Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility

This state funded grant is to train Visual Impairment Professionals as Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialists due to critical shortages in these areas. Since the start of the Teacher Preparation Program in Visual Impairments in 2012, the University of Kentucky (UK) has successfully graduated 51 TVIs, with seven more expected to complete the program by December of 2019. The program continues to grow and reach students from all regions of Kentucky. In year eight of the grant, the program will work towards final university and EPSB approval for the master’s degree in O&M and conversion of the Teacher Preparation Program in Visual Impairments from certification to a master's degree. Monies from this grant will provide salaries for three full-time faculty members, as with three part-time instructors/field supervisors. In addition to teaching courses, faculty members supervise students, provide service to the field, engage in research, and provide technical assistance and outreach to districts across the state. Tuition support will be available for teachers working at the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) pursing their VI certification, a few remaining students completing the TVI program that don't qualify for funding through the Northern Kentucky Traineeship Funds, and tuition costs for students in the O&M program. The remaining funds will also go towards program materials, equipment, travel, and programming for students. The most recent cohort to start the program, in the fall of 2018, consists of 20 students expected to complete the program in 2020. The program is currently accepting students to start the seventh cohort in the fall of 2019. In addition, eight students started the O&M program in the fall of 2018. These graduate level students continue to represent diverse backgrounds and locations across the Commonwealth. Both the TVI and O&M programs utilize a hybrid model, offering online classes in the evenings, combined with and face-to-face courses on weekends and in the summer in Louisville at the Kentucky School for the Blind or at the University of Kentucky.