- NOMC - lists.nbpcb.org

Hand sanitizer
by widearc2000＠gmail.com 13 May '20

13 May '20

Hi folks, Last night on the phone everybody wanted to know where my agency was getting hand sanitizer. I?m not sure that the source is willing to sell out of state but I did promise to get the information and it never hurts to ask. It is with trepidation that I report that my agency is getting hand sanitizer from the sheltered workshops here in Oklahoma. I am as surprised as you are. Anyway, for those of you who really need to hold your nose and call them anyway, here is the contact information. They are charging $50 for a case of 12. Carla Beaves Accounting Clerk NewView Oklahoma cbeaves at newviewoklahoma.org (405)232-4644 ext. 243 Sent from my iPhone

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Richard Hoover
by jackson.dezman＠gmail.com 12 May '20

12 May '20

Hello all, Just thought I might share an interesting interaction I had recently. A few days ago, I went to a new eye doctor. During the course of the appointment, we got to talking about the type of work I do and he mentioned that his mentor had trained under Richard Hoover who of course we know is the father of the long cane technique as we know it today. Hoover of course later went on to become an ophthalmologist and was well known here in the Baltimore area though it being more from the standpoint of the medical model. There is also a clinic here that bears his name called Richard E. Hoover Low Vision Services. The doctor I was seeing also said that every year he attends a Richard Hoover lecture. In any case, just wanted to share this in that this was some common ground the clinician and I found though our interests in Dr. Hoover come from 2 different standpoints. Regards, Dezman

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This Week's Cane Travel Zoom Meeting
by becky.keller＠dbvi.virginia.gov 11 May '20

11 May '20

Afternoon everyone, I'm gathering thoughts and suggestions for this week's upcoming cane travel gathering and was hoping for your help. Here's what I have left on our list of topics, please correct me if I am wrong or missing something: 1. What are some helpful and inexpensive GPS apps folks are using along with instruction? 2. Can we help solve some travel concerns that were sparked from the last Presidential release? **I'm a little foggy on the details for this one, does anyone remember the specifics? 3. Jane wishes to discuss a new Federationist / potential Center student from southern Oklahoma 4. Jane would also like to discuss concerns regarding Tulsa's public transportation rule changes, and the differing opinions on flagging down buses along their routes, versus having to stand at the bus stops. If there are any further questions that you wish to be addressed for our list, please let me know ASAP. Also, Jeff if you're up for it, maybe during the roll call each instructor can share one new positive or inovative thing that has come about specifically due to the coronavirus shut down. Thanks in advance everyone for your time. Take care, *Becky Keller, NOMC, COMS* *Lead Orientation and Mobility Instructor* Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired 401 Azalea Avenue <https://maps.google.com/?q=401+Azalea+Avenue+Richmond,+VA+23227+(804&entry=…> Richmond, VA 23227 <https://maps.google.com/?q=401+Azalea+Avenue+Richmond,+VA+23227+(804&entry=…> (804) 371-3093 <(804)%20371-3093> becky.keller at dbvi.virginia.gov Facebook: VDBVI <https://www.facebook.com/VDBVI> Worldwide Web: Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired <http://www.vrcbvi.org/> YouTube: VRCBVI <http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwsqnBw28gUNgMMSkH_eYci37g9XY6Qzd> "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." *-Arthur Ashe* **CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE** This message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to receive for the intended recipient), you may not read, print, retain, use, copy, distribute, or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and destroy all copies of the original message (including any attachments).

