Maine Dept. of Labor Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired

03/18/2026

Interested in Vocational Rehabilitation? Join us for a monthly drop-in orientation the fourth Tuesday of every month from 2–2:45 p.m.

Where: Larry Labonte Recovery Center, 412 Waldo St., Rumford

Maine Vocational Rehabilitation helps with:
• Career Counseling and Planning
• Overcoming Obstacles to Employment
• Self-Employment Planning
• Career Exploration

Have questions about Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services for Mainers with disabilities? Call: 888-457-8883 | TTY users call Maine Relay 711

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation:
https://www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr/index.shtml

12/18/2025

The Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation has launched a '100 Stories in 100 Days' initiative to highlight the real-life impact of vocational rehabilitation services, and celebrate the achievements of individuals supported through VR programs across the country.

Check out this story from Maine! https://www.csavr.org/100-stories-in-100-days

More information on Vocational Rehabilitation: https://www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr/vr.shtml

10/21/2025

Did you know? Every day across Maine, people with disabilities are using their skills and talents to help power our economy.

If you’re an employer interested in attracting and retaining a dedicated, skilled workforce, the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services can help.

Our Business Relations Specialists work with employers to build inclusive workplaces, connect with qualified candidates, and access valuable resources.

👉 Learn more or contact our team at 207-623-6799

10/02/2025

Very exciting! The proclamation can be read here: https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=13283490

WHEREAS, blindness and low vision affect millions of Americans, including an estimated 35,000 Maine people; and WHEREAS, the white cane and guide dog serve as essential tools of independence, mobility, and safety for blind and low vision individuals, and their use is legally protected under Maine la...

08/13/2025

The 2025 Hire A Vet Campaign - Maine is almost here! The campaign will kick off tomorrow, August 14, with a hiring event at the Augusta Civic Center, and then continue through the fall with events around the state! All jobseekers are welcome: https://www.myworksourcemaine.gov/events/maines-hire-vet-campaign-2025

07/28/2025

We are excited to announce that BARD 2 will be available to our Talking Book patrons on July 29, 2025!

BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download website, now offers expanded functionality and will serve as a gateway to exciting new services in the future.

We are pleased to announce that if you use BARD on the web, you will have access to BARD 2 in late July. If you’re not a BARD user, this is your chance to sign up for the service and get instant access to hundreds of thousands of audio and braille books and magazines for reading with an NLS digital talking-book machine, a personal smart device with BARD Mobile, a Braille eReader, or your PC with the BARD Express player. Contact us at [email protected] or 1-800-762-7106 to sign up for BARD.

Features of the new website include:
• Reorganization of the Wish List, Reading History, Subscriptions, and Account Settings under one menu.
• New sorting capabilities of book lists. You can now search through book lists and refine the results by format, language, and subject.
• An updated search engine, so finding books is easier and faster than ever before.
• Advanced search functionality.

Access to the new and improved BARD website requires a change in your login procedures. We will contact all BARD web users and provide instructions for the new login procedures. If you have any questions, need assistance, or just want to tell us about your experience with BARD 2, contact us at 1-800-762-7106 or [email protected].

[Image: A man is using BARD on a desktop computer]

07/23/2025

This summer, the Progressive Employment Learning Collaborative met at the Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Minnesota. The Learning Collaborative celebrated its 10th anniversary, bringing together vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to discuss implementation strategies and best practices around the Progressive Employment model.

ICI staff and representatives from seven VR agencies came together for a two-day cross-state forum to identify challenges, discuss and apply solutions, and measure outcomes and results through research and evaluation activities.

More info on progressive employment in Maine: https://www.maine.gov/rehab/pet/

Pictured: MDOL's Liz Nitzel and Ryan Fitzgerald with the group.

06/20/2025

Our Talking Books program for the blind and visually impaired is extremely popular! We average over 6,000 digital books downloaded and nearly 1,000 cartridges loaded with recorded books each month. It's a great, free service for anyone with blindness, visual impairment, or reading disabilities who loves books. Learn more about Talking Books, including how to register, at https://www.maine.gov/msl/outreach/lbph/talkingbooks/index.shtml

03/17/2025

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Looking for a career you love? You're in luck! Check out your local CareerCenter, or the new online virtual CareerCenter: https://www.myworksourcemaine.gov/

03/03/2025

March 24th at 10 a.m. there will be an Audio Descriptions Pilot event featuring the family friendly show, A Year with Frog and Toad, at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland.

We have 25 tickets for individuals who are blind and visually impaired, and their driver/DBVI staff to attend!

More information and how to sign up at the link:

10/09/2024

Thinking about starting your own business? Join Maine SBDC Business Advisors Tina Oddleifson and Peter Harriman for this free webinar. In this session, we'll explore key questions to help you determine if entrepreneurship is the right path for you. We'll also discuss specific resources available to entrepreneurs with disabilities to help them on their journey to business ownership.

This webinar is perfect for anyone who:

• Has a business idea but isn't sure where to begin.
• Wants to understand the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.
• Is curious about the resources available to business owners with disabilities in Maine.

This webinar is being hosted in partnership with the Maine Department of Labor's Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. It is designed specifically for individuals with disabilities.

ASL Interpretation and live captioning will be provided for this session. If you require additional accommodations to participate in this webinar, please let us know as soon as possible. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Event is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/yc58wnpc