Under a grant funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the National Research & Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) will conduct training and technical assistance projects focused on agencies serving older individuals who are blind (OIB). RSA is part of the U.S. Department of Education.
All activities are designed to improve the operation and performance of OIB programs through improved community outreach, use of best practices in the provision of services, improved data reporting and analysis, and more robust financial and management practices. The three major projects under this grant are:
- Project 1: Intensive Training and Technical Assistance Three OIB programs per year will be selected to receive specialized consultation, in-depth training, technical assistance, and a follow-up plan to improve their operations and performance.
- Project 2: Targeted & Universal Technical Assistance OIB-TAC staff will continue to create and maintain new free continuing education courses, provide regular webinars, and host the annual OIB-TAC Conference.
- Project 3: OIB Collaborative OIB-TAC staff will promote knowledge of OIB services and engage in national partnerships through conferences, presentations, exhibits, publications, and other dissemination and collaborative methods.
A national advisory council will guide the research, training, and technical assistance efforts and disseminate project results. Outputs from all projects will be available through the Community of Practice, which is www.oib-tac.org.