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Continuing Education Opportunity for an NOMC
by ebell＠pdrib.com 11 May '20

11 May '20

Hello, If one of you or several of you wanted to earn some continuing education points and make a contribution to the body of knowledge, I have a job for you. It was brought to my attention that Wikipedia has a page for Orientation and Mobility. Although it was lasted edited this April, there is no mention of Structured Discovery, NOMC, or any of the history. As I understand Wikipedia, you can go in and edit the page so long as you are putting in factual data. In fact, here is the link to go in order to edit the page. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orientation_and_Mobility <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orientation_and_Mobility&action= edit> &action=edit I am glad to provide you with background information which would make it easier to cut and paste, but this is a pretty good project I don't have time for right now. Let me know if you are interested Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu 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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Register now: 19th Rehabilitation and O&M Conference
by ebell＠pdrib.com 08 May '20

08 May '20

Registration is now open! National Blindness Professionals Certification Board presents: Contemporary Issues in Rehabilitation and Education For the Blind NINETEENTH ANNUAL REHABILITATION AND ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY CONFERENCE First Cyber Conference Held Via Zoom Attendance Tuesday, July 14, 2020 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time Come and join us! Once again, this year's conference will be action packed with a variety of new speakers, topics, and hands-on events. But this year, for the first time, all conference sessions will be held online via the zoom video conferencing platform. To maximize the quality of conference participation we are asking that all participants have access to either the desktop Zoom application or the Zoom iPhone app. You do not need an account, but you are encouraged to have at least the free account, which you can sign up for <https://zoom.us/freesignup/> Here. Presentations and breakouts including: * Morning General Session filled with thought provoking and inspirational speakers * Hear from employed blind professionals on how they implement Structured Discovery in different teaching areas * Learn about technology and its place in consumer's learning * Learn about working with students who have secondary disabilities * Learn where to find new material and secrets to running a dynamic philosophy discussion. * Share ideas and network in multiple rehabilitation disciplines, including Braille, home management, cane travel, and access technology. * Bring Structured Discovery alive when Face-to-Face is not an option Schedule: (Note: all times are Eastern Daylight Time) 9:00 -Conference Begins 9:00 - 12:00 -General session 1:00 - 5:00- Interactive Breakout Sessions 5:00 - 7:00 pm-Happy Hour Mix and Mingle The registration fee for this online conference is $25 for both professionals and students and entitles you to all general and breakout sessions, continuing education points, and access to the recorded conference sessions. <https://nbpcb.org/members/er.php?eid=416> Register Here Visit the National Blindness Professionals Certification Board website to learn more about a career in changing lives: <http://www.nbpcb.org> http://www.nbpcb.org Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu 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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FW: Introducing Lyft's Health Safety Program
by debandjeff＠allophone.com 07 May '20

07 May '20

From: noreply at lyftmail.com [mailto:noreply at lyftmail.com] Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2020 4:23 PM To: debandjeff at allophone.com Subject: Introducing Lyft's Health Safety Program Giving you a safer way to ride ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Image removed by sender. lyft HEALTH AND SAFETY Setting the standard for rideshare Health is on all of our minds now more than ever. As stay-at-home orders begin to lift, we're accelerating efforts to help safeguard riders and drivers. Today we're launching a <https://email.lyftmail.com/c/eJwVjtGKhiAUhJ-m7gw9WeaFF7s_22v8nPSYLZaRLvG__R…> Health Safety Program with new policies, commitments, and products designed to help protect our communities. Here's a preview of what you can expect to see in the coming weeks. Image removed by sender. health and safety checklist Image removed by sender. checkmark Self-certification: A commitment to health In order to use Lyft, you ? and every driver ? will soon be required to confirm that you're COVID-19 symptom-free, commit to following CDC and local health regulations, and take precautions like sitting in the back seat and opening windows when possible. Image removed by sender. mask Face coverings will be required The CDC recommends the use of cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus. And starting later this month, drivers and riders will be required to wear face coverings to use Lyft. Image removed by sender. shield Tools that will help you ride safely We're creating health and safety education for drivers and riders, based on the CDC's rideshare guidance, to help you learn how to help protect yourself and others. It's already available for drivers and will roll out for riders in the next few weeks. Image removed by sender. shield More cleaning supplies and masks for drivers So far, we've dedicated nearly $2.5 million to purchasing hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and cloth face coverings for drivers at no cost to them. <https://email.lyftmail.com/c/eJwVjtGKhiAUhJ-m7gw9WeaFF7s_22v8nPSYLZaRLvG__R…> WHAT TO EXPECT We're committed to helping protect our communities. Thank you for being a part of ours. <https://email.lyftmail.com/c/eJwVzc0OwiAQBOCnKbc2uwuVcuCgxr6GWWCxNfQnthffXk…> Contact 548 Market St., P.O. Box 68514, San Francisco, CA 94104 ? 2020 Lyft, Inc. CPUC ID No. TCP0032513 - P Image removed by sender.

