Salus University has received a three-year $75,000 grant from the Northeast Pennsylvania Lions Service Foundation (NEPALSF) to help further assist those in need of low vision and blindness services.
Dr. Fabiana Perla, director of the University’s Orientation and Mobility Program, is excited about the new opportunities the grant provides the department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies.
“The mission and goals of the two organizations are very much in line with each other: more and better services for individuals with visual impairments,” she said. “Working together seemed a logical thing to do.”
The grant will support initiatives to increase the number of qualified education/rehabilitation specialists serving Pennsylvania residents with blindness or low vision. Funds will be used to conduct a needs survey as well as provide scholarships and educational activities.
NEPALSF member Vicky Dougherty agrees and believes the partnership will mutually benefit each organization’s mission and allow more Pennsylvania residents to receive necessary services.
“We hope this marks a beginning in our joint efforts to increase the quality of life for those individuals with vision impairments, especially within the nine Pennsylvania Lions Districts, covering 37 counties, that the NEPALSF serves,” she said.
The University’s department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies trains highly qualified professionals to support individuals with blindness and low vision. It offers specialized programs in Low Vision Rehabilitation, Orientation and Mobility, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy, and Education of Children and Youth with Visual Impairments.
