ILLINOIS AER Mail –Winter 2015
Messagefrom the President,
Amy Lund
CALLING AER MEMBERS!
We are looking for members of AER that are interested in serving on our IAER Board. We have elections this year for the next two-year term. Listed below are the positions and expectations for each. If you are interested in running for a position, please email Amy Lund, , with your name, position and a brief biography that will be listed on the ballot.
(1)President Elect Qualification:Member in good standing
Previous board experience
Term:Two (2) years
Succeed to the Office of President
Responsibilities:
1. Attend Board meetings.
2. Serve as assistant to the president and in the absence of the president shall preside at meetings of the membership and the Board of Directors.
3. Contribute articles to the IAER newsletter.
4. Conduct any business of the chapter between the meetings.
5. Represent and promote the chapter.
6. Serve as Registration Chair or Program Committee Chair for the IAER Vision Conference.
7. Assist in the development and implementation of policies and guidelines governing the orderly business of the Chapter.
8. Attend AER LIFT if possible for leadership training skills development.
(1) Secretary Qualification:Member in good standing
Responsibilities:
1. Attend Board meetings.
2. Record and prepare minutes of the Board and annual meetings in accessible formats.
3. Send minutes to president in a timely manner.
4. Prepare synopsis of minutes for Newsletter.
5. Conduct routine correspondence as directed by the Board or President.
6. Transmit the records to successor at the completion of the term.
7. Contribute articles to the Newsletter.
8. Conduct any business of the chapter between the meetings.
9. Represent and promote the chapter.
10. Assist in the development and implementation of policies and guidelines governing the orderly business of the Chapter.
11. Assist in planning the IAER Vision Conference.
12. Update the roster of officers and submit to National AER Office.
(1) Treasurer Qualification:Member in good standing
Responsibilities:
1. Attend Board meetings.
2. Serve as chief financial officer to the Chapter.
3. Prepare annual budget and present to Board for approval.
4. Prepare and submit financial statements at each board meetingand at the annual meeting.
5. Submit financial statement to AER as written in the bylaws.
6. Transmit the records to successor at the completion of the term.
7. Serve as the finance director of IAER Vision Conference
8. Conduct any business of the chapter between the meetings.
9. Represent and promote the chapter.
10. Arrange for independent audit upon completion of term.
11. Contribute articles to the Newsletter.
12. File the appropriate forms with the IRS.
13. File form NFP 105.10/105.20 Statement of Change of Registered Agent and or Registered Office according to the Illinois Not For Profit Corporation Act.
(6) Member At Large Qualification:Member in good standing
Responsibilities:
1. Attend Board meetings.
2. Chair a committee
3. Contribute articles to the IAER newsletter.
4. Conduct any business of the chapter between the meetings.
5. Represent and promote the chapter.
6. Assist in the development and implementation of policies and guidelines governing the orderly business of the Chapter.
1
2014-2016 IAER Board
1
President: Amy Lund
Past President: Leah Gerlach
President Elect: Doug Anzlovar
Treasurer: Cindy Miller
Secretary: Stacy Kelly
Committee Reports
IAER Conference 2016
IAER 2016 Conference
Come one come all; it is never too early to start thinking about attending the 2016 conference. This proves to be a most exciting and rewarding event. We will have 2 choices for pre-conference events, and even more CE credits offered than we have the past years. Get your registration form in the mail to secure a space. You will note some increase in fee, this was done to meet the requests for a more substantial breakfast options and because food costs have increased. We hope you will understand. Remember if you are concerned about the price, and you are a member, you can apply for an IAER stipend. Check the IAER website for further information about this. If you are interested in helping at the conference, be a session moderator, help at the check in table, or help attendees with vision loss, please let me know. If you have questions please contact me, Leah or call 630-690-7115 ext 122.
Awards Committee
Do you know a distinguished individual who deserves to be recognized for their work in our field of blind rehabilitation or education? IAER is now accepting nominations for awards for the 2016 conference. The 3 awards available are:
- Distinguished Service Award- recognizes an individual who has positively impacted the lives of persons with vision impairment.
- Excellence in Education Award- recognizes an educator who has positively impacted the lives of persons with vision impairment as well as the profession in Illinois.
- Excellence in Rehabilitation Award- recognizes an individual who works in the vision rehabilitation field and has positively impacted the lives of persons with vision impairment as well as the profession in Illinois.
Please visit the IAER website to complete an Award Nomination Form. Nominations should be returned to Kathryn King at by December 18, 2015.
IAER Scholarships
Association for Education and Rehabilitation
of the Blind and Visually Impaired
Illinois Chapter
Scholarship Application
The IAER awards yearly scholarships, up to $750, to student(s) holding junior or senior, graduate student, or post graduate status who is enrolled in class(es) leading to certification areas in the field of education/rehabilitation of persons who are blind or visually impaired. The applicant should reside and/or attend school in the state of Illinois.
Application Requirements:
1. Completed Application form (typed)
2. Official transcripts
3. 200-word essay on “Why I have chosen to enter the field of education/ rehabilitation for persons who are blind or visuallyimpaired.”
