The focus of the January 2026 monthly report is DSB's Independent Living (IL) Program. Through a partnership with the University of Washington and a team of community-based providers, the IL Program offers training to adults who are Blind, Deaf-Blind or Low Vision, so that they can participate in everyday life. Customers can learn different ways of doing things, like doing laundry, paying bills, using a phone to stay connected with loved ones, or shopping at grocery stores. They can learn to get around their homes, neighborhoods, and communities safely and independently. When visual disability makes daily life difficult, the IL Program is here to help.
Franco’s Story: Gaining Confidence through O&M Training
Independent Living customer, Franco, increased his quality of life after working with an IL provider on his Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills and is making plans for his future. Read Franco's story
Desktop Video Magnifier (CCTV) Lending Program
DSB has partnered with the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) to distribute CCTVs to IL Program participants through a long-term, and free, lending program. A desktop CCTV is a low vision aid that consists of a camera with a strong zoom lens, a large monitor, and lighting. These devices are often cost-prohibitive to participants, who have an average income between $15,000 and $30,000. Since 2021, the partnership with WTBBL has given the IL Program the ability to place over 100 CCTVs in participants’ homes across the state.
In 2025, the IL Program surveyed 68 participants who had received a CCTV at least six months prior. About 80% still have and regularly use their CCTV; the other 20% returned theirs due to various reasons, most commonly progressive vision loss making the device no longer useful. (When a machine is returned, it is inspected, cleaned, and sent to a new recipient.) Among participants who regularly use their CCTVs, 100% reported improved quality of life, and 93% felt more independent. When asked how they use their CCTVs, respondents described many different activities, including reading mail and prescription bottles; writing letters and cards; looking at photos of loved ones; reading blood sugar levels on their glucose monitors; and enjoying hobbies like knitting and birdwatching.
With 62% of CCTV recipients using the machines daily and 33% using them weekly, many respondents emphasized how essential their CCTVs are to their independence. One respondent even said, “I would probably sell a kidney to keep it. It’s my independence…At the time, I didn’t think I was worthy, but this has given me my independence. I don’t know what I’d do without it. I love it.”
Wrapping up Federal Fiscal Year 2025
- 964 participants completed their services in 2025.
- The average age of these participants is 77. The youngest participant was 20 and the oldest was 108!
- 16% of the participants identify as a racial or ethnic minority.
- Nearly half of the participants have multiple disabilities, with 37% having combined hearing and vision loss.
- 92% of the participants reported that the training and devices they received increased their independence and/or that they feel more confident in maintaining their living circumstances.