NRTC Awarded Renewals for Two Major National Grants

The NRTC is pleased to announce the renewal of two major grants that will enable us to continue advancing research, training, and technical assistance for individuals who are blind or have low vision (B/LV) and the professionals who work with them.

The NRTC has received the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Among People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision (RRTC) grant, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). This five-year grant, which runs from 2025 to 2030, supports a comprehensive program of research, training, and technical assistance aimed at enhancing employment opportunities and outcomes for people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV).

We will conduct seven major research projects that investigate employment issues or create resources to improve employment outcomes. The project titles and their purpose are provided below.

1. Development of Be My Mentor Intervention – Develop and test an innovative electronic mentoring model to enhance employment outcomes

2. The Questions About Vision Loss Project – Promote the use of the Questions About Vision Loss interactive video to improve knowledge, attitudes, and hiring

3. How VR Agencies Address Mental Health – Explore how vocational rehabilitation agencies support mental health needs to improve employment results

4. Identifying and Measuring Core Technology Skills – Define key workplace technology skills and develop an objective assessment tool to measure them

5. Efficacy of Employment Interventions – Empirically evaluate employment programs for people who are B/LV being implemented by VR agencies

6. Exploring National and Social Media Data – Analyze employment trends and outcomes using large datasets and anonymous Reddit comments

7. Enhancing 4to24 App Engagement – Improve adoption of and engagement with the NRTC’s app for youth and families to support transition to employment

Along with research, the NRTC will carry out 10 training projects and 7 technical assistance projects, including a State-of-the-Science Conference, to encourage the use of our research findings in practice.

The NRTC is also excited to announce the renewal of the Older Individuals Who Are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) grant, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Education. This five-year grant, running from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, will allow OIB-TAC to continue supporting professionals and programs serving older adults who are blind or have low vision.

Under this new funding cycle, OIB-TAC will:

• Provide intensive technical assistance to three states each year.

• Offer continuing education courses, webinars, and an annual program manager conference.

• Facilitate monthly and quarterly meetings for program managers and service contractors.

• Deliver individualized support to any program or professional upon request.

The new funding ensures continued access to high-quality training and technical assistance through the OIB-TAC for programs receiving federal funding for the provision of independent living services for older individuals 55 and older.

These renewals reflect NRTC’s ongoing commitment to improving employment outcomes and independent living services for individuals who are B/LV. To learn more about the NIDILRR grant projects and the OIB-TAC grant, visit our News page.

Current Research Highlight: Increasing Labor Force Participation

Despite ongoing efforts to improve employment outcomes, labor force participation rates among individuals who are blind or have low vision (B/LV) remain significantly lower than those of the general population. This research project aims to better understand the barriers that prevent workforce participation and identify strategies—such as mentoring, self-employment, and improved access to services—that support individuals with B/LV to engage more fully in the labor market.

A large component of the study was interviews with 30 individuals with visual impairments who were not working or seeking employment. Findings from the interviews led to the development of a manuscript focused on mental health issues, as well as two informational videos: one about finding services for people with B/LV and another on navigating vocational rehabilitation services.

In early 2024, the team conducted a career mentoring survey to examine how quality mentoring relationships are formed. Data collection ended in September 2024 with 155 usable responses. The analysis of the data has informed a manuscript currently under review, which explores career mentoring experiences and perceptions of career helpfulness among adults with visual impairments. Key findings of the study were that having a mentor with a visual impairment and similar values were independently associated with perceiving their mentor as extremely helpful to their career success.

Currently, the team is working on a manuscript focused on the activities of working-age individuals with B/LV who are not in the workforce. Work is also underway to develop an online course designed to support individuals with B/LV who are not employed or actively seeking employment. Remaining tasks include updating the Employment Mentoring Manual.

For more information, visit our research project webpage.

Training and Technical Assistance

New Online Course

Functional Independent Living Assessment (FILA) Training: This course presents a validated pre/post assessment for use by professionals serving in the role of a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT). The assessment tool provides a consistent way to measure the benefits of receiving VRT services. Discover how to use the Functional Independent Living Assessment to increase consistency in services and ensure comprehensive VRT assessment, while measuring outcomes. This course is available for 2 hours of ACVREP and NBPCB credit.

