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Update from SSB

Happy New Year from SSB!

Welcome 2024

A new year provides new opportunities to learn and grow along with new challenges to face and conquer. We here at SSB wish you all a happy and healthy 2024! Let us know how we can help make this new year successful for you.

January 4th is World Braille Day

In 1809 on January 4th, Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France, a small town about twenty miles east of Paris. Every year on January 4^th, we celebrate “World Braille Day” and the huge impact that Louis Braille’s invention has had on the lives of blind people all over the world. Braille always has been, and always will be, more than just a tool for blind individuals who use it. Braille represents competency, independence, and equality. For blind people, braille is an essential tool that aids in the process of becoming literate. Braille literacy plays the same key role in a blind person's life that print literacy does in a sighted person's−it directly increases opportunities. Becoming literate is a critical component that supports educational advancement and increases employment prospects. Nothing substitutes for the ability to read. To succeed in school, work, and life, blind people need the opportunities that braille literacy provides. Research has shown a correlation between a blind person's learning of braille and lifetime achievements. Braille literacy directly contributes to society by assisting blind people to pursue meaningful careers and enjoy full inclusion and integration in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of American society. Braille ensures a successful future for the blind and individuals with low vision by having access to words and rich language. So, on this day in 2024, let us be very thankful for all those individuals around the world who educate and advocate for all things braille−especially braille literacy.

Increasing Accessibility

Exciting news from Metro Transit! Newly installed pavement walking tape at the Mall of America transit station assists visually impaired passengers with better navigation. Read more about it with this link to the Minneapolis Star Tribune article:

https://www.startribune.com/taped-transit-platforms-help-the-visually-impaired-find-their-way-at-mall-of-america/600331610/

Stay Safe This Winter

We can all agree that so far, this has not been a typical, snowy Minnesota winter. We want to take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of snow and ice removal from your sidewalks and curb ramps. This is not only required by city ordinances, but it is crucial to ensure that people who use mobility devices can safely navigate their communities. Snowy and icy pathways can pose a significant risk to people with disabilities and the elderly. It can prevent them from leaving their homes, increase the risk of falls and injuries, and make it difficult to run errands, get groceries, pick up prescriptions, attend appointments, or go to work.

Local city ordinances govern snow removal. You can visit your city's website to report snow and ice on sidewalks and learn about potential fines for failing to promptly remove snow.

If you have a disability and need assistance with snow removal, contact Disability Hub MN to learn about available resources. Similarly, senior citizens can contact the Senior LinkAge Line for resources. Note: These resources may have a cost associated with them.

For more information, visit Snow Removal.

Did You Know?

SSB now has an online form to make it even easier to connect with our services. Click the link below to access this interest form and please spread the word to anyone you know who may need assistance:

https://www.mnworkforceone.com/Resources/InterestFormForAgencyAdd.aspx?a=100000225

State Services for the Blind provides tools and training for employment, living independently, and accessing print. We assist Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, experiencing vision loss, or have difficulty accessing the printed word.

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SSB is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

The Minnesota State Services for the Blind Vocational Rehabilitation program receives 78.69 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For federal fiscal year 2023, the total amount of grant funds awarded were $10,410,449. The remaining 21.3 percent of the costs ($2,817,568) were funded by Minnesota state appropriations.