We are excited to announce that the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) has been awarded the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Among People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision grant. This 5-year grant is provided by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), a federal organization housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding supports our continued work as a national center of excellence on employment for people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV).
With this grant, we will continue to focus on improving employment outcomes for people who are B/LV. Through rigorous research, professional training, and technical assistance, the NRTC remains dedicated to addressing critical barriers to employment for people with B/LV while identifying effective strategies and tools that support success in the workplace.
New NRTC Research Projects
Over the next five years, the NRTC will lead seven research projects designed to advance knowledge and practice in the field of employment and blindness/low vision:
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Project 1: Development of Be My Mentor: A Flash Mentoring Intervention
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Project 2: Transitioning a Video Intervention to Real-World Settings: The Questions About Vision Loss Project
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Project 3: How VR Agencies Address Mental Health to Improve Employment for People who are B/LV
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Project 4: Identifying and Objectively Measuring the Core Technology Skills for Workplace Success
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Project 5: Evaluating the Efficacy of Employment Interventions for People who are B/LV
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Project 6: Leveraging National and Social Media Data to Explore Employment Trends, Outcomes, and Needs
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Project 7: Enhancing User Engagement with the 4to24 App
Together, these projects will expand knowledge and use of existing interventions while also developing new, innovative strategies that will add to research and practice in the B/LV field. Our work is grounded in collaboration with partner organizations such as Be My Eyes and state vocational rehabilitation agencies, along with the expertise of individual consultants. Our two advisory groups, one consisting of individuals who are B/LV and one consisting of representatives of 10 B/LV organizations, will be central to the planning and completion of project activities. Their input will shape our research, provide valuable guidance, and help disseminate findings, ensuring an integrated knowledge translation approach.
Training and Technical Assistance
In addition to research, the NRTC will continue to provide training opportunities and technical assistance to professionals and organizations nationwide.
Training efforts will include updating and developing short online courses hosted through Canvas, offering specialized workshops, and launching new initiatives such as The Blindness Experience university course for undergraduates at Mississippi State University. We will also conduct training workshops on the 4to24 app, host a State of the Science Conference, offer new staff training for service providers, and provide other efforts to support administrators and researchers in the B/LV field.
Our technical assistance initiatives will also expand. We will begin to hold Community of Practice (CoP) meetings for rehabilitation professionals who work with B/LV consumers, fostering collaboration and shared learning across the country. Additionally, we will launch a second season of our podcast, Employment Insights, with a new format. Upcoming initiatives include expanding outreach to agencies, creating guides on workplace accessibility and community engagement, and enhancing the NRTC and NTAC websites for easier navigation.
Looking Ahead
The NRTC is honored to continue its partnership with NIDILRR and to serve as a national leader in employment research for people who are blind or have low vision. We are committed to creating meaningful change in the lives of people with vision loss and the professionals who support them.
The NRTC focuses on employment outcomes of people with blindness or low vision (B/LV), providing training, technical assistance, and resources for professionals and people with B/LV interested in employment through funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research grant #90RTEM0015. To learn more, visit our About page and the NTAC-BLV website.