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Requesting your assistance at PDRIB
by ebell＠pdrib.com 07 May '20

07 May '20

Requesting your assistance Dear Friend, You are receiving this email because you are a graduate of Louisiana Tech University, hold NBPCB certification, or have benefited from our work in some way. You may know that our operating budget comes through the Louisiana Center for the Blind and is a direct appropriation from the Louisiana State legislature. Many times since we began the PDRIB, there has been threats of the state reducing or eliminating our funding, principally because they don't understand blindness and look to cut costs wherever possible. To date, we have always been successful in educating the legislature as to the importance of our work and how our services are vital. Without exception, they have agreed and our funding has continued. This year; however, presents a unique challenge with the COVID pandemic. First, funds for the next fiscal year look to be in dyer straights across the board and the legislature will be looking to cut wherever possible. Second, due to the stay-at home orders it is difficult for us to travel to the capital in person to make our case. I am asking you if you would be willing to write a short letter expressing the value and critical importance of the work that we do. Public comment on this legislation is due by May 10 and may be submitted via email. Following is the relevant information, along with some facts and figures regarding the work of the PDRIB. I hope you can help us fight this fight and I appreciate you in advance. See below, but you can send comments to: andressk at legis.la.gov <mailto:andressk at legis.la.gov> ******* Bill # HB 1005 Persons who do not feel comfortable giving testimony in person at this time may submit a prepared statement in accordance with House Rule 14.33 in lieu of appearing before the committee: NOTE: Only statements mailed to andressk at legis.la.gov <mailto:andressk at legis.la.gov> and received prior to noon on Sunday, May 10th, will be included in the record for this committee meeting. All persons desiring to participate in the meeting shall utilize appropriate protective health measures and observe the recommended and appropriate social distancing. **** Louisiana Center for the Blind Appropriation Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University The Louisiana Center for the Blind has been a grateful recipient of the Blind Rehabilitation appropriation from the State Treasury for the last 19 years. Over that time, the funds have been exclusively used to support our programs at Louisiana Tech University (LTU). In particular, the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB), whose job it is to prepare professionals to work with the blind and to conduct meaningful research to better understand how to educate and rehabilitate individuals who are blind or losing their sight. It should be noted, that PDRIB operates the only professional preparation program in the state. Because of the low-incidence nature of blindness and visual impairment and the workload involved in preparing professionals, Universities do not generally include funding in their budgets for these types of professional preparation programs. We, as all other programs nationwide, must depend on appropriation from the state legislature or other grant-based funds. Without these funds there will be no resource to train professionals to work with blind children for almost a 500-mile radius around Ruston. Orientation and Mobility (O&M). LTU is the only program in the country that actively recruits minorities, including blind individuals to earn a Master's degree with Certification in O&M. This is the skill of safely navigating through the environment with the use of a long white cane. We are frequently contacted by others, both throughout the United States and abroad, because of our tremendous success in the use of Structured Discovery Cane Travel R methods. No other university programs have the experience or knowhow to train their students using this highly effective and innovative system. Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind (RTB). In 2014, LTU founded the first of its kind Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind cognate within the Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance. This program also uses the tenants of Structured Discovery teaching. Because of this innovation, the U.S. Department of Education awarded LTU with a five-year grant to provide scholarships for students entering into the RTB and O&M programs. This provides considerable support for prospective students; however, it does not provide the core funding necessary to support faculty, facilities, and instructional materials. To date, all graduates have had multiple job offers and there remains a great demand for these trained professionals. Teaching Blind Students (TBS). Our TBS program trains teachers and paraprofessionals to work with blind and low vision children in the state's public schools and the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI). These professionals teach young children to read braille and other necessary skills to be able to compete academically and prepare them for their futures. There is currently a dire and persistent need for trained professionals to work in many of our Parishes. Unified English Braille (UEB). The entire country has switched its braille code over to Unified English Braille in January of 2016. PDRIB is the only academic resource in the state to provide professional development to current and future teachers to ensure that their skills are updated and can meet the needs of their students. This not only impacts teachers of blind children in local schools and the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired, but also the State Department of Education, and all adult rehabilitation training programs. Outreach. Given the extreme shortage of trained teachers and cane travel instructors, the PDRIB also conducts outreach services to provide stop-gap services for blind children in Northern Louisiana. We routinely travel across parishes providing direct service, conducting assessments, and supporting the few teachers working in rural areas. Without this support, more than a dozen children in Northern LA would be without some level of needed services. Research. In order to expand this knowledge and to better equip teachers with relevant skills, the PDRIB conducts original research to deepen and broaden our understanding of blindness and strategies to better educate and rehabilitate individuals who are blind. These data are published in peer reviewed journals, are the substance of Continuing Education and outreach training, and have established LTU as a national leader in education and rehabilitation research. In addition, our research has led to the development of a variety of assessments, including reading and O&M, that have been adopted throughout the country. Technical Assistance. Countless parents, professionals, and consumers statewide and nationally depend on the PDRIB for technical assistance in the education or rehabilitation of their loved ones. In addition, PDRIB also assists LTU in understanding accessibility and remaining compliant with ADA Standards. Without continued financial support, PDRIB cannot exist to provide these vital services and training. We know that without proper literacy skills and blindness training, individuals who have significant sight loss cannot fully participate in their education or in their communities and they are relegated to living lives of poverty and hopelessness. Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> ebell at latech.edu 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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Second topic for later discussion
by widearc2000＠gmail.com 07 May '20

