Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS)

The Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) helps people who are blind or visually impaired learn skills to live and work on their own.

BBVS can help people with visual impairments in many ways:

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program helps people with visual impairments get or keep jobs. Services are customized to each person's job needs and goals. Counselors work with people to decide what services they need. Services include:

  • Counseling and guidance
  • Vocational evaluation
  • Blindness skills training
  • Mobility instruction
  • Daily living activities instruction
  • Vocational and college training
  • Occupational tools and equipment
  • Job placement services

 

The Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program (BEP) helps people who are blind start and run their own food service businesses. These can be anything from vending machine routes to large cafeterias.BEP also supports other businesses, such as:

  • Specialty product sales
  • Franchise operations
  • Gift shops
  • Kiosks

BBVS helps people become more independent at home and in their communities by offering services like:

  • Advocacy and counseling
  • Information and referral
  • Blindness skills training
  • Mobility instruction
  • Daily living skills training
  • Help with buying assistive equipment

BBVS helps children with vision impairment by offering:

  • Support for school services
  • Advice and counseling for kids and families
  • Travel training
  • Summer programs
  • Special equipment

You can find BBVS offices in Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg, Altoona, Pittsburgh, and Erie.

Contact us

The BBVS Office Directory will help you find a BBVS district office near you. You may refer yourself to OVR at the CWDS website.

Please note: You do not need to visit an office in order to receive services since our staff will be happy to make an appointment to come to your community or home and to take an application for services!