Contact:  Alicia Hefty                                                                               3107 N. Davis Hwy alicia@ibwest.org                                                                            Pensacola, FL  32503       850-477-2663                                                                                        www.ibwest.org                                    

January 15, 2010                                                                         

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The J.H. Baroco Foundation donated $10,000 to Independence for the Blind of West Florida, Inc. (IB West) to help fund services that provide rehabilitation education to blind and visually impaired individuals in Northwest Florida.  The $10,000 contribution will be used to purchase training equipment that will be used in IB West’s new learning center located in Pensacola.  Thanks to the generous donation from the J.H. Baroco Foundation, one item that will be purchased is the KNFB Reader.  This handheld device gives a blind individual the ability to take a picture of an item, and the KNFB reader will then identify it and read it aloud to the person.  This piece of equipment gives blind individuals more independence in identifying objects such as prescription medication, food items in their pantry, or even reading their mail.

IB West will also purchase a new CCTV magnifier.  A CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) magnifier sits atop a table and has a platform that individuals lay books, magazines, mail, or other documents.  The CCTV magnifier has a large screen where the magnified image appears, giving individuals with low vision from conditions such as macular degeneration or cataracts the ability to read items they otherwise would not be able to see.  The CCTV magnifier will be placed in IB West’s Library of Hope, where another edition will be added as a result of the Baroco Foundation’s generous donation:  a lounge chair.  The lounge chair will be placed in the Library of Hope to give clients a comfortable area they can sit, relax, and utilize the accessible materials such as books on tape or Braille books. 

Independence for the Blind will be able to purchase many other important training tools because of the Baroco Foundation’s contribution.  The staff and board of directors of Independence for the Blind are very thankful for this gift.  Each year it becomes more difficult to keep up with the rising costs of training tools and equipment.  Rising fuel costs hit IB West especially hard because they serve a ten-county area and a lot of instruction must be done at the clients’ home in Bonifay, Panama City, or Chipley, or Destin.  Each and every contribution helps, whether it is $10 cash, cleaning supplies, or food items for training classes. 

Independence for the Blind is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, funded in part by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Blind Services, and provides rehabilitation training to blind and visually impaired individuals of all ages free of charge through ten counties in Northwest Florida.  For more information about Independence for the Blind and how you can help them serve the blind and visually impaired community, please visit their website (www.ibwest.org) or call 850-477-2663.    

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