additional information that does not fit into any of the above categories, but which would be helpful to know.

Here is a sample (from page 105-106 of the large print edition) of how a program is listed:

[107] Wisconsin Council of the Blind Scholarships
Wisconsin Council of the Blind
754 Williamson Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 255-1166 (800) 783-5213
Fax: (608) 255-3301 TDD: (608) 255-3301
E-mail: info@wcblind.org
Web site: www.wcblind.org
Summary: To provide financial assistance to outstanding blind students from Wisconsin who are interested in pursuing postsecondary education.
Eligibility: This program is open to legally blind residents of Wisconsin who have completed at least 1 year of college or technical schooling. Applicants must be full-time student with at least a 2.5 GPA.
Financial Data: The stipend is $1,000.
Duration: 1 year.
Number Awarded: 7 each year.
Deadline: September of each year.

The financial aid opportunities listed in this reference guide include funding for high school and college students, funding for adaptive aids and assistive technology, general financial need, tax exemptions, and various other needs. Most of the listings in this guide are geared toward the visually impaired student population in the United States. However, there are programs listed that offer aid to individuals of every age and in every situation, including some funding opportunities available in Canada and other English speaking countries.

Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments will be well placed in a public, high school, or college library as well in school guidance offices and agencies that deal with visually impaired individuals. Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments is a valuable aid in locating funding opportunities geared specifically to the visually impaired community. In particular it is an exceptional resource for visually impaired college students, both on the undergraduate and graduate level, seeking aid in financing their college education.

Additional information about Funding for Persons with Visual Impairments, including ordering information, can be found online at: www.rspfunding.com/catalog/item/1420178/878760.htm

Related Reviews:

Computer and Web Resources for People with Disabilities, by The Alliance for Technology Access.
This is an unsurpassed guide to available assistive technologies. (standard print)
Self-Advocacy Skills Training for Older Individuals Who Are Visually Impaired, by Alberta L. Orr and Priscilla Rogers.
This three-part kit consisting of a training manual for group leaders, a participant's manual, and a guide for family members. The curriculum in this innovative kit teaches invaluable self-advocacy that will enrich the lives of any older individual learning to cope with vision loss. (printed text, cassettes, and ASCII disk)

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