December 2016 - NOMC - lists.nbpcb.org

FW: O&M Instructor Article
by ebell＠pdrib.com 29 Dec '16

29 Dec '16

Hello, This contact information is for a VR counselor who wants to talk to a blind O&M instructor who is employed in the field. She is trying to get justification for paying for a client to come to the O&M program but needs verification that blind people can actually teach travel. I know, half a century of progress and so many still don't get it. Still, if a few of you would not mind giving this person a call or email I would appreciate it. She does seem willing to help her client but this is such a foreign concept to her. Yanan (Nancy) Denninger, M.S., CRC Rehabilitation Counselor III Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired 1325 Corporate Blvd, Reno, NV 89502 775-823-8106 (phone) <mailto:y-denninger at nvdetr.org> y-denninger at nvdetr.org Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010 <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu <http://www.pdrib.com> www.pdrib.com ************************************************************** "I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." -- Stephen Jay Gould From: Yanan Denninger [mailto:y-denninger at nvdetr.org] Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 2:41 PM To: Edward Bell (ebell at pdrib.com) <ebell at pdrib.com> Subject: O&M Instructor Article Hi Dr. Bell, Thank you for working with me on this case. 1. Could you please send me some articles on individuals with blindness working as an O&M instructor? 2. How many legally blind students have graduated from your program and actually are working as O&M instructors? 3. It is possible to get one of your graduates who is legally blind contact information? I am asked to do an informational interview. Our administrator asked me to gather information on above questions. Thank you very much! Nancy Yanan (Nancy) Denninger, M.S., CRC Rehabilitation Counselor III Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired 1325 Corporate Blvd, Reno, NV 89502 775-823-8106 (phone) y-denninger at nvdetr.org <mailto:y-denninger at nvdetr.org>

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FW: Miscellaneous Matters-JOB Announcement and Braille Conversation
by ebell＠latech.edu 27 Dec '16

27 Dec '16

FYI, Job announcement, Please post the attached announcement for all of your NOMC-CERTIFIED Travel teachers to review. If candidates are interested, please have them contact Hugo Ruiz, copied on this message, but also have them copy me on their application. Applications, initially, should include their resume and verification of their NOMC status. I am especially keen to see that we secure NOMC-CERTIFIED candidates for the several positions that we have available. Your recent training has persuaded our team that those who have studied under your program would add meaningfully to our agency's work. There is no deadline for submissions; the positions will be opened until we have enough candidates to assume all of our vacancies. Finally, please convey to all of your NOMC-CERTIFIED teachers of travel that the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), under my leadership, will be welcoming of these potential employees, and will embrace the Structured Discovery model of teaching. Indeed, we hope to take aspects of this Orientation and Mobility philosophy and apply them in all training areas of our agency. If any doubt has ever existed as to whether CBVI would be receptive to receiving NOMC-CERTIFIED candidates, let me take this opportunity to make it clear that we do, and that we're eager to have candidates apply. Thank you for sharing this with the community of qualified Travel teachers with whom you are regularly in contact. Unrelated, Melissa, please reach out to Dr. Bell to schedule a telephone conversation for him, John Walsh, Eva Scott, and me at some point in early January to discuss the possibility of having Dr. Bell and his team provide UEB instruction to select members of our staff. Dr. Bell is copied on this E-mail, and he can offer you available dates, that you can then compare to our calendars. Thank you. With Kind Regards, Daniel B. Frye, JD. Executive Director State of New Jersey Department of Human Services Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired 153 Halsey Street, 6th Floor PO Box 47017 Newark, NJ. 07101 (973) 648-2324 (Office) (973) 951-1156 (Work Mobile) (410) 241-7006 (Personal Mobile) (973) 648-7364 (Work Fax) daniel.frye at dhs.state.nj.us (Work) danielfrye at earthlink.net (Personal) Please forgive any typographical or other errors that may appear in messages sent from this account; this is being sent from my Braille-Note Touch. This E-mail, including any attachments, may be intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the sender and recipient(s) named above. This message may include advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material and, as such, would be privileged and confidential and not a public document. Any Information in this e-mail identifying a client of the Department of Human Services or the Department of Children and Families is confidential. If you have received this e-mail in error, you must not review, transmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use or disseminate this e-mail or any attachments to it and you must delete this message. You are requested to notify the sender by return e-mail.

