Resources for the Blind

What Resources for the Blind does

Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI) is a Philippines-based non-profit, Christian service agency founded in 1970 that delivers inclusive education, assistive technology, low vision clinical training, job placement, and accessible media production to visually impaired and deaf individuals. The organization operates three regional offices spanning the country's three major island groups — Manila (Luzon), Cebu City (Visayas), and Davao City (Mindanao) — and serves beneficiaries through sponsorship programs for visually impaired students, Braille production, computer training using NVDA screen-reader software, and the USAID-funded Gabay Project supporting Filipino Sign Language education for deaf learners. RBI's recent digital initiatives include the Empowering Pathways Job Directory (a digital platform showcasing over 80 career paths, funded by The Nippon Foundation) and the Gabay Project online resource platform.

RBI's revenue model is grant-dependent, with all services provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Funding flows from donations, grants, and international development organizations, notably USAID and The Nippon Foundation, supplemented by partnerships with the Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Overbrook-Nippon Network on Educational Technology (ON-NET), and regional peers in Indonesia (MitraNetra) and Vietnam (SAOMAI). The organization's technology stack is built on third-party assistive tools rather than proprietary AI, and its competitive position rests on institutional longevity, nationwide physical reach, and a dense network of donor and government relationships that are difficult for new entrants to replicate.

Name

Resources for the Blind

Legal name

Resources for the Blind, Inc.

Website

https://blind.org.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Resources for the Blind, Inc. is a Philippine non-profit founded in 1970 that delivers inclusive education, assistive technology, clinical training, job placement, and accessible media to visually impaired and deaf individuals across Manila, Cebu, and Davao, funded primarily through grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Inclusive Education Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Computer Access & Alternative Input (Switch, Eye Gaze, Head/Mouse, Keyboards) (EDAKAIAD), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)

Keywords

• Assistive technology services
• Inclusive education programs
• Braille production services
• Vision rehabilitation services
• Job placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Non-profit organization funded through donations, grants, and support from international organizations such as USAID and The Nippon Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI) delivers a portfolio of programs for visually impaired and deaf individuals in the Philippines, including inclusive education sponsorship, higher education support, low vision assessment and intervention, low vision specialty training for eye-care professionals, family and social adjustment counseling, job placement, accessible media and braille production, and special projects such as the Gabay Project and iStrength. Services are delivered through offices in Manila, Cebu, and Davao and supported by international development partners including USAID and The Nippon Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gabay Project: A special project focused on supporting education for children with visual and hearing impairments, implemented with USAID funding.
• iStrength

Products and services

• Inclusive Education Sponsorship Program
• Higher Education Support
• Low Vision Assessment and Intervention
• Low Vision Specialty Training
• Family and Social Adjustment Services (Counseling)
• Job Placement Services
• Accessible Media Productions (Braille Production)
• Advocacy Program

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAID partnered with RBI for the Gabay Project, providing funding support to implement inclusive education initiatives for deaf learners, including Filipino Sign Language promotion and early grade reading assessment programs.
• Philippines Central Engagement Services Inc. (PCES)strategicTechnology or IntegrationTechnical collaboration partner for building and refining the Empowering Pathways Job Directory platform, providing essential technical expertise for the digital job board.
• Yayasan MitraNetra (Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration partner from Indonesia contributing to best practices in accessibility and inclusivity across Southeast Asia for the job directory platform.
• SAOMAI (Vietnam)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration partner from Vietnam strengthening the project through cross-border knowledge sharing on accessibility and inclusivity best practices.
• Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDICT Regional Office 7 in Cebu provided the Digital Transformation Center (DTC) venue for computer training programs under the SPARK (Strengthening the Philippine Workforce through Adaptive and Responsive Digital Knowledge) program.
• Overbrook-Nippon Network on Educational Technology (ON-NET)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for computer training using NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) software, providing technical training for persons with visual impairment in the Visayas Region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CBM Global Disability Inclusion: International disability-focused development organization working in low- and middle-income countries; comparable in inclusive education programming and grant-funded operational model targeting persons with disabilities.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic institution serving blind and deafblind individuals through education, accessibility, and international programs; comparable in cross-disability inclusive education and assistive technology training.
• American Foundation for the Blind: US-based non-profit providing services, publications, and advocacy for people with vision loss; comparable in offering accessible media, low-vision resources, and employment programs at a national scale.
• Helen Keller International: Global health non-profit addressing blindness prevention and nutrition; comparable in vision-loss services combined with international development grant funding.
• Sightsavers: International non-profit focused on preventing avoidable blindness and promoting disability inclusion in developing countries; comparable in grant-funded delivery model and inclusive education programming in low-resource settings.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): UK charity providing information, support, and advocacy for people with sight loss; comparable in braille production, accessible reading materials, employment support, and assistive technology training.
• National Federation of the Blind (Philippines / US): National advocacy and service organization for blind individuals; comparable to RBI in mission, blindness-specific programming, and assistive technology training focus.

Direct peers

• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired: San Francisco-based non-profit serving blind and visually impaired individuals with training, employment, and adaptive technology services; closely aligned with RBI's mix of training, employment placement, and adaptive technology offerings.

Regional players

• Yayasan Mitra Netra: Indonesian non-profit supporting blind and visually impaired individuals through education, training, and employment; directly comparable as an existing RBI collaboration partner for the Empowering Pathways Job Directory.
• SAOMAI Vietnam: Vietnamese organization working on accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities; comparable regional Southeast Asian peer and current RBI collaboration partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RBI_PH
• Facebookfacebook.com/resourcesfortheblind
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resourcesfortheblindinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Resources for the Blind