Lowell Association for the Blind

The Lowell Association for the Blind (LAB) is a community based nonprofit organization serving the needs of the blind/visually impaired of the Merrimack Valley. The mission of LAB is to provide services to ensure people living with blind and low vision have the opportunities to live, work and socialize in our community as well as to educate and inform the public of the needs of the blind/visually impaired.

To make our mission a reality LAB leads by offering services that will fit the needs of the blind/visually impaired. In addition LAB's mission is to educate the public to the needs of the blind. LAB does this through outreach events and our new monthly newsletter that features article of interest focusing on the blind community. The newsletter won an Excellence in Communications Award from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network in 2013 and LAB won the Community Partner Award from UMass Lowell for working with students.

The Lowell Association for the Blind has been providing service for the blind/visually impaired since 1923. The Lowell Association for the Blind office is centrally located in downtown Lowell with easy access to public transportation. The facility is handicapped accessible with space for group meeting and training space as well as a state of the art radio studio. LAB has a strong financial support with funding for program and services with state and local government, corporations, foundations and individuals. LAB also has an active Board of Directors and a large group of dedicated volunteers.

LAB is a leader in the nonprofit community in the Greater Lowell area. LAB is looked to locally as a resource for businesses and organizations on accessibility issues. In recent years, LAB has developed and implemented unique programming to meet the needs of the blind/visually impaired such as the Visually Impaired Partners (VIP) a sight based mentoring program where blind adults mentor blind children. The greatest challenges for meeting the needs of the blind and visually impaired are: Rates of blindness are expected to double by 2020. Every seven minutes, someone in the United States loses his/her sight. Around the world, an adult goes blind every 5 seconds and a child goes blind every minute.Public transportation is limited and often difficult to maneuver for the blind/visually impaired. LAB works closely with clients to help them navigate learn to navigate these systems. In our society, we rely on computers, phones and a variety of devices to remain independent and communicate with friends, family and for business. These devices are not always accessible for the blind/visually impaired. Our greatest challenge in assisting the blind and visually impaired is to be able to keep up with the fast changing and high priced accessible technology and training to use that technology that can vary with each person's eye condition.