The Chicago Lighthouse is a non-profit organization located in Chicago, Illinois. The Lighthouse is one of the oldest social service agencies in Chicago. Among the many programs it offers are a school for children with multi-disabilities; job training and placement; a low vision clinic; and a manufacturing facility that boasts the nation's sole contract to supply clocks to the U.S. government. The Lighthouse is regarded as the most comprehensive agency of its kind in the Midwest and a model agency nationally. During its existence, The Chicago Lighthouse has improved the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired and has provided opportunities toward increased independent living. History The Chicago Lighthouse was founded by a group of blind and sighted women volunteers in 1906 and called the "Improvement Association for the Blind". Its founding purpose was to provide basic care and community services for blind and visually impaired individuals. By 1918, The Chicago Lighthouse trained and placed 46 blind or visually impaired men and women in competitive work. Job opportunities included crafting coffin handles and edges, assembling various products such as electrical wires for Edison Appliance Company, and hand weaving baskets, which were later to be sold as gift items in the shops and holiday catalogs of Marshall Field's. In 1931, The Chicago Lighthouse's original name, "Improvement Association for the Blind", was changed to "The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind". In 1955, The Chicago Lighthouse hosted a dedication ceremony of a new building at which Helen Keller was the keynote speaker. Helen Keller was a common visitor to the lighthouse's annual dinners during the 1940s and 1950s. The Chicago Lighthouse Low Vision Clinic – the first of its kind in the Midwest and the second in the nation – was formally established in 1957, involving both the Illinois Optometric Association and the Chicago Ophthalmological Society, to provide low vision services for people whose vision cannot be improved with standard corrective lenses. The agency officially changed its name from "The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind" to "The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" in 1999. In 2015, the organization shortened its official name to simply The Chicago Lighthouse. Assistive Technologies In 2020, the Chicago Lighthouse obtained an assistive device called the OrCam MyEye 2.0 which was provided to a number of employees. The MyEye 2.0 is voice-activated and allows visually impaired people to comprehend text