The mission of the Accessibility Department is to provide vision impaired persons access to the same range of books and information for employment, education, leisure and personal enjoyment, as their sighted counterparts. This means of communications is to assist people with vision impairment to acquire the skill to communicate their needs so that they can be integrated into the mainstream education and the community.

The department consists of four units namely the Library, Assistive Devices Centre (ADC), Braille Production Unit (BPU) and Audio Production Unit (APU).

Library of the Blind and Visually Handicapped

The SAVH Library was set up to meet the reading needs of the Blind and Visually Impaired who are registered with the Association.

The Library loans out audio and Braille books to its members.  To reach out to members who may not have access to information either via Internet or other mass media, the Library produces audio periodicals both in English and Mandarin.

For more information, please email to siewgek@savh.org.sg or call 6251 4331 ext 181.  The opening hours are from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 8am to 5pm.  For enquiries on Mondays, please call Tan Wee Liam at 6251 4331 ext 173 or Ronald Tan  at ext 174.

Assistive Devices Centre (ADC)

The Assistive Device Centre serves to enhance the lives of persons with vision impairment by promoting the use of assistive devices and technologies to help them get on in life be it in the area of  education, recreation or employment.

To achieve this objective, the Centre:

• carries a variety of white canes to meet the various mobility needs of the Blind and Visually Impaired;
• has a comprehensive range of magnifiers and monoculars to cater to the varying eye conditions of persons with vision impairment. It is to be noted that all clients must obtain a prescription from the SAVH Low Vision Clinic.
• has a range of assistive lifestyle products like Braille watches, talking clock, talking medical equipment and games suitable for persons with vision impairment.

Subsidies are only applicable to registered clients who have been means tested by SAVH.
The Centre also assists clients to purchase electronic assistive devices and technologies like screen readers, screen magnifiers, desktop or portable electronic magnifiers.

Braille Production Unit (BPU)

The Braille Production Unit transcribes print textbooks and other reading materials into Braille for visually handicapped students in the Integrated Programme as well as for adult clients of the Association and other organisations.

Main Services

• Transcription of print materials into Braille and vice-versa
• Production of Large-Print materials, Tactile Diagrams and Outdoor Braille Signages

Audio Production Unit (APU)

The APU records print materials into audio format.

Main Services

• Record Talking Books and other materials read by our volunteers onto audio cassette tapes, compact discs and mini discs