Tallahassee Area Blindness Issues (TABI)

to subscribe to the mailing list, just send an email to:
tabi-request@freelists.org with the word "subscribe" as the subject.

So many useful items have been shared on the mailing list that a web site has been created to help preserve and organize them. Below are links to the various items collected so far. If you have any comments on the web site, you may contact Chip Orange .

TABI resources

Rehabilitation/Instruction

• Florida Institute of Rehabilitation Education (FIRE)
• Florida Division of Blind Services and the DBS employment resource links
• Ability 1st Employment Services (Leon County)

Services and products that will come to you

Food

• Capital City Food
• the restaurant connection 222-6646
• Steak Out (NE Tallahassee) 671-1111
• TF's Wok (Killearn area) 893-5336
• Hungry Howies 894-3100
• The Emerald Garden (Killearn area) 894-3229
• Schwan's Frozen Foods delivers a variety of cold-case and freezer-case items found in the grocery store.
• Angel Food Ministries is a food bank, where you can go and pick up pre-selected food bags at a greatly reduced cost.
• Food With Care is a food bank which delivers frozen pre-cooked meals, the cost is often covered by the Medicaid Food Waiver Program.
• Share Florida Food Network is a food bank where you can go to pick up pre-selected food bags at a significantly reduced price.
• For more information about food stamps, visit www.myflorida.com/accessflorida or 1-866-762-2237.

Books and entertainment

• The Florida Braille and Talking Book Library
• Leon County Public Library Note that once you have a library card, you will need to Call Kathy Fawcett in adult services (487-2665); EXPLAIN TO HER THAT YOU ARE BLIND; ask her to "flag" your record in the computer so that any reserve requests for you are automatically mailed to you.
• WFSU Described Video Schedule
• Tallahassee (FSU) Radio Reading Service

Others that will come to you

• Florida Spence (recommended by several TABI members) will clean houses and help you run errands. phone: 694-8185.
• John DeBose, electrician (recommended by several TABI members), 545-4467
• Gail Crisp for reading/driving
• Cora McMullen of Massage Works 510-4114 (recommended by a TABI member)

advocacy Organizations

• TEAM's special page for addressing transportation problems in Tallahassee
• Tallahassee Council of the Blind
• Tallahassee Chapter of the NFB
• Tallahassee Better Transportation Coalition
• Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, Inc. (FAAST) (The FAAST Loan Fund helps people with disabilities who need or use assistive technology to purchase or upgrade assistive devices. The loan funds may also be used for home modifications for accessibility.)

  FAAST will also furnish, upon request, a pc at a minimal charge, to any disabled person, complete with assistive technology.

• The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.
• The Business Leadership Network (Big Bend) is dedicated to increasing employment among people with disabilities.

Transportation

• Current status of road-work projects in Tallahassee
• TalTran Bus Service
• CTC Community Transportation Coordinator
• Dial-A-Ride or email the operational director at douglasq@talgov.com
• Commuter Services of North Florida
• Find-a-Ride
• Tallahassee Area Taxi Companies
• Global transit of Tallahassee 656-8881 (A transportation provider for the disabled)
• I-Neighbors.org for setting up a free web site for your neighborhood which includes carpooling services

Local Vendors of Specialized Equipment or with Specialized Accommodation or Services for the Disabled

• Blink Services
  David Bigoney, Owner/Operator

  Blink provides Computer Access Training to Blind/Low Visionindividuals in Florida and Georgia. Blink provides in home computer Assessments, Repairs (minor) and Training to utilize the computer with the aid of Adaptive software such as Screen Readers, Magnification Programs and Voice Recognition. Aditionally, Blink specializes in Web Site Compliance and Usability. More specifically; Evaluating, Testing and making Recommendations for Web Sites to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Section 508 compliant.

  3014 Fermanagh Drive
  Tallahassee, FL 32309-3313

  E-Mail: takeablink@comcast.net
  www.takeablink.com
  Ph: 850/668-5333 Cell: 850/443-1017

• Thoughtware Technologies Provides training for creating accessible web sites and document content. Also available to create accessible web pages.

• ADA Consultants (Thomas J. Schmokel)
• EasyTalk Computers Providers of specialized hardware and software for the visually impaired. Includes both computers and assistive devices.

• Magnifiers & More

Other services and information

• Money Tips for the Blind by Chip Orange
• Florida community aid resources
• A Summary of the Laws Pertaining to the Blind of Florida (from the Florida Division of Blind Services web site)

Useful Local Phone Numbers

• Dial-A-Ride 891-5199
• DBS 245-0370 or 1-800-672-7038
• Elder Care 921-5554
• FIRE 942-3658
• Insight Support Group 942-7483
• Magnifiers & More 671-3936
• Medicaid 487-4294
• Radio Reading Service 487-3086 ext. 366
• Senior Center 891-4000
• Veteran’s Benefits 488-8462
• Yellow Cab 580-8080

• Free 4-1-1 Services

  (800) YellowPages (800) 935-5697.
  • (800) 2 Cha-Cha (800) 224-2242.
  • (800) 411 SAVE (800) 411-7283.
  • (800) 555 Tell (800) 555-8355.
  • (800) Call 411 (800) 225-5411.
  • (800) Call Dex (800) 225-5339.
  • (800) Free 411 (800) 373-3411.
  • (800) Goog 411 (800) 466-4411.
  • (800) Info Fast (800) 463-6327.
  • (800) The Info (800) 843-4636.

Your City Commissioners

John Marx

email john.marks@talgov.com

Allan Katz

email allan.katz@talgov.com

Andrew Gillum

andrew.gillum@talgov.com

Debbie Lightsey

email debbie.lightsey@talgov.com

Mark Mustian

email mark.mustian@talgov.com

All City Commissioners

email commissioners@talgov.com