VAAPVi is a Virginia non-profit organization
of, by and for parents of children who are blind and visually
impaired. Our mission is to provide services to empower
families, professionals and the community to meet the needs of
children who are blind or visually impaired, including those
with multiple disabilities.
When a child is first diagnosed with
a visual impairment most parents go through a variety of
emotions. Most parents leave the doctors office stunned and with
little information. Not knowing where to turn or who to contact
for guidance. As parents of children who are blind or visually
impaired we have been there. We do not focus on the disability
or diagnosis but we do understand the emotions that a parent
goes through. We are here to support you and each other every
step of the way, from diagnosis on.
We all want the same things for our
children. We want all of our children to be happy, feel loved,
have friends, to have good self-esteem, to get a good education
and to do all that they dream to do. We want all our children to
become productive, functioning, independent members of society
and participate fully in the community and they
can. With positive attitudes, communication, education, training
and collaboration those goals can be met.
Services and education for our
children vary drastically from state to state and even from
county to county. What has made a difference is community
awareness and involvement. By networking with each other and
collaborating with professionals we can create an active
community. We will collaborate with organizations and
professionals to meet the needs of our children.
Let us all work together to improve
opportunities and make a better community for our children.