MAPVI: Massachusetts Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired

MAPVI stands for the Massachusetts Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired. MAPVI was a Massachusetts non-profit organization dedicated to sharing information and resources relating to raising visually impaired children.

Unfortunately, MAPVI was dissolved in 2019 and is no longer active.

MAPVI members were the parents and extended family of children with vision impairments as well as professionals who work with visually impaired students.

Families in MAPVI had children ranging in age from infancy to adulthood with many types and severities of visual impairments. Some kids were in early intervention programs, while others were in mainstreamed, specialized, or vocational educational settings.

MAPVI would help families by connecting them with local resources, providing a network of support, and organizing fun social events for the entire family. MAPVI would support families when their child had surgeries or hospital stays, they would help advocate, or help with navigating Chapter 766 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

MAPVI also provided regional representatives from around the state.

MAPVI also included professional members who shared many of the same concerns pertaining to the education and services visually impaired children need to achieve success and independence.

MAPVI also organized all sorts of fun social events for its members. You can see some photos from past events below!