Visions of the Blind

Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains! Being an itinerant teacher who travels down back country roads and up and down mountains has given me a chance to enjoy some of the most beautiful countryside in Southwest Virginia while fulfilling my passion! Since I began working for Allied Instructional Services (AIS) in 2012, I have worked in many school districts throughout the New River Valley and other areas of Southwest Virginia. My career journey has been full of twists and turns, but there’s no place I would rather be than doing what I love! It is always interesting to me how people get into the field of blindness and many never intend to, but come through unique experiences or circumstances. For me, I wanted to be an optometrist and majored in Chemistry (yes, that’s right, I LOVE science and math!) in undergrad. While in optometry school, I decide to shift gears (slightly) and got a Master’s degree from Salus University in Orientation and Mobility. After moving to Colorado, ...

Hello from Massanutten, Virginia! My name is Gwyn Suttell and I am a teacher of the visually impaired and certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist. I graduated from Kutztown University with a B.S. in visual impairments and education. I then went on to obtain my M.S. in Orientation and Mobility from Salus University. I have been a TVI/COMS for over 18 years. I feel lucky every day that was led into this career path. As a TVI/COMS, I work directly with students to promote independence and accomplish their personal academic and independence goals. My previous experience has been with working with local school divisions and the school for the blind in Virginia. These experiences have led me to my current position as a Vision Services Coordinator with Allied Instructional Services (AIS). AIS has given me the opportunity to work with more students with blindness and visual impairments across Virginia and use my years of experience to mentor other teachers of the blind and visua...

PHOTO: Total solar eclipse Credit: Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International / Wilderness Travel "Solar eclipse, HA! People who are blind or visually impaired cannot experience a solar eclipse!". This is the thought many people may have in regards to visual impairments and experiencing things beyond arms reach. On the contrary, I say, "Yes they can!". Thank you to technology, people who are blind or visually impaired can experience the solar eclipse ! In this blog you will find  a collection of different methods which can be used to access the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.  If I have missed a resource (which is completely possible), please post! Eclipse Soundscapes http://eclipsesoundscapes.org/ NASA’s Heliophysics Education Consortium Audio description Changing environmental sounds FREE App to visualize the eclipse through touch https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-08-11/helping-blind-see-sola...

Hi Friends! My name is Sarah Bussey and I am a little late to the blogging party!! 😵 HUGE THANK YOU and SHOUT OUT to Alex Olsen for creating this blog for us where we can share helpful information regarding all things related to the field of Visual Impairments!!! Now, a little introduction... I have been working in the field of vision impairments for 10 years as a Teacher of the Blind & Visually Impaired (TBVI), Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS), and Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT). I am currently serving as Vision Services Coordinator with AIS where I am resource for a team of teachers/instructors while also teaching students!  Teaching and learning from individuals of all ages and abilities who have visual impairments is my passion. I love teaching my students the skills necessary to gain independence and reach their highest potential. I never settle for the status quo--alw...

Most Itinerant Teachers will tell you that traveling all over the place means that you basically live out of your car. This article is aimed to help you stay organized and efficient while on the road, keeping your car looking professional and clean, while being prepared for whatever can happen! First things first, you have got to be organized! This is not negotiable! Think about how wonderful it would be to just open your trunk, grab the right bin or bag and go right into a school. No more digging around for what you need. There are so many ways to make sure that this happens: Keeping a bin or bag for each school ready to be pulled when you arrive If you have a full or part-time time driver, having a travel bin or bag for each school could be difficult. You could ask to keep a bin or bag at the school, in the classroom, or the main office. You could also ask your driver to have a section of the trunk to keep your supplies. If you own the vehicle, using the entire trunk space...