We’re redesigning our website!

Help us improve our navigation by taking our short study at this link and enter for a chance to win 1 of 3 $50 Safeway gift cards: https://ows.io/tj/8y3hx754 

If you are using assistive technology, such as a screen reader, and are having trouble completing the study, please email our Anthro-Tech research partners at DSBstudysupport@anthro-tech.com. They will be able to assist you further so you can still have your voice heard!

About Us

Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) provides training, counseling, and support to help Washington residents of all ages, who are blind or visually impaired, pursue employment, education, and independent living. Our goal is “Inclusion, Independence, and Economic Vitality for People with Visual Disabilities.”

OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Our Mission

Inclusion, Independence, and Economic Vitality for People with Visual Disabilities.

Our Vision and Values

Powerful Partnerships

Our partners view us as a premiere resource and a national leader in promoting the skills and abilities of people who are blind or have low vision. We team with customers, employers, our communities, and fellow staff to achieve the highest level of customer service.

Dynamic Agency Culture

Our culture embraces and rewards creativity, risk taking, and leadership from everyone. We seek opportunities to educate and be educated. We honor and celebrate our differences while providing safe yet dynamic environments.

Effective Business Processes

Our services rely on best practices, continuous improvement, and reinvention. Our physical spaces and our service delivery model accessibility. We capture all the resources necessary to accomplish our mission.

Outstanding Outcomes

We create outstanding outcomes for our customers by meeting the full-range of their needs with the highest level of customer service. People who are blind and have low vision go to work in careers of their choice. Customers exit with the skills needed to manage their lives, pursue or excel in their careers, and participate in their communities.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The Department of Services for the Blind is an agency committed to diversity and inclusion.  We provide an environment of mutual respect, tolerance and equal opportunity for all without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran and disabled veteran status, or the presence or perception of any physical, sensory, or mental disability.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Each year, DSB looks back at the year and celebrate the successes of all of our customers who completed their Vocational Rehabilitation programs and went to work in, or kept, good jobs. This is not just about numbers, but about each person who is able to take charge of their life, support their family, pay taxes, and give back to their community.

View DSB Outcomes and Results.

PRIVACY

Your privacy is important to us. The Department of Services for the Blind adheres to a rigorous privacy policy. This statement addresses the collection, use, and security of access to information that may obtained through use of dsb.wa.gov.

Review the DSB Privacy Policy.

CAREERS

Do you want to join an agency that has consistently been a national leader among blind agencies in competitive employment? Join us in the advancement of our mission — “Inclusion, Independence, and Economic Vitality for People with Visual Disabilities” — and you’ll help lead the way.

Learn about career opportunities at Washington State Department of Services for the Blind.

STATE REHABILITATION COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND

The Washington State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind (SRCB) members are passionate volunteers – appointed by the Washington State Governor – who represent recipients of rehabilitation services, their families, service providers, educators, advocates, and policy makers. Council members work alongside DSB to promote excellence in service, leading to independence and meaningful employment for blind and visually impaired people in Washington State.

Learn more about the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind.

QUALIFIED SERVICE PROVIDERS

DSB contracts with Qualified Service Providers to meet the service needs of our customers that may exceed the availability of current staff.

Learn more about Qualified Service Providers.

ORDER OF SELECTION

If the Department of Services for the Blind anticipates we will not have enough funding to immediately serve everyone who applies for services in the coming federal fiscal year, the agency will be forced to implement an Order of Selection. This status, filed with the federal government, will allow the agency to meet the obligations for all individuals who are currently receiving services, and create a wait list for newly eligible individuals.

Learn more about Order of Selection.

RULEMAKING

Washington State Agencies follow rules written into the state legislative codes. These rules are created to implement state and federal laws.

Learn about DSB and the Rule Making process.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

The DSB Strategic Plan to lead the agency to an exceptional level of customer service and results by 2020.

The plan prioritizes three Strategic Initiatives and is not just a document, but rather a dynamic process that we all own; that infuses and focuses the work we do together every day.

Learn more about the DSB Strategic plan.

DSB's vocational rehabilitation process is built on the foundations created by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.