Tom and Greg Blackman own EYE Can See, located at 6311 Westfield Boulevard, Suite 103-A. Their products and services provide support for individuals with low vision or blindness that assists them in their daily lives.

"I have a master's degree in blind rehabilitation and have taught Orientation and Mobility for many years and then developed an interest in adaptive technology which includes low vision devices and computer access software for blind individuals as well as for students with learning disabilities. We started the business around 16 years ago. We've been here in Broad Ripple for a little over a year," Blackman explained.

The selection of their Broad Ripple office has been advantageous. "We thought that this seemed like a good and practical location that is easy for people to find. We were looking for a certain rental rate where we could be on the first floor and have wheel chair accessibility and parking. The name (EYE Can See) is something that I thought of that people could remember, something that would be memorable, but positive," he noted.

EYE Can See's mission includes "Assessing and meeting each individual's needs by providing on-site demos, delivery, set-up, training and continual support for all that use our products. Eye Can See is the authorized local dealer in Indiana, Kentucky and Metro Cincinnati for several of the best manufacturers of low-vision and blindness products."

Blackman described their work, "It's basically demonstrating and showing products to people who know and need them and to optometrists who can share information to their patients. We work with different manufacturers of these products to get the word out that they are available and try to demonstrate them as often as we can to people and groups of individuals. We are the middle man between the manufacturer, the end user, the rehab center and the eye doctor. We can also supply people with local and discounted pricing. We can sell it for less than that because we work with them and we try to pass along discounts to people."

EYE Can See's clients include various non-profit groups and local schools. "We work with Easter Seals, The Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Crossroads Rehabilitation and Bosma Enterprises. We work with people with macular degeneration. A retired schoolteacher recently bought a few items. We found some good refurbished equipment for him that would meet his budget," Blackman said.

Their variety of visual aids meets a range of various individuals' specialized needs. "We go from simple low-tech, hand-held magnifiers up to desktop electronic reading and writing machines. We have scanners that scan text and read it to blind people. We also have computer software for blind and low vision users. We don't sell ADL (adaptive daily living) items like cooking aids or large print playing cards. We refer people to Bosma Enterprises for those kind of things, like a talking wristwatch or a large-print clock and they refer people to us."

EYE Can See covers a wide-ranging sales area, as Blackman mentioned, "We're a direct authorized dealer for Indiana and Kentucky. It's kind of like a protected territory for us. An individual in Louisville helps us there, making it more effective for us than to go there. He has had low vision for about 10 years and uses some of the equipment that he sells. Prior to that, he was in newspaper advertising. We sell products really all over the state of Indiana and to Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation and to private paying people. We sell to K-12 schools that buy from us and universities like Ivy Tech and some items to the Veterans Administration." Many of their products can be viewed at: www.eyecanseeinc.com, but individuals are encouraged to call 258-6747 or 413-7835 for an in-store demonstration. Inquiries can also be e-mailed on their "Contact Us" page at: www.eyecanseeinc.com/contact.

A career change brought Blackman's son, Greg, into the business, which positively impacted their operations. "He was a salesperson and was looking for something where he could have more normal hours and something more in helping people. He had helped me before part-time and knew what we did. He decided that this would be better for him. He's been with us for about two years. He encouraged us to open up this demo center (in Broad Ripple). Prior to this, I worked out of my home. I had a person call me from Frankfort and was willing to visit here. We used to travel a lot more, so it's really a much more effective way to use our time. We go out and do repairs for customers who have brought equipment from us," he said.

Blackman mentioned the rewards of their work: "Helping people find a solution, whether it be low- or high-tech and helping them find a solution that they didn't know existed, like helping them read and write, use a computer or watch television. Usually, when people get a reading and writing machine from us, if it breaks, they'll call us. They depend on these products so much because they live alone and don't have anybody to see for them. They use these products a lot. It's just rewarding to see them remain independent."

Tom and Greg Blackman are making EYE Can See the clear choice for visually impaired and blind individuals, groups and schools with their specialty vision products available on-line and at their Broad Ripple location.