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Dare to be Remarkable: Save the Date
by ebell＠pdrib.com 22 Dec '16

22 Dec '16

National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute DARE TO BE REMARKABLE: Ten Years of Progress! A three-day national training conference for education and rehabilitation professionals who work with blind students and adults. Location National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, Maryland 21230 Date Monday, November 6 through Wednesday, November 8, 2017 Our first Dare to be Remarkable conference took place in December, 2007. After ten years of progress, professionals will once again assemble to share successes, strategies, and goals for the future. The conference will consist of plenary presentations, topical group work, and breakout sessions in the following areas: * Developing and implementing Structured Discovery methods and principles across the lifespan. * Establishing and maintaining the most productive program-wide philosophy on blindness. * Examining curricula, schedules, and activities from leading education and rehabilitation programs throughout the country. * Evaluating educational technologies, policies, and practices for teachers of blind students. * Reviewing rehabilitation methods, principles, and policies that effect instructors and administrators. * Discussing unique teaching techniques in core subject areas. * Exploring strategies for making a successful transition from education to rehabilitation. * Developing and implementing Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) strategies and programs. ***Continuing Education Credits will be available for conference participants*** Registration Registration includes all conference materials in alternative formats, lunches, periodic snack breaks, transportation to and from the hotel, and special hospitality/training events. On-line registration will be available February 1, 2017. * Pre-registration prior to October 13, 2017 is $400 per person. * Registration after October 13, 2017 will be $500 per person. Lodging A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, located at 550 Light Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, at a room rate of $169, plus tax, per night. This rate will be available to those that make their reservation before August 5, 2017. Participants should make reservations directly with the hotel by calling 410-347-9702 and referencing conference code 1105NFBDBR. A shuttle to and from the NFB Jernigan Institute will be provided for conference participants staying at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court. We will be issuing a call for papers early in 2017. Questions about the conference can be directed to: Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Phone: (318) 257-4554 Email: ebell at latech.edu The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. 2017 Dare To Be Remarkable Conference Sponsors: National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals National Association of Professionals in Blindness Education National Blindness Professional Certification Board Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010 <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu <http://www.pdrib.com> www.pdrib.com ************************************************************** "I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." -- Stephen Jay Gould

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Washington Seminar as Professional Development
by PRESIDENT＠alumni.ecu.edu 13 Dec '16

13 Dec '16

Aloha everyone, I have recently partaken in conversations about the legitimacy of attending the Washington Seminar of the National Federation of the Blind as part of the professional development of a mobility instructor holding the NOMC. I am writing to ask a few questions to see how this practice has been justified by others before me. On the NBPCB website, there is a section discussing recertification. It reads: Recertification NBPCB recognizes the need for Certified Blindness Professionals to continue their education and training in order to remain current on innovations and policies in the field. Therefore, individuals must reapply every five years for recertification in order to maintain active NOMC status. The Recertification process is designed to ensure that all certificants maintain their skills and knowledge as cane travel instructors, and to promote continuous education within the profession. Recertification can be met by either retesting or providing documentation of a minimum of 100 Continuing Education credits throughout the five-year certification period. The following activities are examples of opportunities which may be helpful in a crewing continued education credits: o Professional Conferences and Presentations o Contribution to published works in the field of rehabilitation for the blind o Providing professional preparation o Engaging in relevant training o Conducting research in the field of rehabilitation of the blind o Providing community service including rehabilitation of the blind o Governmental Affairs o Professional Ethics (10 points must come from this category) Given that statement, it seems obvious to me that attending Washington Seminar is professional development because it helps us get recertified. I am hearing, though, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the job of a mobility instructor and that there is no way that it can be justified as professional development. How exactly is it that others have successfully justified attending Washington Seminar as professional development? Thank you in advance, Justin Salisbury Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB Opportunity Ambassador National Federation of the Blind Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats

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FW: Job Posting
by jeff.altman＠nebraska.gov 12 Dec '16

