The Division for the Visually Impaired is the State's oldest agency with a history dating from 1909.

Our Mission

The Mission of DVI is to provide educational, vocational and technical support to empower and foster independence for Delawareans with visual impairments.

Our Vision

A leader in creating a world without barriers for individuals with vision loss.

Our Values

Teamwork

• Working together to support each other and our customers.
• All units work together to achieve the best outcomes for our consumers - collaboration.
• DVI strengthens partnerships by coordinating, using resources and implementing ideas.
• DVI respects customers, co-workers and stakeholders by listening and fostering a shared understanding of goals.
• We communicate.

Quality Customer Service

• Responsive; accountable; providing quality service and product; promoting kindness and empathy; professional.
• Commitment to customer: Solutions based upon your needs.
• We invest in each other and our community in delivering quality products and services.
• Being responsive: Service delivery is paramount.
• We believe in the capacity of others to achieve their maximum potential.

Respect

• Interactions should start and end with mutual respect.
• Treat everyone as if they were related to you.
• We value diversity and strongly believe that RESPECT is key to everyone... clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

Innovation and Creativity

• We enable access through technology and innovation.
• Looking at the status quo and seeing if we can do things better in a different way.
• Using creativity to provide the best possible service available.

Fostering Independence

• Provide opportunities to practice skills in a supportive environment.
• Helping others to help themselves.
• Assist individuals who are blind and visually impaired to develop skills necessary to live as independently as possible or reach their full potential.
• Fostering independence through partnership.

Integrity

• We believe in honesty, transparency and professionalism for all individuals - consumers, co-workers, and the public.
• Integrity - internally and externally.
• We strive to provide services that we believe in.
• Demonstrate honesty and respect in our daily interactions with each other and our customers.
• Making ethical choices when dealing with customers.
• We are an ethical, fair, and honest service organization.

Major Programs

Our Division is organized into five programs:

• Education - our education team works in coordination with the Delaware Department of Education and our local education agencies (LEAs) in Delaware. DVI provides traveling teaching services for students with visual impairments. Services may begin as early as birth to children and their families through our child youth counselor services. In the preschool years our teachers for the visually impaired begin working with students in their home school districts to ensure that children are able to access their school day curriculum through technology supports and foundational skills such as braille instruction.
• Employment - our vocational rehabilitation team provides supportive services to persons with visual impairments and blindness in gaining meaningful career opportunities. Our vocational rehabilitation program also offers business consulting services to companies in the community looking to diversify their workforce through recruitment from our talent pool.
• Independent Living Services - the independent living services team provides adaptive techniques and devices that assist our customers in maintaining their independent lifestyle in their homes and in the community. Examples of services include organizational skills, kitchen safety skills, appliance use, personal resource management skills, communication assistance, and social/recreational opportunities.
• Business Enterprise Program - the Business Enterprise Program team offers self-employment opportunities to interested entrepreneurs with blindness in the areas of food service, vending, and small business kiosks. The Business Enterprise Program is part of the National Randolph Sheppard Program that has been in place for many years in developing partnership opportunities between state agencies for the visually impaired and blind entrepreneurs.

Support Services

Our major program areas are supported by additional resources within our agency offered to qualified customers, such as:

• Accessible Instructional and Educational Materials - It's all about access! Our materials center provides alternate formats, large print, braille and audio books to individuals enrolled in our education program.
• Orientation and Mobility - Getting around town! Consider white cane techniques, transportation, search techniques, and sighted guide techniques.
• Assistive Technology Training - Stay on the cutting edge of technology! Explore screen reader technology, magnifiers, braille note takers, Apple technology, and the ever changing hardware and software evolution for our community.
• Volunteer Services - Find ways to offer selfless service to others! Our volunteer services program is seeking to develop opportunities for meaningful engagement with our community.
• Low Vision Services - Let's talk about compensatory techniques and creative strategies! Low vision services are designed to maximize the customer's abilities and opportunities for learning, independent living, and employment with the sight available to them.

We are very pleased to be working with the many fine people in our community. DVI works with other State agencies and many other organizations and groups to insure the maximum services possible are provided.

We at DVI will do our very best to offer services in a timely and professional manner. Please use our website to help understand who we are, how we might help, and how to communicate with us.

We are here to support a diverse and innovative community in Delaware.