4. Three references with contact information
Application Deadline: December 11, 2015
Scholarship Awarded: February 2016
Pre Conference Report
“The Illinois State University EL VISTA program is excited to announce that IAER Preconference this year will feature Dr. Amanda Lueck, Ph.D. from San Francisco State University, speaking on Cerebral Visual Impairment. Dr. Lueck will also be talking about her new book, Vision and the Brain: Understanding Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children. Preconference is held February 17, 2016, 9-4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg Chicago. Watch il.aerbvi.org for registration. Contact Gail Olson, EL VISTA Co-Coordinator, with questions ”
Illinois AER Pre-Conference Seminar
Wednesday, February 17th, 2016
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lunch on Your Own 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Presented by
Northern Illinois University
uebot.niu.edu
- Sign-Up on the IAER Conference Registration Form. Pre-Conference fee is $25 for IAER members and $40 for non-IAER members. Space is limited to the first 40 participants to register.
Once registered, it is as easy a 1-2-3!
- (1) Complete the UEBOT course orientation online in advance of the IAER Pre-Conference.
- (2) Attend the IAER UEBOT Pre-Conference Seminar and learn UEB alongside colleagues. Bring your laptop with Perky Duck installed and ready to go.
- (3) Finish the UEBOT Training online after the pre-conference to earn 10 ACVREP CEUs! The CEUs for this pre-conference are available to all course completers through UEBOT project upon completion of the UEBOT course after the pre-conference. IAER is not providing the CEUs.
Like us on Facebook
or Google+
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Grant #H235E140006
Resource Updates
News from Hadley
The “Transitioning to Unified English Braille” course will no longer be offered at no charge to professionals on January 1, 2016. A $99.00 tuition fee will apply in the new year. Enroll now while the course is still free!
For professionals, the “Introduction to Braille,” UEB Edition course (for professionals who are visual learners) is now available. Our “Contracted Braille” UEB Edition course is not far behind.
Check out our iFocus instructional videos (tips on using the vision accessibility features in iOS) and consider using them to supplement instruction with your students or consumers. The videos are free and on the Hadley web site:
Last, but not least, Hadley is proud to have received the Oculus Award at this year’s Envision Low Vision Conference in Denver, CO. This award is presented annually to individuals or organizations, nominated by their peers in vision rehabilitation and research, whose careers or programs have had a significant impact on people who are blind or visually impaired through professional collaboration, advocacy, research or education.
Hearing and Vision Early Intervention Outreach
Northern Illinois University
NIU Update Fall 2015
Upcoming Graduates:We have15students who have recently graduated. Specifically, we had5 dual RT and O&M graduates, 6dualTVIand O&M graduates, 2 TVI graduates and 2 O&M graduates this summer. We will have 4 O&M graduates this December 2015. Pleasecontinue forward information about job openings to GaylenKapperman() orStacyKelly()so we can share this informationwith upcoming graduates!
Braille Training Grant:The Unified English Braille Online Training (UEBOT) is a free online training programthat addresses the immediate need for UEB training. UEBOTisopen for enrollmentand is scheduled torun continuously every month for the next 4 years. UEBOTis available for 10 CEU's of ACVREP continuing education creditat no charge and university graduate level credit for additional cost. For more informationand to create a UEBOT account today,go to Also, like and follow us on our Facebook page at
Nemeth Code Tutorial: The Nemeth Tutorial is a project by GaylenKapperman and Jodi Sticken and the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). The Nemeth Tutorial can be used by students and teachers to learn about the Nemeth code. Introductory topics through advanced topics in mathematics are presented in the Nemeth Tutorial. The Nemeth Tutorial is now available on the APH website. This new resource for the field is free for anyone to use. To try it out go to the following link
Summer Only O&M Program:The summerO&M training program startedthis summer 2015 andwill continue for a total of 4 summers. All available funded spots for this summer training program have been filled. We welcomed the new students to campus to this summer and look forward to having them back again next summer.
Regular School Year Training Programs Funding Available:We have generous student financial assistance available! More specifically, we have six remaining slots for full funding beginning in the fall 2016. We would like to share our ad designed for a national audience. Please feel free to forward it on to others who might be interested, in state or out of state.
Training for a Rewarding Career
Generous Student Financial Assistance
Teaching Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired and/or Providing Orientation and Mobility Services for Those Children
Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois) offers a nationally regarded program at the graduate level for individuals who wish to join a rewarding career in teaching children who are blind or visually impaired. Teachers of students who are visually disabled generally travel from school to school working with the students on a one-to-one basis. The vast majority of students who are visually disabled attend their local schools with their sighted peers in the same classrooms as their sighted friends. The special education teachers who provide instruction for children who are blind or visually impaired work with their regular classroom teachers to insure that the youngsters receive the best and most appropriate education designed for them. There is an overwhelming need for these teachers. As a consequence, there are many job opportunities in all regions of the United States. Individuals who choose this career path can anticipate having no difficulty obtaining life-long employment with great job security! In addition to numerous job opportunities, good pay, and excellent job security, individuals who choose this career path experience a sense of fulfillment not commonly found in other careers. These teachers play a significant role in the lives of youngsters who are blind and their families.
