History
Braille Institute was founded by the efforts of one man, J. Robert (Bob) Atkinson, and has grown tremendously in the decades since. In 1912, Bob, a Montana cowboy, was blinded by an accidental gunshot while visiting family in California. Determined to remain independent, Bob learned to read braille and soon began transcribing books for his personal library. In 1919, impressed by Bob's determination, philanthropists Mary and John Longyear pledged $25,000 over 5 years to help him establish the Universal Braille Press, which would later become Braille Institute of America. During his lifetime, Bob's efforts significantly benefited the blind and visually impaired of Southern California and nationally. In 1967, services expanded to Orange County. Braille Institute stands alone as the largest service provider of its kind in the county, serving more than 10,000 people each year. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteers, we're able to offer all of our services free of charge.
Specialties
We offer a broad range of free services for people of all ages experiencing vision loss due to conditions like Macular Degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and more. Our programs help individuals stay independent and include: -Low Vision Rehabilitation Consultations for adults to maximize remaining sight through use of lighting, magnifiers, and more; -Orientation & Mobility in which specialists teach skills that allow people with sight loss to move safely about their homes and communities; -Our Connection Pointe Technology Learning Studio teaches accessibility options available through adaptive and mainstream technology such as smartphones and tablets. Visit our website for more information. Learn how we may be able to visit you in your home! Braille Institute is also a branch of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), providing access to more than one million books in large print, braille and audio formats, from recreational and informational titles to hundreds of descriptive videos and dozens of today's most popular periodicals.