The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) recently hosted its advisory council meeting of the RRTC on Employment Among People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision grant on February 18–19, 2026.
The advisory council includes experienced professionals from multiple organizations of and for the blind and low vision community. Their purpose is to offer guidance and support to NRTC staff on current research and training activities funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) under the 2020-2025 RRTC grant.
Council members received information from project investigators on the seven research projects for the new 2020-2025 RRTC grant. All projects focus on improving employment opportunities for people who are B/LV. Learn more about our new research projects on our 2025-2030 research activities page.
Information about current training and technical assistance projects was also provided to the advisory council, followed by an overview of dissemination efforts and website initiatives. Council members provided practical feedback and guidance on all RRTC projects and will continue to do so moving forward.
Advisory Council Members in Attendance
The following members attended the February meeting:
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Lea Rowe, Interim Executive Director, Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
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Carlos Servan, Director, Nebraska Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired, representing the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB)
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Richard Rueda, Digital Content Manager of CareerConnect, representing the American Printing House for the Blind
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Megan Conway, Director of Information Research & Professional Development, Helen Keller National Center (HKNC)
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Amy Porterfield, President, NABRP, representing the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
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Jason Eckert, VP and COO, VisionServe Alliance
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Arielle Silverman, Director of Research, American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
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Nancy Parkin-Bashizi, Orientation/Mobility & Living Skills Instructor for the Vision Rehabilitation Services of Georgia, representing the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
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Matt Wieseler, Director of Strategic Intelligence, National Industries for the Blind (NIB)
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Scott Thornhill, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind (ACB)
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Russell Shaffer, Executive VP, Programs & Strategy, Disability:IN
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 #90RTEM0007. To learn more, visit our About page and the NTAC-BLV website.