Fifty years ago, Lorraine Marchi learned the difference between “blind” and “visually impaired” when her son’s school would not provide adequate large-print materials for him. To prevent this frustrating problem from affecting other parents, Marchi started the National Association for the Visually Handicapped (NAVH).
Since then, NAVH has grown into a national organization with offices in New York and San Francisco. NAVH, the only organization in the world that focuses solely on the visually handicapped, offers the visually impaired the chance to live as productively in the sighted world as they did before becoming impaired.
The organization offers visual aids, free access to a large-print library with 7,000 titles, “fun” rooms with ergonomically designed lighting, and counseling services and home visits for the visually handicapped. NAVH also holds various symposiums, educational series, and conferences throughout the year to support the continuing education of medical professionals who specialize in treating the visually impaired.