Organization: The Jewish Guild for the Blind
Mission: To provide exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals.
Activities: GuildNet: GuildNet Inc. operated a Medicaid Managed Long-Term care health plan to Medicaid beneficiaries residing in New York City who require health care and community-based services. During 2018, GuildNet requested and received approval from the New York State Department of Health to cease providing partially capitated services in all counties of New York. Effective December 31, 2018 those members were transferred to other managed long-term care plans. GuildNet is in the wind-down process and the corporation will remain open until the wind-down is completed.
Vision Rehabilitation: Approximately 1,000 people received vision rehabilitation services in 2019. Examples included: academic and communication skills training to assess academic potential, use adaptive aids, and prepare for tests such as high school equivalency tests and college preparatory exams. Training in adaptive technology to help clients enter or stay in school or the job market, including technologies that enlarge written material, software that reads what is on a computer screen, and other devices that compensate for vision loss. Career services that prepare clients for work, including pre-employment training, resume and interview strategies, job retention services, and presentations for employers on how to fully integrate and accommodate people who are visually impaired. Living skills training to teach clients how to function safely and independently. Orientation and mobility instruction on how to navigate safely in homes and neighborhoods and to travel to school and work.
Education and research support: Eighteen merit-based scholarships of up to $7,500 each were awarded this year to help legally blind young adults successfully transition to college, support their post-graduate education and facilitate their career development. Jewish Guild Healthcare also presents the Bressler Prize in vision science to recognize a mid-career vision clinician-scientist whose leadership, research and service have led to important advancements in the understanding of vision loss.
NTEE category: Health Care
Secondary category: Voluntary Health Associations & Medical Disciplines