Metrolina Association for the Blind

Year Founded
1934
EIN
56-0529998
Local Leader/Exec. Director
Tracy Libertino, President and CEO
Primary Contact Name
Tracy Libertino-Fegarsky
Main Address

704 Louise Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
United States

What We Do

At Metrolina Association for the Blind, our mission is to reduce or eliminate the daily living challenges imposed upon people by blindness or visual impairment. We respond to these unique challenges in two ways:

  • Our Vision Rehab Services (VRS) Department enables blind and visually impaired people to adjust to their vision loss and manage daily living activities independently by providing them with direct services such as therapeutic casework, vision rehabilitation therapy, orientation and mobility instruction, low vision training, and support services.
  • Our Accessible Document Services (ADS) Department provides an important national need for Braille, Large Print, Audio CD and Accessible PDF transcription for various industries who are meeting their customers' needs for accessible materials. Revenue generated through the ADS department provides for the expansion of Vision Rehab client services, so dollars spent are doubly effective.

Currently, there are approximately 16,000 people with blindness or vision loss in Mecklenburg County, and that number is projected to double by 2030. Your gift can help provide services to the growing population of Charlotte residents who have vision loss.

 

More about what we do:

Our low-vision clinic optometrists and therapists help patients maximize their remaining sight with special devices and training. In the past year, our clinicians have provided more than 1,300 hours of service to our clients.

One of the biggest challenges with vision loss is being able to live safely while doing everyday tasks. Our rehabilitation specialists teach clients how to use a cane, shop, use adaptive technology, and live at home with confidence. Our transportation professionals provide more than 1600 “door-through-door” trips each year so that clients can go to medical appointments, skills training, retailers, and support services.

Nearly two-fifths of individuals with vision loss or blindness are living in poverty. Our social workers enable clients to find available financial aid and services.

Feeling isolated can be a barrier to living confidently. We offer support groups and connections to a network of organizations working to empower people in their personal lives and in the worldwide community of individuals living with blindness.

Interesting Info
  • MAB addresses vision loss in our community. We also support national organizations with similar missions, such as NFB and the FFB.
  • In the past year, MAB provided more than 5,000 direct service hours to our clients.
  • MAB serves clients in Mecklenburg and 37 other counties in North and South Carolina.
Geographic Location
Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunity
Repeats daily on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for 241 times
Anytime

A canopy and registration table are set up in the courtyard area of Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Participants stand near the table on this sunny fall day with a background of autumn-colored trees.
Photo from the back of 8-10 Vision Walk participants' legs and feet, their shadows cast into the foreground.
A child about age 4 in a green dinosaur costume accepts a certificate for "Best Costume" from the organizers of Vision Walk 2023.
As the 2023 Vision Walk begins, participants file onto the road by Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. It is a sunny day with trees and power lines in the frame.
On the right, a Vision Walk volunteer dressed in black pants and an orange shirt distributes candy to children as the procession of children and adults files down the sidewalk.
On the left, a woman in black pants holds a white cane. On the right, her dog, dressed in a lion costume, looks up at her.