“What are all these wonderful devices, and how can we order them?”

That was the most often asked question by the 12-member group of delegates from Kazakhstan who recently visited BVRS as one of their stops in a “Social Issues: Disability Rights” tour in Pittsburgh.

Ken Wojtczak, Certified Low Vision Therapist and Low Vision Clinic manager, showed the group a variety of optical aids from simple hand-held magnifiers to high tech electronic equipment designed to make life easier for people with vision loss. Before they left, Mr. Wojtczak gave the group a list of suppliers.  

BVRS President and CEO Steve Barrett recently welcomed the group that was hosted by the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors, and Tim Allen, Program Services Director of that program accompanied them. Of the group, four of the delegates used wheelchairs, one has a prosthetic leg, and one is blind.

Visitors toured the teaching kitchen, Computer Access Technology Center, and the Low Vision Clinic and through an interpreter, learned about many other BVRS programs, including Transportation and Escort Services, Preschool Vision Screening, the Senior and Community Transition programs, ETS, Vocational and Employment Services and PBA Industries.

The delegates were invited to the U.S. under the auspices of the Open World Leadership Center of the Library of Congress. The participants are advocates and NGO representatives in Kazakhstan. Their focus is on Parenting children with disabilities; Public awareness/media; University health and rehab research & programs; Associations of the disabled in the U.S.; and Education of children with neurological impairment, participation of people with disabilities in public life.  The participants spoke minimal English and were accompanied by an interpreter.

The group was very impressed with BVRS. They were also amazed at the accommodations that the United States made for people with disabilities, said Mr. Allen. Just recently, Kazakhstan passed a Disabilities Accommodations Act similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the visitors were able to experiences the kind of accommodations they would be soon seeing in their own country, Mr. Allen said.