April 25, 2014

Dianna Kelly, Grant Program Manager

Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation
100 South Bedford Road
Suite 340
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
Dear Ms. Kelly:
Please accept this application for a grant on the behalf of World Services for the Blind and the clients we
serve to fund the refurbishing of dorm room facilities at our school.
We are requesting $215,100 to support Donate-a-Dorm, a project designed to empower blind and
visually impaired adults to achieve sustainable independence. The money will be used to replace
outdated and dysfunctional training equipment in 44 dorm rooms in our school with modern, functional
equipment with which we can help train our clients to achieve sustainable independence.
The old equipment is out of date and dysfunctional for training purposes. The new equipment will
create a functional, modern, real-world living environment which will be much safer and adequate for
addressing the needs of our clients and their families who support them.
For almost 70 years, World Services for the Blind has been providing adults with state-of-the-art training
in life skills, career training and community access that so many count on us for. And we remain
committed to our vision to serve.
Thank you for considering World Services for the Blind for this grant. We look forward to hearing from
you. Please let us know if you have any questions or need any further information.
Sincerely,

Tony Woodell
Chief Operating Officer
World Services for the Blind

NAME, ADDRESS, WEBSITE, TAX STATUS

World Services for the Blind; 2811 Fair Park Blvd., Little Rock, AR 72204; www.wsblind.org,
501 (c)(3) qualified.

NAME, TITLE, EMAIL ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER OF PRIMARY CONTACT

Susy Phillips, Volunteer Coordinator, sphillips@wsblind.org, (501) 664-7100, ext. 246.

NAME OF THE PROJECT

Donate-A-Dorm
NARRATIVE STATEMENT
Project Description: The Donate-A-Dorm project is designed to provide the equipment needed to
facilitate mobility and long-term sustainable independent living for blind and visually impaired adults
residing in dormitories at our facility.

Need: The dorm room equipment at World Services for the Blind (WSB) intended to simulate that found
in a modern, real-world living environment, is badly worn, outdated, and dysfunctional for training
purposes. The equipment is visually unappealing to WSB clients and their family members that visit the
facilities. This environment has had a negative impact on student satisfaction and has the potential of
affecting student recruitment, retention and the schools reputation.
1. Badly worn, outdated, and dysfunctional. Clients at WSB live on campus in the dorms for the
duration of their programs, which range from 5 to 10 months. The dorm room equipment is
intended to simulate that found in a modern, real-world living environment in which our
students can train to be more mobile and functional in a real-world living environment. The
functionality of their dorm rooms is critical for an environment of learning and success. During
their stay, clients receive training in home management and other survival skills. Because they
live in the dorms, special attention is given to how the skills they learn relate to dorm life and
life once theyve left the facility.
The dormitory room equipment has not been updated since the mid-1990s. 1990s-era furniture
is notoriously unstable with its plastic molding technology. Even the most sophisticated
plywood chair depends on a substructure or intermediary support for solidity. Much of the
furniture within each of the WSB dorm rooms is oversized, and mismatched in terms of color
and texture. Oversize and mismatch create clutter. No two rooms have identical sets of
furnishings. Flooring and other surfaces are worn and the paint on the walls is dull from aging.

For the blind or visually impaired, learning how to become more mobile and functional in a
living environment is best accomplished by having a multi-sensory room decorum. Safety,
texture, and color are critical factors that need to be taken into account. The National Pain
Foundation recommends the following:

