History:
The Iris Network is one of the oldest and most respected, community-benefit, nonprofit agencies in Maine. William J. Ryan, a visually-impaired traveling almanac salesman, formed the organization in 1905. Ryan was a passionate advocate for the people who were visually impaired that he had met in his travels around the State. To help them overcome poverty and isolation, he organized the Maine Institution for the Blind, creating opportunities to learn a trade, earn a living way, and live independently.
Ryan corresponded with Helen Keller, Joshua Chamberlain, and other leaders to promote his new organization. In 1905, Helen Keller wrote a letter to the Maine State legislature and in 1907, she, along with the Gorham Dames, hosted the agency’s first fundraiser, generating $1,000. People came from diverse locations to live and work at the Center, crafting caned chairs, brooms, mattresses, and other textile products, selling their wares, and becoming an important social group in southern Maine.
In the 1980s, the agency, known as the Maine Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired responded to changing demographics. 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.
Since 2000, the agency, known as The Iris Network, continues its commitment to opportunity, partnership, and community in support of people with vision impairment or blindness. In 2006, Iris Park Apartments opened for up to 35 residents to live at a level I assisted living facility in Portland. In 2015, we launched the Rehabilitation Center for pre-vocational training and primary vision rehabilitation including independent living skills and access technology training.
Mission – Vision – Values:
MISSION:
- Helping people with vision impairment or blindness attain independence and community integration.
VISION:
- Building a world where no person is limited by vision impairment or blindness and everyone is an advocate for eye health and the needs of people with vision impairment or blindness.
VALUES:
- The Iris Network recognizes the diverse aspirations and abilities of people with vision impairment or blindness. 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.