All NRTC courses are available through our learning management system. For more information about our courses, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Featured Resource

Finding Services: A Beginner’s Guide to Visual Impairment is a video that was created in response to comments from visually impaired participants in the NRTC research study mentioned above, the Increasing Labor Force Participation project. It explains and provides contact information for the major agencies or organizations that support people with vision loss. The video is hosted on our NTAC-BLV website on the Finding Services page. 

Featured Instructional Material

The NRTC offers instructional materials titled Basics of Blindness and Low Vision: Understanding a Low Incidence Disability, designed to enhance college students’ knowledge about blindness and low vision. We envision these materials to be utilized in a range of college degree programs and may be especially helpful in Rehabilitation Counseling and other Counseling specialties. Students in Social Work and Education programs may also benefit from these materials. We encourage professors within these programs to utilize our materials to educate their students about this population. To learn more about and access these instructional materials, visit our Basics of Blindness page.

Other NRTC News

Spotlight on Successful Employment

The NRTC has a new person featured in our Spotlight on Successful Employment! After losing his vision in 2014, Ismael Collazo transformed adversity into opportunity by launching Blind Guy Boards LLC, a woodworking business specializing in handcrafted cutting boards. With adaptive tools and a passion for mentoring others, Ismael is not only a successful entrepreneur but also a leader in the blind community.

Read his inspiring journey and discover how he's proving that blindness is no barrier to craftsmanship or success on our Spotlight on Successful Employment page.

Applications for the Vision Specialist Program Extended

The deadline to apply for NRTC’s Vision Specialists in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program has been extended to October 15, 2025. Our online graduate certificate program, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, lasts one year (January to December). The courses are designed for professionals to help them become more effective in their work with individuals who are B/LV. To learn more about this program and how to apply, visit our Vision Specialist page on our website.

NRTC Listserv

The NRTC’s listserv for rehabilitation professionals provides a forum for communication between professionals working with consumers who are blind or visually impaired and NRTC staff. Professionals have the opportunity to communicate with each other, and researchers share relevant research findings, training opportunities, and resources through the listserv. The listserv is free and available to professionals with an interest in assisting people with blindness and low vision to achieve independence through employment.

If you would like to subscribe to the rehabilitation professionals’ listserv, please email Brittany Greer at bgreer@colled.msstate.edu.

Publications, Presentations, and Miscellanies

Publications

Antonelli, K., Cmar, J. L., & Dabbs, S. M. (2025). Resumes of job seekers with visual impairments: Characteristics and quality. The New RE:view, 3(2), 69-84.

Crudden, A., Steverson, A., & Sergi, K. (2025). Mentoring and self-employment: Potential strategies to promote labor force participation. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 62(3), 234-243.

McDonnall, M. C., Steverson, A., Boydstun, J., y D'Andrea, F. M. (2025). Factores vinculados al dominio de las destrezas relacionadas con el braille en adultos. RED Visual: Revista Especializada en Discapacidad Visual, (85), 93-116. https://doi.org/10.53094/MRXP2487.

McDonnall, M. C., Boydstun, J., & Steverson, A. (in press). Use of wearable devices and generative AI in the workplace by people with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness.

Welch-Grenier, S. (in press). Optimizing resources: Enhancing rehabilitation for older adults with vision loss through effective retreat training models. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness.

Presentations

Ottowitz, J. (2025, November 7). Seeing in new ways: Finding hope through the journey of adjusting with vision loss. Northeast AER, Warwick, RI.

Welch-Grenier, S. (2025, November 21). Empowering care: T.I.P.S. for supporting individuals with vision loss. Presentation at the 2025 OCALICONLINE. Virtual Conference.

Miscellanies

Welch-Grenier, S. (in press). Bridging the gap: Empowering vision rehabilitation through research. American Foundation for the Blind Blog. 

Webinars

October 17 (2:00 PM CDT) – Accessible Medication: Adaptive Strategies for Safer Management and Labeling. Managing medications safely is a critical challenge for older individuals who are blind or have low vision. This webinar explores innovative, adaptive strategies that promote independence and reduce risk in medication use. From the “rights” of medication management to the array of labeling options and inclusive pharmacy practices, join Jennifer Ottowitz, CVRT, from OIB-TAC as we highlight practical tools and approaches that make medication management more accessible. Visit our event page to learn more and register.