07 May '20

Hi guys, The second thing that I want to throw out there before I forget about it and maybe we can wait for two weeks, is a philosophical disagreement that we are having within my NFB chapter. Our bus service, Tulsa Transit has recently made drastic changes to routes and schedules. They naturally didn?t think about us at all and didn?t put any accessible signage up. Some of the sign poles are unique but we can?t count on the city of Tulsa not to start using them for speed limit signs. We are advocating for braille bus stop ID numbers. This would allow us to enter a bus stop ID number into a text message and text it to a number where Tulsa Transit will give us the next times for that route to show up at that stop. This is fantastic but Tulsa just made a change in September where everyone in town must be at a bus stop or they will not board. Previously Tulsans we?re allowed to flag down a bus anywhere it was safe to board. The reason they get rid of the flagging system was that it slowed down connectivity. People were flagging a bus 30 and 40 feet from each other just because they did not want to walk down to a bus stop. Director of Tulsa transit wants to give blind people special cards that will allow them to flag down buses anywhere without allowing everyone in town to do so. Naturally we don?t want to be singled out like this and if all of us can?t do it none of us should do it. Some members of my chapter want to demand that Tulsa return to the flagging system. When I first moved to Tulsa I reached out to the transit company to get information on citizen organizations rider organizations advisory Council?s etc. I was told that they didn?t have anything like that and no matter where I looked, I could get no information. Four years later, the NFB chapter decided to write a letter directly to the director regarding these new changes. Suddenly we got response. We got attention. Tulsa Transit became very interested in our opinions. I think they have been extremely responsive to us in putting together a miniature task force to help solve the three main problems that blind passengers brought up in this letter from NFB. They could have used a virus emergency as an excuse to drag their feet and do nothing but have already began research on tactile signage that would be appropriate. They also know that we want to see this sign and approve the braille before they buy thousands of them. I?m really rather thrilled with the suddenness of their response and don?t want to punish them for being willing to work with us after all this time. Back to whether or not Tulsa should flag down a bus. Naturally we are all agreed the blind people do not need special treatment and that if the entire city is not allowed to flag down a bus, then we?re not going to take a special card to allow us to do it. I think that if we force Tulsa Transit to flagging after eight months of training drivers to stop doing it, we are going to create chaos. We are not going to just have a bunch of confused drivers as we do today, we are going to have confused and angry drivers. I think that the director of Tulsa transit would be sure to tell his drivers Who will likely pass it on to complaining passengers that it is because the blind of Tulsa reared up against them and made them go back to flagging that ?you are going to miss your bus ?. Some of us think that this is an unreasonable request, not a reasonable accommodation. Personally, I feel that it is unreasonable not just because of the chaos it will cause but because there was a time before technology in before the ADA went blind people still managed to locate bus stops. I think these old school techniques will serve us well and we can continue to work with Tulsa Transit until we fix the problem. Also, no one at Tulsa transit is going to be happy with us if we suddenly demand that the entire city flag. They could start dragging their feet and be much less cooperative than they have been over the last three months. This goes back to what I said about punishing them for reaching out and trying to make progress with us. this is a philosophical divide for our Chapter and I want to know if we are way off base here. Am I right? Is it unreasonable to expect the entire city to go back to flagging down buses? Am I the one who?s wrong? Is this a reasonable accommodation that could fill the gap between today and the day when the accessible signs arrive? Thanks for your help guys, right or wrong, this is the kind of philosophical reinforcement I need from my own people. Orientation and mobility teachers probably deal with buses and mass transit in general more than any other of our Chapter members just because it is frequently our jobs to be on them all day. I really appreciate all of your opinions whether they agree with mine or not. Sent from my iPhone

