PCB - Clearfield & Jefferson Counties

About_us

PCB

PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND

Promoting Independence and Opportunity for Persons with Vision Loss

WHAT IS PCB?

The Pennsylvania Council of the Blind (PCB) is a statewide membership organization consisting of blind, partially sighted, and sighted persons. Our goal is to encourage and assist people who are blind or vision impaired in seeking independence through employment, through the learning of blindness skills, and through personal and social adjustment. The PCB consists of local chapters throughout the state and many members at large. It is the largest organization of blind people in our Commonwealth.

ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS

  1. Information & Referral:

Provides information on all aspects of blindness and where services can be obtained.

  2. Conventions and Regional Meetings:

PCB holds a statewide convention each fall and regional meetings each spring. Special meetings are also conducted each year to deal with legislative or other issues. Chapters meet monthly to discuss local issues and plan activities.

  3. Advocacy:

PCB Initiates and monitors legislation affecting persons who are blind or vision impaired. PCB also assists individuals who are experiencing discrimination in the workplace or in the Community, and who are having difficulty securing services.

  4. Scholarships:

PCB has established the Mae Davidow Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a visually impaired college student. The award is presented at the Annual Convention of the American Council of the Blind. Chapters also provide scholarships and a trust fund has been established to provide additional scholarships to Pennsylvania residents.

  5. Publications:

The Pennsylvania Council of the Blind publishes THE ADVOCATE four (4) times a year in large print, Braille on cassette tape, by email and on our website. This news magazine includes articles regarding the organization and its chapters, an update on legislative issues, employment, technology, and any other activities related to blindness.

  6. Affiliations:

PCB is affiliated with the American Council of the Blind (ACB) which serves Blind people on a national basis. ACB has an information hotline (Washington Connection) 1-800-424-8666, participates in law-making and legislative remedies and provides a network of support services across the United States. ACB also publishes the BRAILLE FORUM monthly in accessible format. PCB also sends representatives to ACB's national legislative seminars and works with the   Pennsylvania Consumer Provider Council on Blindness (PCPCB), PCB also works with the Bureau of  Blindness and Visual Services, the Disability Budget Coalition, The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and  Visually Impaired (AER), and other state and local agencies.

WHY JOIN PCB?

PCB provides a vehicle for blind and vision impaired persons to make their voices heard in a society which tends to respond more readily to large numbers of persons speaking out on common issues and concerns. PCB offers opportunity to meet, to observe, to discuss common experiences, hopes and problems, and to learn from each other.

Any person interested in working with PCB and who supports its purposes and objectives is invited to become a member by contacting a local Chapter or the PCB office in Harrisburg.

BLIND PEOPLE SHOWING THE WAY

In numbers there is strength. This is also true of PCB. With strength there is the ability to confront any problem and, by tapping the resources of a large membership, one can usually find the right solution. PCB members are available to help each other and to assist their sighted friends and neighbors better understand the difficulties of visual impairment. PCB members around the State are ready and willing to serve as speakers for groups or to talk with individuals encountering specific problems. One needs only to call.

OUR VISION

To continue to be recognized as the leading advocacy organization for people with vision impairments in Pennsylvania. The aim of all our efforts is to encourage and assist people in achieving their potential as valued members of society.

PCB assistance, advocacy and encouragement will be carried out in such areas as but not limited to: all aspects of accessibility, transportation, education and employment.

And, as a chapter, here is our vision;

We strive to pursue the mission and vision of the state within our local area and have some fun along the way.

The Clearfield-Jefferson Counties Chapter generally meets every third Saturday of the month at 11:00 AM.  We currently rotate the locations between DuBois and Clearfield to better accommodate the members living in these areas.  Hopefully as we get more members in other areas we will expand meeting locations even more.

One of the issues we have been working on improving is getting audible traffic signals at some high risk locations in the DuBois and Clearfield areas.  At a recent session of the DuBois City Council requests were heard regarding audible signals at the two intersections of Brady St & Long Avenue and Brady St & Scribner Avenue.  In the past a number of pedestrians have been injured while trying to cross the streets at these intersections.  These intersections are a high risk not only for the visually impaired but for the elderly, those with small children, and those with physical handicaps as well.  Not only are these not audible but they do not stop traffic in all directions at the same time and are not set up to allow sufficient time for slower pedestrians regardless of whether they are physically impaired or otherwise.