Man reading with magnifying glass

Who Is FASB

  • FASB is made up of 16 private sector, accredited non-profit partners, who all work together to ensure certified, curriculum-based services are provided to visually impaired or blind persons throughout the state of Florida.
  • Each agency employs certified instructors that use specific assessments and teach skills to compensate for effects of blindness on academic achievement, social integration and making vocational goals.
  • 11 of the 16 FASB agencies offer the nationally recognized, evidence based, Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) instruction, to children ages 5 to 12 who are blind or visually impaired, to secure academic success and the “real life experience” that is essential to future employability.  
  • The ECC goes beyond what is available in public schools and addresses the inherent social isolation in public schools by bringing the children from an entire county together in one place. 
  • An important piece of the ECC is geared towards parents and it offers support, advocacy and idea driven solutions to child-rearing challenges that may come up.
  • 9 nationally recognized curriculum areas that include braille, technology, safe travel skills (white cane), independent living skills and career preparation.

Expanded Core Curriculum Activities/Instruction includes:

  • Compensatory Academic skills including braille/magnifiers, organization, listening, etc.
  • Orientation and Mobility (safe travel skills with a white cane); 3. Social Interaction skills. 
  • Recreation and Leisure skills. 
  • Independent Living Skills (cooking, hygiene, money and budgeting, time mgmt).
  • Assistive Technology—screen readers or magnification for computers, etc.
  • Career Education (experiential introduction to various careers and professions). 
  • Self-Determination (self-advocacy, planning for adulthood).
  • Sensory Efficiency skills (touch, hearing, smell, taste, proprioception/balance).
Braille Image

Join the Legislative Initiative

Our agency members are continually sought out by Florida legislators, like you, for input on issues affecting Floridians living with visual impairments. We are in daily contact with consumers —parents and family, individuals, and organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind, Blinded Veterans, and the American Council of the Blind— and together we determine lobbying and advocacy priorities that support their success in school, becoming competitive employees (and taxpayers), and living independently in old age.

Contact us to learn more about how you can partner with Florida to deliver a better quality of life for blind people, and a stronger economy for Florida.

View Legislative Initiative

Legislative Priorities & Achievements

Our partnership with policymakers passionate about advocacy on blindness helped pass laws such as the Blind Babies Bill of 1999 and Children’s Program funding in 2015, which provides 2 million dollars a year in additional services to children who are blind or visually impaired.

Our initiatives include:

  • Focusing on funding and policies as recommended by our member agencies and legislative partners.
  • Identifying other legislation affecting visually impaired Floridians and how our members can work to oppose or support it as needed.
  • Providing oversight of Executive Branch agencies involved in the prevention of vision loss or provision of services to visually impaired Floridians.
View Legislative Priorities
Mother helping visually impaired girl