Mission and Philosophy
MISSION
The mission of State Services for the Blind (SSB) is to facilitate the achievement of vocational and personal independence by Minnesotans who are blind, visually impaired or DeafBlind.
PHILOSOPHY
Webster* defines a philosophy as "a particular system of principles for the conduct of life." For SSB, it is what we believe about blindness and blind people, and it guides our work.
SSB has a philosophy because we are an agency serving the blind, visually impaired and DeafBlind, and all of us have beliefs, whether they are written down or not. We want everyone who works at SSB to be on the same page. We also want to influence others.
Blindness is a natural part of the human experience, a characteristic, like the hundreds of others, which, taken together, mold each of us into a unique human being.
- People who are blind are a cross-section of society as a whole, mirroring society in every way with the same hopes, interests, and desires, the same dreams, abilities and potential as everyone else.
- Most all the physical limitations associated with blindness can be overcome by learning and using alternative techniques for doing without sight what you would do with sight.
- With appropriate education, training and opportunity, persons who are blind can achieve in the world of work, can be independent in their home and community, can have and take care of a family, can be a tax-paying and participating citizen and can be in every way a contributing member of society who can compete equally with his or her sighted neighbors.
- Everyone has different dreams and expectations, attitudes and aptitudes, potential and possibilities-so an important ingredient to our programs is informed customer choice.
- Our job is to encourage high expectations and independence and provide the services needed to achieve customer goals while respecting customer choice. Success depends greatly on the effort and commitment by the customer.
* Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, 2001