Services

Adaptive Phone, Tablet, and Computer Training

 

We teach you, one-on-one how to use the adaptive software on your iPhone, iPad, Computer, and on other devices. We will train you in your home, anywhere in Montana, or in our Training Center in Great Falls. We will also troubleshoot your devices, repair compatibility issues and more. 

Functional Vision Assessments

 

What's the difference between "Your Best Acuity" and your "Functional Vision"? 
Your Eye Dr. gives you an exam to determine your best acuity so he or she can prescribe glasses or contacts that provide for the best correction in the controlled setting in their office. 
Once you leave your Eye Dr's office and walk out into changing light scenarios, you see differently. A functional Vision Assessment takes these and other factors into consideration. 
Example: 
With correction, you may see 20/20 in the office. Once you step into the sunlight, you may only see 20/200, which is legally blind. You may be night blind or have little peripheral vision. 
Or your vision may no longer correct to 20/20 or even 20/200. 
These are the things we check.

 

Providing Services to the Visually Impaired

About us

 

We are a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit. Our mission is to help the Visually Impaired who are struggling with their vision loss. We help them get the services, support, counseling, adaptive aids and individual training they need to become or continue to be independent at home, on the job, and in the community.

 

We are located on the lower level of the Times Square building in Historic Downtown Great Falls Montana. 525 Central Ave. Suite L4. Our store is open 10 am - 5:30 pm M-F... most days. When we aren't there, we are available by phone while we travel providing our services across the State of Montana.

Assessments and Equipment

CCTV's, Readers and Magnifiers.

 

We carry, assess and provide training for a variety of reading machines. Some enlarge text making it easier to read, invert colors, and/or will scan and read the text to you.

 

Mission Statement and Vision

 

It is the intent of Alternative Vision Training to fill a void in under-served populations that will include but are not limited to those with vision loss, private parties, referrals from state and federal agencies, Veteran’s administrations, Tribal agencies and schools both public and private. The need stretches across socio-economic and cultural borders and will serve children, young adults, seniors, veterans and those who are blind.

 

Proposed services will include but are not limited to individual assessments, training for life-skills, job skills, vocational, assistive technology, independent living skills, orientation and mobility, literacy, financial literacy, accommodative actions, PTSD counseling, sensitivity training for family, community and employers, and any other services that will support and empower our served populations to advocate for themselves to obtain a greater quality of life.

 

We plan to establish a facility that would allow us to house, train or otherwise care for and work with animals of deployed military or veterans being hospitalized long term. It will allow them to retain ownership of their animals when returning home. The animals will be trained and used as therapy animals during their absence on an as needed basis and breed feasibility.

Donations

 

We Accept Donations!

Physical donations of used equipment.

Vehicles for transportation of clients and to go see clients across the State.

We want to set up a mobile low vision lab. We need either a motorhome or a toy hauler type travel trailer we can adapt for this purpose.

Property and/or a Facility to establish a School for the Visually Impaired here in the State of Montana.

And of course, we accept monetary donations.

All donations are tax exempt. 

More About Us

 

 

How We Got Started

 

Being visually impaired from birth, our founder has a burning desire to help others who struggle with their vision loss. He went to work for the State of Montana in their Blind and Low Vision office as a counselor. He realized during his time there that he couldn't help clients (consumers) as he much as he wanted to within the confines of that program and he found he couldn't make the necessary changes to the program from the inside. Too many people were falling through the cracks, and not getting the services they needed. He decided that someone needed to do something about it. He knew what needed to change and has a vision of what this could become in the future and all the lives it could change for the better. So, he started this non-profit to do just that.

Contacts

 

Free Consultations

 

If you have questions about our products or services, any vision related questions or you just want to know where to start, Call us!

 

Jerry West 406-799-8600 or email Jerry@AltVT.org