ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION

The Facts

We are a statewide nonprofit organization.

• Chartered by the State Corporation Commission
• IRS 501(c)3 Tax Exempt
• Registered with the Greater Hampton Roads Better Business Bureau
• Registered with the State Corporation Commission
• Registered with the Virginia Charitable Gaming Commission

Our Mission is two-fold:

• To locate inform and assist blind, partially blind and deafblind individuals
• To elevate the social, economic and cultural levels of those who for whatever reason fall between the cracks of Stage agency help.

We are:

• An affiliate of the American Council of the Blind

We have the following satellites:

• VAB - Ches Bay
• Peninsula Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired - VAB
• Virginia Association of the Deafblind - VAB
• Combined Federal Campaign #8061
• Approved for United Way Write-In Contributions

What We Are About

The Virginia Association of the Blind is an organization of people who have visual impairments and have information which we would like to share with you to make life a little easier as you cope with your vision loss. Here are a few of the things that sum up what we're about:

• We do not give "professional" advice, only practical answer to some aspects of living which we and our families already faced.
• We encourage and assist the blind, partially blind and deafblind, especially "newly blinded" to develop their potential so that they might assume their responsible place in their community.
• We work in coalition with all disability groups to eliminate barriers and make Virginia and America accessible for all citizens.

Information We Help Others Obtain

We also assist in obtaining the following information:

• Access to Rehabilitation Programs
• Low Vision Testing and Assistive Optical and Electronic Devices
• Orientation and Mobility Training
• Financial Assistance for Eye Care
• College Courses
• Library Services
• Special Transportation
• Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
• Computer Access and Training
• Educational Services for Blind Children
• Employment in the (VIB) Virginia Industries for the Blind Workshops
• Vending Facility Employment
• Voter Registration
• Radio Reading for the Blind
• Therapeutic Recreation Programs
• Guide Dogs and Training
• Aids and Appliances

Publications

We publish VAB "Outasight" monthly newsletter to keep you informed of meetings, seminars, conventions and legislative issues. The newsletters also helps inform recipients of policy changes of agencies that provide services that affect persons with visual impairments.  Outasight is available in large print, cassette and by email.

We also host community outreach programs through special entertainment events, seminars, monthly newsletters, brochures and our nationwide 800 and fax lines.

Our History

The History of The Virginia Association of the Blind, Inc. (hereafter called VAB is the Virginia Blind) is a strong one.  It was formed in 1981 and is still alive in 2006, thanks to the hard work of countless individuals. Would you like to hear about some of those people? If so then follow along!

The Founding Years

In 1971 Nelson Malbone who was our founder was declared legally blind. When he started going blind he was working at Ford Motor Company in Norfolk at the Truck assembly plant. He did not want to lose his job so he did not say anything to anyone about going blind. Then in 1973, the energy crisis came and gasoline went to over a dollar a gallon for the first time, the President of the United States ordered all plants and big business to cut off every other light. Nelson no longer had enough light to see well enough to do his job. After a period of sick leave, Ford Motor retired him on disability.

At first he felt doomed and after trying to get services from the state, he found there just was not that much available to him. He started reaching out to meet other blind people and a few years later they looked for help. At first, there was a try with another agency of the blind, which they did not agree with, so they still kept reaching for something better.

After much discussion with others in the same situation Nelson spoke to an Attorney: "Lydon Harrell" about it. Nelson asked Lydon if he would help him to organize a grass roots movement of People, to form an organization of the blind that was of and for people who were blind or partially blind.

Nelson and Lydon sat at the kitchen table in Nelson's house and picked out the name: "The Virginia Association of the Blind." They drew up the constitution and by-laws, filed the necessary papers with the State Corporation Commission and became a 501 c (3) tax exempt charitable organization on August 2, 1981. The organization was born. Nelson Malbone was elected Charter President and held that position for fifteen years and then held the Executive Director position after that for the next five years until his death.

All through these years attorney Lydon Harrell, still a charter member at eighty some years old, has faithfully been in our midst to this date and at our beck and call for advice and legal matters.

Nelson died in the year 2001 at the American Council of the Blind Convention in Des Moines Iowa. It was a great Loss to us. There is now given out annually a Nelson Malbone Award to people that demonstrate the same qualities of caring for others that Nelson did.

