Alphapointe - New York

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Alphapointe - New York

Alphapointe is a non-profit organization that has continued to serve people who are blind and visually impaired since 1911.

Alphapointe is the single largest employer of people who are blind in the greater New York area.

09/02/2026

Movement matters most… when it’s forward.

According to the Big Data Project, a collaborative research effort involving Alphapointe and other BVI organizations, people who are blind or visually impaired continue to face significantly lower employment rates than their sighted peers.

In Missouri and Kansas, for instance, fewer than half are employed, underscoring the ongoing need for greater access to opportunities, training, and support.

After becoming visually impaired in her twenties, Tiffany Edins spent most of her days at home.

“I just sat around or hung out with friends,” she admits. “I felt like I didn’t have a purpose.”

In 2014, Tiffany’s purpose would find her.

Tiffany began working for Alphapointe as a machine operator, but it wasn’t long before her talents were recognized, and her hard work and dedication paid off, resulting in a promotion to supervisor. Over the course of a 12-year career – and still going - Tiffany has made it up to manager of the department where her journey began.

“It means so much to me to be in a position where I can use my mind, move up, and I know I am valued,” says Tiffany. “It has given me that sense of purpose that I did not have sitting at home.”

Tiffany is just one of many examples of two things: 1) that vision loss is not a barrier to achieving professional goals, and 2) that moving up – here at Alphapointe and elsewhere – is always possible for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Indeed, Tiffany is one of many people who are blind or visually impaired not going through life on the wrong side of a statistic.

To learn more about hiring incredible talent, visit the Alphapointe website for more information use this URL: https://www.alphapointe.org/careers-job-placement/

[Image description: Tiffany is standing in the Alphapointe Office Products Department and she is smiling while looking at the camera.]

09/01/2026

Even when you have only paws you can still open doors.

Today we honor the dogs who live in service to humans since September is National Service Dog Month.
…

For those living with vision loss who have chosen the assistance of a guide dog, many say that nothing has ever made them feel more confident, independent, and safe.

Alphapointe client Alex knows firsthand how life altering it is to have a guide dog.
“When I was younger, I was extremely timid.” says Alex. “Even with my cane, I was constantly clinging to my mother and wouldn’t go anywhere by myself.”

Alex states that within six months of utilizing her guide dog, Jango, there was no stopping her.

“He completely changed my life,” she says. “I can go anywhere I want, and I know he will keep me safe. I’m so much more independent than I ever thought possible. I feel free.”

Recently, due to health issues, Alex must use a wheelchair, but thanks to her current guide dog, even being in a wheelchair has not slowed her down.

Alex is just one of so many individuals with vision loss who, because of their guide dogs, have experienced a level of confidence and independence that they previously did not think possible.

So, here’s to the dogs who guide us, the experiences they enrich, and the lives that they change. As Alex says: “My guide dog helps me get around safely in a world that really isn’t designed with me in mind.”

[Image descriptions: 1. This is Mercedes, who is the guide dog for Melvin, an Alphapointe team member. Mercedes is seated and looking up; 2. Alex is seated in her wheelchair and smiling at the camera. Her dog was not with her on this day.]

08/31/2026

Wherever you are on your vision loss journey, we'll meet you there.

Some people come to Alphapointe with years of experience navigating vision loss and are ready to build on the skills they already have. Others are adjusting to vision loss for the very first time and learning everything from the ground up.

Hear from Alphapointe client Mitchel about the training, support, and guidance that help people gain confidence and independence at every stage of their journey.

[Image description: This video features Cameron and Mitchell on camera.}

08/28/2026

A Story of Dedication, Friendship, and 24 Years of Service

For 24 years and 30 days, our Assistant Sewing Supervisor came to work bringing with her something truly special beyond her time. She brought talent, knowledge ...

Over the years, Hai Yin became so much more than a supervisor. She was a teacher, a mentor, a supporter, and a friend. She patiently trained and guided our sewing machine operators, shared her experience, encouraged others when they needed it most, and helped countless people grow in their work.

Day after day, year after year, she gave her best to Alphapointe and to the people around her. Her dedication has left a lasting mark, not only on the work we do, but on the lives of the people she has touched.

Now, after nearly a quarter of a century with us, she has decided it is time to turn the page and begin a new chapter in her life.

While saying goodbye is never easy, we are incredibly grateful for the powerful story she has helped create here. We will miss her presence, her guidance, her laughter, and the special place she has held in are Alphapointe family.

As she begins this new journey, we wish her nothing but happiness, good health, peace, and many wonderful adventures ahead.

Thank you for 24 years and 30 days of dedication and love. Your story will always be a part of ours.

[Image description: Hai Yan is standing behind a table. She is smiling at the camera. In front of her is a large cake with the message "Congratulations on your retirement Hai Yan." The cake is flanked by two vases filled with red and yellow flowers; 2. A group of team members are standing together with Hai Yan. They are behind a large table draped

08/26/2026

Life can change… instantly.

Tara Hopkins was 38 years old when her life as a mother and a medical professional would be permanently altered.

Check out the latest episode of Foresight to learn more about Tara, her life before vision loss, and her journey beyond it.

[Image description: This is a video with Tara on camera while seated.]