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First topic wheelchair user
by widearc2000＠gmail.com 07 May '20

07 May '20

Hi folks, I have a couple of things I?d like to add to our Tuesday discussions if we can get around to them this Tuesday or the next. Most important so I?ll discuss it first is the new Federationist I recently met in southern Oklahoma. She is outside of my work area so I can?t help her through my job but I am talking with her by phone and trying to help her stay involved. She lives too far away to reach a chapter but is staying in contact with my state affiliate president and a few other members. This person is a client of my agency as well and is trying to find a way to live independently. she has become paralyzed with limited range of motion in her upper body so that she would be able to move a cane left and right. The problem is that she has literally no sense of touch. I?m not talking about general neuropathy I?m talking about being unaware of body temperature when she becomes too hot or too cold. She has absolutely no feeling at all. This disorder comes from damage to her spinal column and brain stem. She is doing a lot of research on how to use computers with sip and puff devices and other mechanisms. She has taught me about a program that connects jaws to Dragon naturally speaking.. She knows more about her physical and technological needs than anyone in Oklahoma because she has gotten online and done the research. She just discovered NFB because she has been paralyzed for 19 years and didn?t hear about it when she was just blind. I?m not sure why but 20 years ago there?s no telling. My task is to find a way for her to detect drop off?s. I can?t get to her personally but might be able to get her to experiment with things independently if she has some ideas. The only thing I can really think about is getting one of our fiberglass canes and putting a marshmallow tip on it so that she can have constant contact. Then adding a fishing weight so that when a cane comes off of a drop, she can hear the sound and be aware of the distance her arm is moving as opposed to the way it moves on a regular surface. has anyone out there worked with somebody this disabled ? She is living with aging parents and is worried about losing them and having no support system. She is in early 40s and does not want to go to a nursing home. She is bright, articulate and has a future for employment if we can just find work where she can use her mind and appropriate technology. Once I can help her find a way to detect drop off?s, and clear path with her cane, we will worry about orientation. Naturally, I have been advocating for her to attend a training center. She went to Arkansas back in the early 90s but she was walking. Also between you and me guys it was Arkansas. I told her that because she was not using a wheelchair and was not paralyzed to this degree, this is an opportunity to tell her counselor that she needs further blindness training as a wheelchair user. She needs to advocate to be sent off to another center. I told her that Oklahoma contracts with six orientation and adjustment centers and that she needs to get a list of them from her counselor, call everyone of them and ask them the same list of questions. Naturally I want her to go to one of our training centers but which one? We have had leaders from Blind Inc. and Louisiana on these calls with us. What can you advise? I?m especially hoping that Jennifer kennedy will weigh in on this. And maybe Roland could persuade Pam to join this call. Thanks for all your help guys Sent from my iPhone