When Nelson died the chore of holding this Organization together went to Alice Malbone his wife. Alice had been Nelson's wife for thirteen years when he died. She is totally blind from Retinitis Pigmentosa. She has been working for us for almost twenty years. She was the Secretary thirteen years before Nelson died and knew more than anyone else about this organization. She cried about his death for several years.

Our Members

We have a member that is called Hurricane! He has been working for fifty years as a totally blind Masseur in this area. He works at the local Y.M.C.A and just recently the Mayor of Portsmouth named a day Hurricane Edwards Day! Hurricane talks more about Christ than anyone I know other than Alice. We all love and admire Hurricane for his outlook on life.

There is another member in Roanoke that was born weighing just a little over a pound. She has a beautiful singing voice that is very close to what I think an Angel would sound like. She is totally blind!

We have a member in Richmond that is slowly losing his sight. He is called the Blind Knight. He restores used computers for blind people all over the state of Virginia. He is a retired Assistant Chief of Police and spends much of his time serving other blind. Again a Godly person! There are Satellites from the Eastern Shores to the Western part of the State far up into the Mountains in Places like Norton, Virginia. We have a member up there that is a Methodist Minister. He is totally blind and formed two Satellites there, one in Planning District one and the other in Planning District two.

We're Just Like You

Virginia's Blind people are just like people that can see with their eyes except that we learn to comprehend more with our other senses. We range in ages from the very young to the old. Some have everything they need and others are poor. We work together to help one another.

Our Satellite Groups

VAB's first satellite was formed in the Newport News Hampton area in 1988. They named themselves the Peninsula Council of the Blind. In 1989, VAB as part of Old Dominion Council hosted the American Council of the Blind Convention in downtown Richmond.

State Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind

In 1995 VAB was granted its charter as a State Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. VAB operated a Bingo game for eight years. We built up a good clientele and many things began to happen for VAB. In 1998, VAB purchased our first 15-passenger van, the following year we bought another, later another, then we purchased a work van for the computer program and then a 2000 ford 15-passenger van.

Virginia Association of Deafblind

On March 3, 1999, VAB helped to form the Virginia Association of Deafblind (VADB). We went to the charter meeting, with about one hundred and fifty persons present. One hundred were Deafblind, the participants voted to become the third satellite of VAB. We presented them with a check in the amount of $10,000.00 as start up seed money. In August 1999, Virginia Association of the Blind Shenandoah Valley was chartered with ninety members. Many of VAB officers and directors traveled to Roanoke for the ceremony and Executive Director Nelson presented the new group with a 1998 fifteen passenger Dodge van and a check in the amount of $5,000.00. We welcomed them into VAB and encouraged them all to reach out and help other blind and partially blind persons in their area. The Mayor of Roanoke presented executive Director Nelson with a key to the city and a crystal star was presented Nelson too. VAB charges no fees for its services.

Our Mission

Our Mission is: "To locate, inform and assist the Blind." We have paid Mortgagee payments for people. Fixed Roofs for people. We strive to elevate the economic, social and cultural levels of persons who are blind or partially blind in Virginia.

What We Do

We provide limited transportation in-groups to meetings, workshops, seminars, conventions, therapeutic recreation, civic meetings, public hearings, and socials. We provide some transportation to blinded veterans for meetings, seminars, retreats, picnics, and much more. They recently started paying for the gas and driver. We have provided computers to needy school children whose families could not afford them. We work with the Virginia Department for the Blind and Visual Impaired and other disability organizations to provide computer access. We have went through a transition recently when we quit Bingo that took away most of our funding source. It got to where we were having to pay 3400 dollars a night for two games rental on the building. We had to pay someone to do all the paper work for us, pay Charitable Gaming and Income taxes to the Federal and State Governments. We were losing everything so we got out just in time. We receive some donations when people write our name in on the United Way and Combined Federal Campaigns that are very small.

Staying Alive

We are working hard to survive. We are not Beggars but if this Organization is going to be as good as it was in Past times, it need all the help it can get from the public. We do not have paid Employees, except for some Drivers that charge daily when they drive.