"Visual impairment should not be a barrier to one's independence. (The visually impaired) can do the same things a sighted person can do - they just have to do it a little bit differently," stated Chris Ament, vice president of rehabilitation and education for VisionCorps, a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of services to the blind and people with low vision.

VisionCorps, which was established in Lancaster County in 1926, opened a branch in Chester County about seven years ago. The organization also serves Adams, Lebanon and York counties. "We were asked by the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind to provide some services in Chester County," Ament explained. "We started with vision screenings and now we provide our full complement of services."

VisionCorps provides instruction to those with visual impairments on how to manage the challenges of everyday life. It also offers sight loss support groups and free vision screenings for children ages 2 to 6, and it partners with the Pennsylvania Vision Foundation to provide vouchers for free eye exams and basic eyeglasses for people who qualify financially. VisionCorps also offers virtual programs to organizations and employers about its services.

"We provide mobility instruction, which is basically teaching those with low vision how to travel safety and with confidence in their community," Ament explained. "Low-vision occupational therapy is for those who may have trouble with daily living - reading, writing and lighting issues. Anything they do on a daily basis that may be difficult, we help with a solution."

A program of action is tailored to each client and services are provided free of charge through grants and community donations. "Each person gets an individualized assessment and together we create a plan based on their needs and the goals they want to accomplish," noted Ament.

Because of the pandemic, VisionCorps did close for a time in March of 2020, but it pivoted to a hybrid model, which combines virtual and in-person programming. "Some of what we are doing is critical," Ament stated. "You can't teach someone how to cross a street over a computer. We made sure that we had a protocol and safety procedures in place with the mindset that our clients and our employee safety was paramount. We were able to continue to provide services in person where needed."

He said that the biggest change since the pandemic has been transitioning the support groups from in-person meetings to virtual. "We were able to add more groups because of (the virtual platform) across all five counties," Ament stated. "Last month, we had 20 different support groups that operate virtually."

"We are social people and for a lot of our client base, isolation is a huge concern," he added. "Through our training and education and support groups, we are trying to lessen that isolation."

For more information about VisionCorps in Chester County, call 610-738-3008 or visit http://www.visioncorps.net/chester-county.