Make clear, uncluttered paths throughout the room

Install bright, non-glare lighting throughout the room
Paint the walls a different color than the floors to create contrast
(Light floors are preferable.)
Install a sturdy nightstand
Ensure bed is at the best height for its users
Install a sturdy and secure chair to be used for dressing
2. Visually unappealing. The deteriorated physical condition of the dorm rooms is obvious to the
60% of the WSB clientele who has some vision and to all the WSB clients family members who
routinely evaluate the adequacy of the facility. Based on client exit interviews, client panel
feedback, negative comments made by clients, and the negative comments about the condition
of the dorms made on social media, all of which are well documented, this has the potential of
harming the reputation of the school and having a negative impact on recruitment and
retention.
Impact: World Services for the Blind has served over 12.00 adults from all 50 states and more than 58
countries since its inception in 1947.
Implementation and Success: The success of this project will be established when WSB has replaced the
outdated, dysfunctional equipment in 44 dorm rooms with modern, functional equipment. This goal will
be accomplished within nine months after receiving funding.
Long-Term Sustainability: Lions Clubs from Arkansas and surrounding states contribute approximately
12 percent of WSBs operating budget. The center also receives support from many sources, including
fundraisers and private donations.
ESTIMATED BUDGET: ($251,100)
Number

Unit Cost

4,500

40,500

Double-occupancy room (Womens Dorm)

(New flooring, paint, twin beds, desks,
chairs, nightstands, sinks, mirrors and
hand-towel rack)

16

5,000

80,000

Double-occupancy room

14

4,250

Budget Items
Double-occupancy room (Mens Dorm)
(New flooring, paint, twin beds, desks,
chairs, nightstands and chest of drawers

Total

59,500

4
(Both dorms visually impaired only)
(New flooring, paint, twin beds, desks,
chairs and nightstands)
Single-occupancy room
(New flooring, paint, twin bed, desk,
chair and nightstand)

3,500

3,500

Single-occupancy room
(New flooring, paint, full-size bed,
desk, chair and nightstand)

3,800

7,600

Four-person apartment
(New flooring, paint, twin beds, desks,
chairs, nightstands, kitchen appliances,
dining table and sofa)

12,000

24,000

Total

44

33,050

215,000

HISTORY OF ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES OF PREVIOUS INITIATIVES: World

Services for the Blind, located in Little Rock, Arkansas, was founded in 1947 by Roy Kumpe. Since its
inception, the organization has served more than 12,000 clients from all 50 states and 58 countries. In
addition, a unique combination of life skills and career training makes WSB stand out from the crowd
no one else in the world offers a comprehensive program for adults. And WSBs commitment to
community engagement and access, which includes assisting older Arkansans who are losing their
vision, brings full circle the organizations mission. The goal of WSB then, and today, is to empower
blind or visually impaired adults to achieve sustainable independence through life skills, career training
and community access.
Older Blind Program: (OIB = Older Individuals who are Blind). The OIB Program is available to any adult
who is 55 or older who is losing their sight and needs a professional to help with the life changes theyre
experiencing. The program serves between 86 and 200 seniors per year. Drawing from the array of
services at World Services for the Blind, an in-home training schedule for each persons needs is
designed to achieve a well-rounded and healthy personal adjustment to visual disability. (Funded by
State of Arkansas)
Assistive Technology Instructor Program: The nine-month Assistive Technology Instructor Program
(AIT) assists in training adults who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) to learn cutting-edge technology
and be able to teach those skills to others who are BVI while empowering themselves to achieve
sustainable independence. The project began in 1990 and is still ongoing. It serves 18 clients per year,
and has served about 430 total since its inception. (Funded by El Cajon Valley Hot Lions Club Grant)
Internal Revenue Service Programs: The IRS and World Services for the Bind entered into a partnership
in 1967 to provide training programs for various entry level positions ranging from Collection
Representative positions to Computer Programmers. The project is ongoing, and since its inception over
1,500 clients have been served and 100% of graduates are guaranteed employment with the IRS.
(Funded by an Internal Revenue Service Grant)
DISTINGUISHING QUALITIES OF WSB: World Services for the Blind serves blind and visually-impaired
adults coming from throughout the world. As such, the distinguishing feature is that World Services for
the Blind believes in empowering every blind or visually-impaired adult in the world, regardless of race,
gender, creed, or national origin.