Division of Blind Services
The Division of Blind Services is a Florida state government agency under the Department of Education that provides free vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and educational programs to blind and visually impaired Floridians of all ages through a statewide network of offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1941
- Headquarters—
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Division of Blind Services does
The Division of Blind Services (DBS) is a Florida state government agency operating under the Florida Department of Education, founded in 1941 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. DBS provides comprehensive services to blind and visually impaired Floridians of all ages—from infants and students to working adults and seniors—through a statewide network of regional offices. The agency offers a portfolio of programs including the Blind Babies Program for early intervention, the Children's Program, the Transition Program for students moving to employment or higher education, the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, the Independent Living Program, the Florida Braille and Talking Book Library (described as one of the largest of its kind nationally), the Business Enterprise Program for entrepreneurs, Employer Services, and the Career, Technology, and Training Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
DBS's business model is government-funded rather than revenue-generating; all services are provided at no cost to eligible blind and visually impaired Floridians, with operational funding flowing from state and federal government appropriations. The agency employs 73 people and is led by Interim Director Trina Travis. Service distribution occurs through a statewide network of regional offices, with the official website serving as the primary intake channel and Facebook and Twitter used for community engagement. The agency maintains strategic partnerships with the Blind Services Foundation of Florida, the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Rehab Council for the Blind, and a network of approved service providers.
The organization's core technical capability centers on assistive technology resources and dedicated training infrastructure, rather than proprietary software platforms. DBS has published a Strategic Plan covering 2026-2030 and a Combined State Plan covering 2024-2027, indicating ongoing programmatic planning. The agency's competitive position is rooted in its statutory mandate, 85-year operational history, statewide physical infrastructure, and specialized expertise in blindness services rather than technology differentiation.
Division of Blind Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Division of Blind Services
- Legal name
- Florida Division of Blind Services
- Website
- https://dbs.myflorida.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1941
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Division of Blind Services is a Florida state government agency under the Department of Education that provides free vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and educational programs to blind and visually impaired Floridians of all ages through a statewide network of offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Division of Blind Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs (EDAAAOAI)
Keywords
Division of Blind Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Division of Blind Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DBS is a Florida state government agency that provides vocational rehabilitation, independent living, education, and employment support services to blind and visually impaired Floridians of all ages. Its service portfolio includes early intervention for infants, children's programs, transition support for students, vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology training, and a Braille and Talking Book Library. Complementary offerings include Employer Services to support workplace accommodations and the Business Enterprise Program, which enables eligible individuals to operate vending and food service businesses.
Product overview
The Division of Blind Services (DBS) is a Florida state government agency under the Department of Education that offers a comprehensive, multi-program service portfolio for blind and visually impaired Floridians. The organization operates as a single integrated service platform with distinct program modules including the Blind Babies Program, Children's Program, Transition Program, and Vocational Rehabilitation Program for different life stages, alongside specialized services such as the Braille and Talking Book Library (one of the nation's largest), the Business Enterprise Program for entrepreneurial opportunities, Employer Services, and the Career, Technology, and Training Center. Additional resources include Assistive Technology, the Senior Equipment and Training Project (SET), the See Different Initiative, and the Get There Initiative for college access. Together, these programs form a statewide network providing individual services for daily living, education, and employment support across all ages from infants to seniors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Blind Babies Program Early intervention program designed to support infants and families in building foundational skills for development and independence.
- Florida Braille and Talking Book Library One of the largest and most utilized libraries of its kind in the nation, providing accessible reading materials for individuals with visual impairments.
- Business Enterprise Program Provides entrepreneurial opportunities for eligible individuals to operate vending and food service businesses.
- Children's Program Services designed to help children with visual impairments build skills for education, daily living, and social development.
- Employer Services Programs supporting employers with hiring and workplace success for visually impaired employees.
- Independent Living Program Individual services that help clients build skills for daily living, education, and employment.
- Career, Technology, and Training Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Provides technology training and career development services specifically designed for blind and visually impaired individuals.