12 Dec '16

From: Robinson, Dave Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 11:37 AM Subject: Job Posting Importance: High Good Morning Everyone, The Business Manager II position previously occupied by Leonard LeBental has been re-opened and will remain open until filled. Job description is attached. All interested parties will have to apply online at http://statejobs.nebraska.gov/ Applicants are encouraged to read through the directions for filling out the application, completely, before beginning the process, as improperly filled out or incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the agency for consideration. If you traditionally forward announcements to list serves, please feel free to do so with this announcement. Thanks. Dave Robinson Nebraska Commission For The Blind & Visually Impaired (402)-370-3453 - Phone (402)-370-3508 - FAX

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Position Announcements - VRC/SVRC and RT positions - Kansas City, MO
by Michael.A.StJulien＠dss.mo.gov 07 Dec '16

07 Dec '16

Good Morning, Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind is currently recruiting for 3 positions in our Kansas City District Office: * 2 Vocational Rehabilitation Positions; * 1 Rehabilitation Teacher position Please see the attached position postings for further details. If you have any questions regarding the positions please contact the District Supervisor, Rekha Nanchal, at 816-889-2850. Thank you. Michael St.Julien Assistant Deputy Director Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind 573-751-4989 (Office) 573-680-4074 (Cell) 573-751-4984 (Fax) michael.a.stjulien at dss.mo.gov "This communication is being transmitted by the Department of Social Services (DSS), and is confidential, privileged, and intended only for the use of the recipient named above. If you are not the intended recipient, unauthorized disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this in error, please notify the sender and destroy the material received."

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FW: ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SPECIALIST 4 POSITIONS
by ebell＠pdrib.com 07 Dec '16

07 Dec '16

The New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), a division within the Department of Human Services, is seeking to hire up to four Orientation and Mobility Instructors within the next three months to provide itinerant instruction to consumers served by the agency. CBVI serves individuals throughout the lifespan, i.e., infants, children, and adults. Job Opportunity: December 7, 2016 TITLE: Orientation and Mobility Instructor (4) positions available. SALARY: $59, 031.79 - $83,803.57 DEFINITION: Under direction of a Supervisor of Rehabilitation Training or Assistant Supervisor of Educational Programs in the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Department of Human Services, provides for the evaluation, education, and training of individuals who are blind, vision-impaired, or deaf-blind in the area of particular specialty in order to prepare them for maximal independent living, orientation, mobility, and vocational skills; does related duties as required. EDUCATION: A valid Orientation and Mobility Instructor Certification issued by either the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Educational Specialists or the National Blindness Certification Board. EXPERIENCE: Twenty - four (24) months of appropriate, certified teaching experience in an approved school. LICENSE: Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position. Interested candidates possessing the requirements should forward resumes with their letter of interest to: EMAIL: Jessie.powell at dhs.state.nj.us <mailto:Jessie.powell at dhs.state.nj.us> THANK YOU! Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010 ebell at latech.edu <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> <http://www.pdrib.com> www.pdrib.com ************************************************************** "I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." -- Stephen Jay Gould From: Angela.Sutton at dhs.state.nj.us [mailto:Angela.Sutton at dhs.state.nj.us] Sent: Wednesday, December 7, 2016 8:56 AM To: Ebell at latech.edu Cc: Hugo.Ruiz at dhs.state.nj.us Subject: ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SPECIALIST 4 POSITIONS Hello Dr. Bell, I hope all is well and that you are enjoying this holiday season. If you would, we would like to ask you to tell any of your recent graduates about the Job Opportunity attached. Also, if possible, would you post this notice within the University. We appreciate all of your help as always. Thanks _____ This E-mail, including any attachments, may be intended solely for the personal and confidential use of the sender and recipient(s) named above. This message may include advisory, consultative and/or deliberative material and, as such, would be privileged and confidential and not a public document. Any Information in this e-mail identifying a client of the Department of Human Services or the Department of Children and Families is confidential. If you have received this e-mail in error, you must not review, transmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use or disseminate this e-mail or any attachments to it and you must delete this message. You are requested to notify the sender by return e-mail.

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