Visual Impairment Standard

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

PROGRAM IN VISUAL DISABILITIES Professor Sandra Lewis, Ed.D. Visual Disabilities Program Coordinator

FSU College of Education 2205L Stone Building

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

(850) 644-8409 slewis@fsu.edu

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Mickey Damelio, M.Ed., COMS

WWW.COE.FSU.EDU

PROGRAM IN

Orientation & Mobility Program Coordinator

FSU College of Education 2205G Stone Building

(850) 583-1582 mdamelio@fsu.edu

coe.fsu.edu/visual-disabilities

VISUAL DISABILITIES

Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Ph.D. Online Courses Available

The Florida State University College of Education Program in Visual Disabilities A Rewarding Career Do you have a passion for exploring new methods of learning and working with students on an individual level? Are you looking to work in a field that exposes you to students from all areas of life? Do you want to find yourself in a career with an incredibly high rate of job satisfaction and daily challenges and triumphs? Teaching children with visual disabilities just might be the career you’ve been looking for.

Teacher of Children With Visual Impairments A Teacher of Children with Visual Impairments (TVI) does more than just rehash the standard curriculum day in and day out. From teaching braille to children and introducing them to the world of reading to showing a student how to make a sandwich, our days are anything but boring. We work so closely with children, tailoring our instruction to their needs, that we become the teacher that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. When you join us as a TVI, you’ll know that you make a difference every single day.

Your day as a TVI might start working with a preschooler, teaching the concepts covered in the book being read at story time. If the book is about a fluffy bunny, you might bring in a real rabbit for the child to feel, providing a tactile understanding and memory of a fluffy bunny.

Later, you might have a high-school student who is both deaf and blind who wants to learn to paint her nails so her dad doesn’t have to keep doing it. To round out the day, you could swing by the study hall of a high-school senior to work on some of the skills he’ll need to succeed in college.

One of the biggest satisfactions of teaching is the relationships you develop with your students. As a TVI, you’ll have the chance to nurture and grow a relationship with the same students over several years. The bond between you and your students is one that will continue to grow and develop as they progress in school. These are the kinds of relationships that turn teaching from just another job to something you can’t wait to wake up and do day after day.

Orientation & Mobility Specialist An Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O&M) is another option for working with children who have visual disabilities; often an O&M Specialist is also a TVI. As an O&M Specialist, you’ll work with students one-on-one to teach them how to get around in the world — a fundamental skill in virtually everything we do. Whether you’re working with a family to encourage a blind baby to begin crawling or helping a teenager plan a date with his girlfriend using the bus system, there’s always something new and exciting waiting as an O&M Specialist.

A Great Job Market for Graduates In this tough economy, you’re probably wondering whether or not you’ll even be able to get a job when you graduate.

Results from a recent study indicate a need for 5,000 new TVIs and 10,000 O&M Specialists across the United States. Every year, jobs remain unfilled because so few people are aware of this amazing field.

Ready to Apply?

If you’re interested in a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. in visual disabilities, contact the program. Careful advising is required for all students. If your bachelor’s degree is in a field other than education, you may still get a master’s degree in visual disabilities and become a TVI or O&M Specialist.

For more information or to apply, contact either:

Professor Sandra Lewis, Ed.D. Visual Disabilities Program Coordinator

FSU College of Education 2205L Stone Building

(850) 644-8409 slewis@fsu.edu

Mickey Damelio, M.Ed., COMS Orientation & Mobility Program Coordinator

FSU College of Education 2205G Stone Building

(850) 583-1582 mdamelio@fsu.edu