“ Without the assistance of the Iris Network

I’d still be sitting in my chair and I know It." - FM

About Us

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Iris Network

Mission, Vision, Values

 

Mission:

The Iris Network is a statewide resource and catalyst for people who are visually impaired or blind so they can attain their determined level of independence and integration into the community.

 

Vision:

·    We are nationally recognized as a leader creating support and opportunities for independence, working in partnership with people who are visually impaired or blind, and educating and involving the entire community.  

·    We continuously eliminate barriers related to vision loss. We use state-of-the-art methods and technology to offer services in response to changing needs of individuals across Maine.  

·    We make a positive difference in the lives of people with visual impairment.  

Values: 

·    The Iris Network recognizes the diverse aspirations and abilities of people who are visually impaired or blind.  

·    Our services are based on respect for each individual’s right to self-direction through informed choices.  

·    We believe that the education and integration of all individuals will result in a stronger society.

History of the Iris Network:

The Iris Network is one of the oldest and most respected non-profit agencies in Maine. William J. Ryan, a visually-impaired traveling almanac salesman, formed our organization in 1905. Ryan was passionately concerned about people who were visually impaired or blind he had met in his travels around the state. He wanted to help them conquer poverty and isolation. He formed the Maine Institution for the Blind to create opportunities for individuals with vision loss to learn a trade, earn a living wage, and live in community.

Ryan corresponded with Helen Keller and other leaders to promote his new organization. In 1907, Miss Keller hosted the Maine Institution for the Blind’s first fundraiser, generating $1,000—$21,638 today—to support the organization. People came from diverse locations to live and work at the center. They caned chairs, made brooms, mattresses, and other textile products, sold their wares, and became an important social group in southern Maine.

As the 20^th century progressed, the number of people who were visually impaired or blind grew, and their goals also grew and diversified. In the 1980s, the Maine Center for the Blind responded to these changes. The center shifted from offering sheltered workshops to developing and delivering individualized programs of training, education, and support so people might live in their own homes, engage in work of their own choosing, and contribute to their own communities.   

Today, our organization is the Iris Network. Our name has changed, but our commitments to opportunity, partnership, and community still guide us. In the first few years of the twenty-first century, we formed an array of new programs and resources—the Iris Network Low Vision Clinic, the Maine Audio Information and Reading Service, statewide support groups, and residential services at the Iris Park Apartments. In 2008, we are further diversifying our services with programs in assistive technologies and the arts.