08/24/2026

This week, Alphapointe's Wellness Group got together to make homemade cleaning supplies, but the real goal was something even more important: building connections, sharing a few laughs, relieving stress, and supporting one another.

Because a stronger team starts with people who take time to connect.

{image description: Alphapointe team members are at a long table as they work on making their cleaning supplies.]

08/21/2026

Hey, remember Dave Keller?

Dave began his vision loss journey in his early thirties, and after a few years of coming to terms with his visual impairment, he came to Alphapointe.

He successfully graduated from our Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program, and has now returned to Alphapointe in our Kansas City location … on staff.

Dave is currently managing our Connecting Pointe store, where he has the opportunity to help and interact with patients and clients just like him, which makes Dave not just a former client, but a valuable member of the Alphapointe team.

“Before Alphapointe, I was just sitting at home, bored and going stir crazy,” says Dave. “Working for Alphapointe has given me a sense of purpose, made me feel like a productive member of society again. I’m so grateful there is a place like Alphapointe for those living with vision loss.”

Dave likes to stay busy, so he is working two different jobs. When he's not at Alphapointe, he's working at a golf course.

Dave was a part of our Foresight series. You can see his episode using the URL: https://youtu.be/mWxlMWZi3Ys?si=C9XCIM_iY6RVUh3G

[Image description: Dave is standing and smiling at the camera. He is behind the counter at Alphapointe's Connecting Pointe store.]

08/19/2026

At Alphapointe, we’re more than a nonprofit. And we’re more than a manufacturer.
We exist to walk alongside people with vision loss at every stage of life, offering real support, real opportunity, and real hope.

That means creating meaningful jobs for people who are too often left out of opportunities … but who have all the talents and skills to succeed in many different ways.

It means providing comprehensive rehabilitation for adults adapting to vision loss so they can build skills, confidence, and develop the tools needed not just to get by, but to live independently AND thrive.

It means standing with older adults who feel like their options are shrinking. We do that by offering care and follow-up therapy so they can remain safe, capable, and confident in their own homes.

And it means making sure kids and teens with vision loss don’t have to navigate childhood alone by creating year-round programs designed for them, where they can learn, grow, build friendships, and simply enjoy being kids.

Yes, we are a manufacturer. A provider of professional services for businesses of all types. And a nonprofit serving the BVI community with services to help them grow and achieve their dreams.

All with the idea of changing the way the world sees blindness.

[Devin is standing on a mobile ladder inside our ACS Warehouse (Administration of Children's Services) and looking at product inventory. He is surrounded by aisles of products on shelves.

08/17/2026

Adaptation.

It can sound complicated, but sometimes it’s beautifully simple.

This board is a perfect example. At first glance, it may seem like a small thing. But for someone with vision loss, small adaptations can make a world of difference.

It reflects a simple truth: people who are blind or visually impaired can do just about anything. They may just do it differently.

For clients in Alphapointe’s Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program, each day includes classes such as adaptive technology, orientation and mobility, Braille, and activities of daily living. Thanks to Alphapointe Instructor RJ Best, they now have a tactile way to know where they need to be when.

It’s a simple, thoughtful tool that helps clients move through their day with more confidence, independence, and ownership.

“The purpose of the tactile schedule is so that clients have autonomy from the time they start their journey at Alphapointe, no matter what skills or barriers they face,” RJ explains. “It also provides a sense of ownership of their time and learning here. Now, none of our clients need to rely on staff or sighted individuals to know what they are doing that day or where they need to go.”

That’s what adaptation is really about. Not changing what’s possible, but creating new ways to get there.

[Image description: RJ (left) is at the board looking back over her shoulder smiling. She is holding a laptop. Linda, Alphapointe Adaptive Technology instructor, is feeling the tactile devices RJ put together to help clients understand where they're supposed to be during the day. The board is separated into sections for each client and has circles, squares, triangles, and stars to indicate what class a person is in at what time.]

08/13/2026

“I feel safer and more comfortable at Alphapointe than I think I would at any other job.”

Lea began adapting to life with vision loss early in her life. Diagnosed with a cortical visual impairment which severely limited her vision, Lea grew up not so far from Alphapointe headquarters and became acquainted with Alphapointe at a young age through our Adventure Camp.

As a teen, Lea participated in STEP (Alphapointe's Summer Transitional Employment Program). She worked as a child care coordinator at a daycare. coordinator.

Having recently graduated from high school, Lea began searching for meaningful employment. When Alphapointe recruiter, Terrie Collins, contacted her, Leah told her she'd be happy to join the Alphapointe team in our Office Products Division.

“I feel like I am able to work just like anyone else, despite my visual impairment,” says Lea. “My co-workers are just like me, and understand what I have been through and am going through, so it is a very welcoming and supportive environment to work in.”

For Lea, the job goes beyond a paycheck. It's helping her build confidence and show the world that people with vision loss can get the job done.

[Image description: Lea is seated at a production table in the Alphapointe Office Products Division. Her arms are crossed and she is smiling at the camera. In the background there are other people working on products.]

Address

87-46 123rd Street
Richmond Hill, NY
11418

Telephone

+17188547300

Website

http://www.alphapointe.org/

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