California Blindness Organizations Call for Sustainable Funding as Demand Grows
Blind Children’s Center joins service providers across the state in calling attention to funding challenges that threaten specialized support for Californians who are blind or visually impaired.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller’s words still resonate for organizations serving Californians who are blind or visually impaired. Across the state, specialized nonprofit organizations help people build the skills and confidence to learn, work, live independently and stay connected to their communities.
Blind Children’s Center (BCC) has joined organizations throughout California to call attention to funding challenges that threaten service providers at a time when demand is increasing.
For members of the California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CAABVI), the next several months are critical. Beginning in October 2026, many California organizations expect significant reductions in the grants they receive through the federal Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) program. Sixteen agencies currently receive OIB funding to help adults age 55 and older maintain their independence while living with vision loss.
California receives approximately $3 million annually in federal OIB funding. Providers say that funding has remained flat since the 1990s and has not kept pace with population growth, rising costs or the increasing number of older adults experiencing vision loss.
This significant reduction stems from the loss of supplemental state funding. Over the past two years, this funding helped offset the gap between the federal OIB allocation and the cost of providing services.
At Society for the Blind, which serves 27 counties throughout Northern California, the effects of the expected reductions are already becoming clear.
“We’re seeing more people who need services, not fewer,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director of Society for the Blind and immediate past president and board member of CAABVI. “This funding crisis will reduce Society for the Blind’s OIB grant from $520,000 to $258,000, even as demand for services continues to grow. In 2025 alone, we enrolled 570 new seniors in our programs.”
OIB funding helps Society for the Blind provide assistive technology, white-cane and mobility training, independent-living skills and Braille instruction, as well as transportation and in-home training for those living in rural communities.
Without restored funding, Shari expects longer waits for services and fewer resources to purchase assistive devices, many of which are not covered by insurance. Society for the Blind also distributes “Safe at Home” kits containing tools such as medication-management devices and liquid-level indicators. These modest resources can help prevent falls, medication errors and other emergencies, allowing older adults to remain independent longer and reducing additional caregiving responsibilities for their families.
The effects of the expected reductions will extend to other providers, including Valley Center for the Blind, which helps people who are blind or have low vision live and work independently. According to the organization, it expects to lose approximately 60% of its OIB funding beginning in October.
“Blindness organizations are among the only disability service providers that do not receive consistent state grant funding,” said Shellena Heber, executive director of Valley Center for the Blind and chair of CAABVI’s Advocacy Committee.
Shellena has seen the effect of specialized services firsthand. She recalled a client who initially relied on a parent’s arm to navigate the halls of Valley Center for the Blind. With training and support, the client developed the skills and confidence to travel independently, first across the building and eventually across the country.
The OIB reductions are only one part of a broader resource challenge affecting disability services in California. The California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) implemented an Order of Selection for vocational rehabilitation services on Aug. 31, after determining that available resources were insufficient to serve all eligible applicants. Under this process, DOR places applicants into categories that prioritize people who have the most significant disabilities and waitlist others.
DOR data illustrates the growing pressure on the system. According to the California State Rehabilitation Council meeting, the department received 103% more vocational rehabilitation referrals in 2024 than in 2019, while applications increased by 49% during the same period. In fiscal year 2024–25, DOR served 176,815 people, a 76.8% increase over the past decade. For federal fiscal year 2027, DOR projects $440 million in available funding and $568 million in costs without an Order of Selection, creating a $128 million shortfall.
Vocational rehabilitation is a significant part of Valley Center for the Blind’s work. More than 75% of its staff members are blind or have low vision, and the organization provides vocational assessments, job placement and retention services that help clients enter and remain in the workforce. The increasing demand for these services underscores the importance of a strong network of specialized providers with the capacity to serve people when they need assistance.
That network begins with early intervention. Blind Children’s Center helps children who are blind or visually impaired develop foundational skills while providing families with the resources and guidance needed to support their growth. Early access to specialized services can influence a child’s education, confidence and independence for years to come.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Head Start provides partial funding for BCC’s programs. Recently, the Office of Head Start proposed changes to the Head Start program that would significantly reduce services for children with disabilities.
BCC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Orth said the organizations responding to these challenges bring different areas of expertise but share a common purpose.
“Our organizations may serve people at different ages and stages of life, but we are united in wanting every person who is blind or visually impaired to have the opportunity to learn, work, participate in their community and live as independently as possible,” said Sarah, who serves on CAABVI’s Board of Directors with Shellena, Shari and other agency leaders across the state. “Protecting that opportunity requires us to listen to the people most affected, learn from one another and advocate together.”
CAABVI members are pushing for a long-term goal to establish permanent, sustainable state funding for specialized blindness services.
“We recognize that advocates in the blindness community have not always had the loudest voice in policy discussions, and we are doing everything we can to change that,” said Shellena. “Balancing a budget by sacrificing the only services available to those who are blind is something we cannot accept.”
The issue reaches far beyond people currently receiving services. Vision loss can happen at any stage of life through aging, genetic conditions, accidents or other medical conditions. When someone experiences vision loss, timely access to specialized training and support can help determine whether they can return to work, navigate their community, complete everyday tasks or remain in their home.
From helping a young child build a foundation for independence to supporting an older adult adjusting to vision loss, California’s blindness service providers play an essential role throughout a person’s life. As Helen Keller’s words suggest, sustaining those services will require providers, families, advocates and policymakers to work together, and California to treat specialized blindness resources as a long-term investment rather than a temporary expense.
For more information about BCC and its services, visit https://www.blindchildrenscenter.org
