UKRF Blind-Visually Impaired ECC - OVR

ECC WEEK ABSTRACT: Every year the Kentucky DeafBlind Project hosts its Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Week in the summer. The week is open to transition age youth, ages 14-22, who are on the Kentucky DeafBlind Project (KDBP) census. ECC Week is a time for these young adults to come together to develop friendships, have social interactions, explore the community for recreation as well as employment, and begin learning necessary skills for the upcoming transition from high school into the adult world. Adult world can include goals such as entry into the workforce, vocational training, or post-secondary education. ECC Week is made possible by funding from the O ice of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). OVR is able to provide funding through Pre-ETS (Pre-Employment Transition Services) money because many of the ECC skills and Pre-ETS skills are overlapping. ECC skills are provided in school for students who are blind or visually impaired as well as students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Pre-ETS are provided to individuals ages 14-22 with an active IEP or 504 plan documenting a disability. Both of these skills, ECC and Pre-ETS, main goal is to develop concepts and skills relating to independent living, work readiness, and a wide array of skills that are all encompassing to student success. ECC Week functions from all the hard work of the support sta , and there are a lot of support sta ! Members of the support sta include: KDBP sta , Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, Speech Language Pathologist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired interns from the University of Kentucky, Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing interns from Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky Department of Education sta , Helen Keller National Center sta , OVR sta , sign language interpreters, and support service providers.