Generous student financial assistance is available. We will pay all instate or out-of-state tuition, all fees, health insurance, and a stipend of $5,200 per calendar year for qualified individuals who wish to come to Northern Illinois University to enroll in the graduate program focusing on special education for children who are blind or visually impaired. For more information, go to the following web site to read about the program.
Also, go to the following Youtube links
Interested individuals can contact the project director, GaylenKapperman, at the following e-mail:
Or by calling 815-753-8453
Admissions requirements are as follows:
Online application with a fee of $40
GRE scores of 30%tile verbal and 30%tile quantitative ($160 fee)
Official transcripts of all previous academic work
GPA of 2.8
ACT score of 22 or successful completion of the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP)
Three letters of recommendation
Personal statement
The link to the online application process for the Graduate School can be found on the page,
This is not an online program. All courses except for student teaching and the orientation and mobility internship are taken on campus in DeKalb, Illinois, the home of Northern Illinois University.
In this program, one can obtain a master’s degree and certification for teaching children who are visually disabled (16 months in length). Also, one can obtain a master’s degree to be trained to be an orientation and mobility instructor (16 months in length). We strongly advise completion of both components which requires 24 months. The “dual” certification increases one’s opportunities for employment considerably.
Students’ progress through the program in cohorts. Each cohort begins in the fall of each academic year. Our deadline for receipt of applications is June 15 of each year.
Illinois State University Update
EL VISTA: Giving new hope to a vulnerable population of learners
By Tommy Navickas
Early intervention services are crucial to the immediate and long-term quality of life for infants and toddlers with visual impairments, blindness, or deafblindness. In Illinois, TVIs and O&Ms are eligible to become credentialed providers of these services for birth through age three and are called Developmental Therapists-Vision (DT-Vs) and Developmental Therapists/Orientation and Mobility (DT-O&Ms).
Not only do DT-Vs and DT-O&Ms encourage brain development, growth, and the acquisition of basic skills such as crawling, but they “empower parents to be their child's advocate, teacher, and playmate,” explains Mindy Ely, a former DT-V. “When parents are involved in ahands-on way, the potential for their child is increasedexponentially.”
Without early intervention, these populations begin preschool at a developmental disadvantage in relation to their classmates. “And unfortunately, sometimes those students may have a difficult time catching up,” said Olaya Landa-Vialard, an assistant professor of low vision and blindness at Illinois State.
In Illinois, an alarming percentage of this population is underserved. Over the next three years, it is estimated that more than 1,500 children in the state will be eligible for early intervention services, and less than one fifth will receive them, or be even be identified. The problem stems from a critical shortage of DT-Vs and DT-O&Ms across the state, particularly in Western, Central, and Southern Illinois.
In an effort to better serve these vulnerable populations, Illinois State University implemented an early intervention vision program in 2015 titled Early Learning Visual Impairment Services, Training and Advancement (EL VISTA). EL VISTA represents one of precious few programs of its kind in the nation, and is funded by a 5-year $1.23 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education.
The project will provide forty additional DT-Vs and DT-O&Ms to the most underserved areas of the state, and more than double the current number of Illinois providers. “This work is part of the University’s ongoing efforts to serve as a leader in birth through age three,” said MaribethLartz, professor of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and the director of the grant.
EL VISTA is a yearlong off-campus cohort model. Intensive summer coursework bookends the program, and participants apply their research to practice during a ten-month practicum in families’ homes. “We chose ten-person cohorts so we could remain intensive about providing high quality training,” Lartz said. “We also select the location of each cohort strategically so we may prepare providers in geographic areas of need.”
EL VISTA’s recruits include orientation and mobility specialists and P-12 teachers of the visually impaired, who possess backgrounds working with these populations after age four. Graduates receive the University’s Early Intervention Vision Specialist Graduate Certificate, allowing them to apply for Illinois’ early intervention credential and begin working in the field.
Lartz said this next step in Illinois State’s efforts became a possibility in 2013 when Landa-Vialard joined the Department of Special Education’s staff. Dr. Landa-Vialard’s background is in both vision and early intervention, and is the co-director of EL VISTA. Both she and Ely are course instructors for the grant, as well.
Many of EL VISTA’s participants are former teachers. Ely, who also serves as the grant’s coordinator, works with Landa-Vialard in emphasizing the difference in the approach that they will need to take in their new roles. “As early intervention providers, we don't come in and ‘fix’ their child. Instead, we listento parents to learn their dreams and hopes for their child. Then, wejoin them in finding avenues to reach those dreams, in spite of thevisual impairment,” Ely said. “Parents are the true teachers for their child.”
EL VISTA’s first cohort is just underway, but the work has already gained national interest. Seven separate states have reached out to the University to inquire about extending the reach of the program. While there are no immediate plans to alter the model in this way, discussions are ongoing.
The lessons and outcomes from this work will inform best practice. EL VISTA will also serve as a roadmap for Illinois State and other institutions to sustain successful early intervention vision programs long after the grant’s completion. “The data we collect could truly impact our field,” Ely said. “As one of theout-of-state inquirers said, ‘the world is watching (us).’ That is ahuge responsibility, but also an exciting mountain to climb!’”