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FW: Job Posting Youth Services Workers
by ebell＠pdrib.com 06 May '20

06 May '20

Subject: Job Posting Youth Services Workers Good morning, Below is the job posting for our Youth Services Worker positions for our 4+ Young Adult Transition program. Please be aware that there will be two separate postings for this program, one for Youth Services Workers, and one for Vocational Rehabilitation Teachers. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with questions, and thank you for your help spreading the word. Thanks, Helen Iowa Department for the Blind JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Youth Services Worker Young Adult Transition Program Location: Des Moines, Iowa Salary Minimum: $34,736.00 Salary Maximum: $50,772.80 Post Close Date: May 18, 2020 Job Description: This is a courtesy posting for a non-merit position. Please follow instructions in the "To Apply" section for directions on how to apply for this position. The Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB) is seeking four energetic and passionate Youth Services Workers for its new Young Adult Transition Program for blind youth. Ideal candidates will possess a belief in the capacity of blind persons, patients, and the ability to connect with and motivate youth. IDB can provide training in the specific blindness skills areas listed if needed. The Young Adult Transition Program is a school-year based program for youth who have finished high school, but who need additional instruction in order to participate in post-secondary learning and employment opportunities. Youth Services workers will primarily work with students on their independent living and social skills. During the summer, these positions will work with IDB's summer program for youth ages 14-21. These positions will be expected to work Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM during initial staff training and for some agency meetings and ongoing professional development training. Individual Youth Services Worker's schedules will then be set with the Program Administrator to provide appropriate coverage to meet students' needs. Work hours will primarily consist of evenings and weekends to work with students outside of classes. Duties and responsibilities to include the following: Provide Workplace Readiness, Self Advocacy and Disability-Related skills training to blind youth in comprehensive residential training programs such as the Young Adult Transition Program and LEAP Program. Work with students on increasing their independent living skills in areas such as developing and managing their morning and evening routines, managing personal hygiene, maintaining clean and organized living spaces, completing laundry and other common household tasks, shopping for groceries and other needed items and planning and preparing their own meals. Support student learning through providing supplemental braille, technology, cane travel and money management instruction, in particular by working with students to utilize these skills in their daily lives outside the classroom. Facilitate students' development of age-appropriate social skills through recreational activities on and off campus. Assist students in traveling to and participating in activities in the community. Reinforce proper cane technique and other nonvisual skills during these activities. Serve as a role model for students in the use of nonvisual techniques and problem-solving skills. Monitor student behavior and the students' living areas. Provide appropriate supervision to ensure student safety. Document student progress through monthly and end of program reports. Collaborate with program staff and supervisor to address student needs and concerns. Promote a positive philosophy of blindness through involvement in trainings and community outreach events for parents, educators and other service providers as directed. Essential functions of this position: Demonstrate and Promote a positive philosophy of blindness Actively participate in program activities Communicate regularly with program leaders regarding student needs and concerns Document student progress through regular written reports Actively monitor student behavior and living areas Clearly document incidents related to students' health and safety Travel using the long white cane under sleepshades in order to provide appropriate guidance and instruction to students when traveling Read and write contracted braille to provide guidance and feedback to students developing their braille skills It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment. For further information, contact Helen Stevens, 515-829-7411 or <mailto:helen.stevens at blind.state.ia.us> helen.stevens at blind.state.ia.us To Apply: Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise. Persons who wish to be considered for this position must submit a resume and letter of application to: Helen Stevens Education and Training Director Iowa Department for the Blind 524 4th Street Des Moines, IA 50309-2364 <mailto:helen.stevens at blind.state.ia.us> helen.stevens at blind.state.ia.us

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