- Transition Program Supports students transitioning from school to employment or higher education with targeted services and resources.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Program Comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services helping individuals with visual impairments achieve employment goals.
- Assistive Technology Resources Provides information and access to assistive technologies that support independence and productivity for individuals with visual impairments.
- Senior Equipment and Training Project (SET) Specialized equipment and training services for seniors to maintain independence and quality of life.
- See Different Initiative Initiative providing resources and information for individuals with visual impairments.
- Get There Initiative Special Populations College Services Resource Guide helping visually impaired students access higher education.
Companies that use Division of Blind Services
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Division of Blind Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Division of Blind Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Blind Services Foundation of Florida, Inc.coreNon-profit foundation that supports the mission of DBS through fundraising, awareness, and additional resources for blind and visually impaired Floridians.
- Florida Department of EducationcoreParent state agency under which DBS operates as a division, providing oversight, funding, and policy alignment with statewide education initiatives.
- Florida Rehab Council for the BlindcoreAdvisory council that provides guidance and oversight for rehabilitation services for the blind, ensuring stakeholder input in program development and implementation.
- Service ProvidersminorNetwork of approved service providers delivering specialized programs and services to DBS clients throughout Florida.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Division of Blind Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Helen Keller Services: Provides rehabilitation and education services for individuals with vision and hearing loss, overlapping with DBS's Career/Tech/Training Center and Independent Living offerings.
- American Foundation for the Blind: National nonprofit providing research, advocacy, and direct services for people with vision loss, closely paralleling DBS's rehabilitation, accessibility, and employer-facing programs.
- Perkins School for the Blind: Education and rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired students across the lifespan, overlapping DBS's Children's, Transition, and career training programs.
- National Industries for the Blind (NIB): Nationwide employment-focused organization creating jobs for blind Americans, directly comparable to DBS's Business Enterprise Program and vocational rehabilitation employment mandate.
- National Federation of the Blind: National advocacy and service organization for blind individuals, mirroring DBS's mission across independent living, education, and employment support at a national scale.
- Lighthouse Guild: Nonprofit delivering vision-loss rehabilitation, technology training, and behavioral health services—directly comparable to DBS's rehab, technology training, and independent living programs.
Broad incumbents
- California Department of Rehabilitation: Larger state vocational rehabilitation agency operating across the full disability spectrum; a direct structural peer to DBS but with a much broader mandate that includes non-visual disabilities.
Others
- Vispero (Freedom Scientific / Enhanced Vision): Leading assistive technology vendor for the blind (screen readers, magnifiers). Connected as the technology supplier ecosystem that DBS's assistive-technology programs depend on.
Emerging players
- Hadley: Nonprofit providing distance-learning programs for people with vision loss, increasingly competing with public VR agencies on remote independent-living and technology training.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Division of Blind Services social profiles
Digital presenceDivision of Blind Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Division of Blind Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Division of Blind Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Division of Blind Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Division of Blind Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Division of Blind Services
What does Division of Blind Services do?
DBS is a Florida state government agency that provides vocational rehabilitation, independent living, education, and employment support services to blind and visually impaired Floridians of all ages. Its service portfolio includes early intervention for infants, children's programs, transition support for students, vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology training, and a Braille and Talking Book Library. Complementary offerings include Employer Services to support workplace accommodations and the Business Enterprise Program, which enables eligible individuals to operate vending and food service businesses.
Is Division of Blind Services a public or private company?
Division of Blind Services is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Division of Blind Services founded?
Division of Blind Services was founded in 1941. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Who are Division of Blind Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Helen Keller Services, American Foundation for the Blind, Perkins School for the Blind, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), National Federation of the Blind and Lighthouse Guild. California Department of Rehabilitation is listed as a broad incumbent. Vispero (Freedom Scientific / Enhanced Vision) is listed as an others. Hadley is listed as an emerging player.
Does Division of Blind Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Division of Blind Services.
What industry is Division of Blind Services in?
Division of Blind Services's product category is Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAI, Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs. Its NAICS code is 6243 and its SIC code is 7361.