Division of Blind Services

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.

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

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

• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Assistive technology training
• Independent living programs
• Accessible library services
• Blindness support services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blind Services Foundation of Florida, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit foundation that supports the mission of DBS through fundraising, awareness, and additional resources for blind and visually impaired Floridians.
• Florida Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent state agency under which DBS operates as a division, providing oversight, funding, and policy alignment with statewide education initiatives.
• Florida Rehab Council for the BlindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory council that provides guidance and oversight for rehabilitation services for the blind, ensuring stakeholder input in program development and implementation.
• Service ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of approved service providers delivering specialized programs and services to DBS clients throughout Florida.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/FLBlindServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/FloridaBlindServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/division-of-blind-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Division of Blind Services