The Latest News from the NRTC

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NRTC Presents at MAER Conference

Many NRTC research and support staff participated in the Mississippi Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (MAER) Virtual Conference on October 8-10. This year's theme was "Beyond Vision Loss: Partnerships for Successful Transition Toward Autonomy."

October 16, 2020
Image Alternative Text: text: Fall 2020 Quarterly Connections: News from the NRTC

Fall 2020 - Quarterly Connections: News from the NRTC

The NRTC is in the final stages of the creation of our employment-focused app to promote independence and a successful transition process for youth (ages 4 to 24) with B/LV and deaf-blindness (DB). The app, 4to24, will provide suggested activities and a checklist to track progress on completion of these activities that are meant to help prepare youth for employment.

October 1, 2020
Image Alternative Text: NRTC staff with text “The NRTC Awarded Second Major National Grant"

The NRTC Awarded Second Major National Grant

The NRTC is proud to announce our receipt of another competitive national grant. This grant, Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance, is sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Education. This 5-year grant, which provides approximately $3 million in funding, begins October 1, 2020.

October 1, 2020
Image Alternative Text: Headshots of Sylvia Stinson-Perez, Kendra Farrow, Michael Nye, and Hannah Fairbairn with Connect logo

OIB-TAC Hosted Virtual Technical Assistance Conference

The Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) hosted our second annual OIB Program Manager’s Technical Assistance Conference on August 31 – September 4.

September 17, 2020
Image Alternative Text: McDonnall smiling with text “John H. McAulay Award 2020 Recipient: Dr. Michele McDonnall”

NRTC Director Honored with 2020 John H. McAulay Award

This award, from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, was established to "honor professionals who have contributed outstanding efforts and achievements leading to the placement of people with visual impairments in productive employment."

September 9, 2020
Image Alternative Text: NRTC on Blindness and Low Vision awarded major national grant

The NRTC Awarded Major National Grant

The National Research & Training Center on Blindness & Low Vision (NRTC) has a 39-year history of conducting research and advancing knowledge about the employment of people who are blind or low vision.

August 10, 2020
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OIB-TAC Prepares to Host Virtual Conference

The Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) is preparing for their second annual OIB Program Manager’s Technical Assistance Conference. This year, it will be held virtually August 31 – September 4 on the OIB-TAC Community of Practice with the theme “Connect.”

July 21, 2020
Image Alternative Text: 4to24 Deaf-Blind App on iphone screen

4to24 Deaf-Blind App Ready for Field Test

The NRTC's employment-focused "4to24" app for parents of youth with deaf-blindness (DB) is in its final stages of development. This version of the app is designed specifically for parents or caretakers of children and youth between the ages of 4 to 24 years old who are deaf-blind, or have combined visual and hearing impairment, and additional disabilities.

June 24, 2020
Image Alternative Text: Desktop with OIB-TAC live forum webpage on the screen

OIB-TAC Hosted Live Forum on Remote Training

The Older Individuals Who are Blind – Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) regularly hosts live forums to allow professionals to converse with designated experts on a specific topic through comments posted on our Community of Practice.

March 23, 2020
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NRTC's New Learning Management System

A key component of the NRTC mission is to enhance the employment and independent living outcomes of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. One way we do this is to provide free training to professionals in the form of our online short courses.

March 5, 2020
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NRTC Presents at CEC 2020 Convention & Expo

NRTC Director Michele McDonnall and researcher Jennifer Cmar attended the Council for Exceptional Children 2020 Convention in Portland, Oregon. This conference for students, professionals, and researchers provided the opportunity to learn about trends and emerging practices in the field of special education.

February 12, 2020
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Welcome Simon Marcy

The NRTC is pleased to welcome Simon Marcy as our Web Designer. In this position, Simon will assist with our online courses and the maintenance of our three websites.

January 17, 2020
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Welcome Catherine Hultman

The NRTC is excited to welcome Catherine Hultman as the Project Manager for the OIB-TAC grant. She will also provide project management assistance for the NRTC’s Vision Specialist Graduate Certificate Program grant.

January 6, 2020
Image Alternative Text: Kendra's award

Farrow Receives Award from AVRT

Kendra Farrow, research and training associate, attended the Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (AVRT) Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, in December. As a vision rehabilitation therapist, Farrow felt it was important to attend to “learn about successful strategies and the current challenges in the field.”

December 11, 2019
Image Alternative Text: Sylvia Perez speaking at conference table discussion

Reflections on NCSAB and VSA Conferences

Sylvia Perez, OIB-TAC Project Director, attended both the National Council of the State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) and Vision Serve Alliance (VSA) Conference. Perez felt that both conferences were focused on “ensuring that people of all ages who are visually impaired can reach their maximum potential.”

November 8, 2019