It was a fantastic day on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, for FOCB’s annual open house & 21st birthday bash! We had a great turnout with so many visitors…and wonderful guests, including the Mayor Maria Sachs’s office, our Commissioner Gregg Weiss, City Councilmen, executives from the Division of Blind Services, members of our FOCB Board of Directors, and many more! We also welcomed our vendors from 211 Help Hotline, Palm Tran, and Talking Books Library.
Ed Sol from the Mayor’s office presented FOCB with a beautiful proclamation from their office and the Board of County Commissioners. (See photo)
Guests were given tours of our center, spoke with students and staff on our many programs, and were able to take part in presentations and demonstrations by two of our teachers: Jason Goldfield and Luz Norris. Jason is FOCB’s assistive technology specialist and Luz is our Braille and independent living skills instructor.
In the mid-2000’s, a void developed in the availability of services for the blind and visually impaired in Palm Beach County, and Carolyn Lapp – FOCB’s amazing founder and executive director – created FOCB to fill that void, providing the only non-governmental support for the blind community.
Some 20 years after its organization, FOCB continues to vigorously pursue its mission of total integration of the blind and visually-impaired into society and providing the opportunities in rehabilitation of the blind to expand their personal expectations and reach their full potential.
The Florida Outreach Center for the Blind is a nonprofit organization/training facility that is nationally accredited by the Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired (AER) and has met all standards set by the AER.
All of our programs are FREE to the blind and visually impaired in FIVE COUNTIES: Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian, and Okeechobee Counties. Classes/training are available in English, Spanish, Creole and French.
