Case Study: Alphapointe
Courtesy of Alphapointe
Background
In October 2019, the Fund approved an 18-month grant of $294,000 to Alphapointe, a Kansas City-headquartered nonprofit that operates manufacturing and service businesses employing adults who are blind, to support the renovation of independent living training, meeting, and office spaces on the second floor of its new building in Queens; the purchase and installation of adaptive technology; and a portion of the staffing needed to provide adaptive training services in the new space.
Results
Despite unexpected delays, this ambitious project was brought to a notably successful conclusion in late 2022. Since completion of the Training Enrichment Center in Fall of 2022, over 7,300 hours of training have been provided and the Center is proving a key resource. In fact, Alphapointe is in the process of hiring more instructional staff to meet the demand for training. At last tally, 38 consumers have received employment services, 23 of whom found competitive jobs. More than 40 people have received ADL and vision rehabilitation services through the new kitchen/ADL center. The new space has effectively expanded Alphapointe’s capacity to provide training on adaptive technology, activities of daily living, and other areas of vocational instruction, as well as support critical to people with vision loss living and working independently.