Students with Vision Loss Initiative Students with Vision

Students with Vision Loss Initiative

Students with Vision Loss In Alberta • • 645 students registered with the LRC 163 students who are blind 482 students with low vision 475 registered for audio 131 registered for braille 422 registered for large print 495 registered for special equipment

In the Field • 3 Vision Resource Centres (Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge) • CBE, CSSD, EIPS, have TVIs on staff • Other students served by ERECS, REACH, CASE and 1 private vision consultant • Have about 18. 2 FTEs for all province • Orientation and Mobility services offered by RECS, CNIB and private (by individual contracts) • Mostly consultative model…some itinerant

Students with Vision Loss Initiative • May 2008, Minister Hancock announced over $ 9 million (over 3 years) in new funding to enhance supports and services for students with vision loss.

Key Recommendations • Improve student access to teachers for the visually impaired in schools especially those in rural areas. • Provide sustainable funding and improve student access to the special equipment loan service. • Department provide accommodations at the development stage, for student resources and provincial examinations.

Key Recommendations • Improve students’ access to learning resources in alternate format. • Establish a provincial coordinator position to build capacity and collaborations in the education system.

Staffing • Provincial Coordinator seconded • Vision Specialist: Accommodations and Accessible Technology seconded • LRC Specialized Equipment Loan – 1 FTE for a School Assistive Technology Coordinator (Currently vacant)

Project Updates Ø Work with Learner Assessment (Vision Specialist Accommodations and Accessible Technology) o Group presentations to exam managers on general awareness of the needs of students with vision loss and scripting notes. Working closely with LA exam managers to review Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Exams. o

Project Updates Ø Improve Student Assistive Technology Loan Service o With input from the schools, vision consultants (via online survey) and waitlist information, a 2008 -09 equipment purchase was prepared and awarded. This purchase eliminated LRC student waitlists. 2009 -10 purchase is in final stages. LRC Student Assistive Technology Advisory Committee has meet three times to date. This working committee will develop new loan service handbook and review Alternate Format policy. Will provide ongoing advice on annual equipment purchase and service. o o

Project Updates Ø Improve Students’ Access to Learning Resources in Alternate Format. o Two new braille transcribesr hired by LRC. Number of braille transcribers at LRC (7. 5). LRC has retained independent braille transcribers on contract and four production houses to meet the requests for alternate format materials from schools & to produce provincial examinations in braille. Cost over above existing budget for braille production- 2008 -09 $480, 000. Independent review of LRC’s braille production processes and practices to improve timely delivery of materials to students. A training inservice focusing on improving and enhancing the skills of braille staff and contractors took place on Feb. 5 2009. LRC and the Learning and Teaching Resources branches have jointly developed a protocol to enhance student’s timely access to learning resources in alternate format. This protocol will request timely access to digital files from publishers to improve timely production of alternate format materials. o o

Project Updates Ø Improve Student Access to Teachers of the Visually Impaired (especially rural areas) o $200, 000 has been provided to school jurisdictions to support the work of the Vision Resource Centres and CASE team in Grande Prairie region. Funding is for providing professional development for learning teams and student programs. Pilot project on supporting the Northern Tier through video conference. Funding has been provided to support the production of locally authorized materials in alternate format. Workshops have taken place in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Workshops are planned for Red Deer and Grand Prairie. Some have been made available by Video Conference. Provincial professional development on improving the access and participation of high school students in the sciences took place in March. LRC has purchased specialized science equipment kits for each of the Vision Resource Centres. o o

Project Updates Ø Provincial Coordination to Build Capacity and Collaborations o Provincial Advisory Committee – broad range of stakeholder representation, advising on the outcomes of the project. Coordinates the work of the Vision Resource Centres Coordinating the organization of the Canadian Vision Teachers Conference 2009, October 18 -20, 2009, Banff Alberta. Meet with managers from SET/BC and PRCVI to discuss coordination and sharing of resources. Discuss sharing WNCP resource production. Ongoing presentations to outside agencies and other Alberta Government Departments, Alberta Education branches on the SVLI and issues related to education for students who are blind or visually impaired. Total of 11 projects submitted by the field were funded- $534 000 o o o

Travelling Low Vision Clinic Objectives • Provide low vision evaluation (including an Ophthalmological assessment), device prescription, and classroom adaptation recommendations. • Provide Orientation and Mobility Evaluation and recommendations. • Provide a lending library of low vision devices and related visual aids. • Provide recommendations for Assistive Technology. • Provide training suggestions and resources to special education and regular education teachers, vision consultants and parents. • Bring the services closer to children and families in their own communities. • 3 clinics completed… 4 more planned for 2009 -10

Travelling Low Vision Clinic • Acuity – Near & Distance • Contrast Sensitivity • Varied Print size • Lighting

“On the Road” Medical Eye Exam

Travelling Low Vision Clinic Assistive Technology Trials Technology available for loan from Learning Resources Centre

Travelling Low Vision Clinic Low Vision Device Trials (Lending Library) • Near devices – latest magnifiers and near distance aids • Distance devices – latest monocular and distance viewing aids. • Non Optical devices – lamps, sunglasses • All devices are student oriented to make them interested and motivated to use them.

Vision Education Alberta Website • Highly accessible website that will act as a communication tool for the Initiative as well as a “one stop shopping” site for all issues dealing with education for students with vision loss. • http: //vision. alberta. ca/

Next Steps • Final stages of Handbook for Student Assistive Technology Loan Service • Continued and increased support to the field. • Research on outcomes for student with vision loss on outcomes of the Program of Studies; Transition and Life after High School; achievement of outcomes of the Expanded Core Curriculum. • Review of the Alternate Format Policy • Expand the Low Vision Clinic to a provincial program • Address the issues around Orientation and Mobility • Expand the content of the Vision Education Alberta Website • Plan for the future! What happens after 2011?