Visual Impairment eNewsletter

~Spring 2019~

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to the second

edition of The Inside Look. The purpose of

this eNewsletter is to educate and enlighten

teachers, parents, students, and other

professionals on information related to the

field of blindness and low vision. The

contributing authors of The Inside Look are

Teacher Consultants for the Visually

Impaired (TCVI) and Certified Orientation

and Mobility Specialists (COMS) that work

for the Western Wayne County Program for

the Visually Impaired based out of Livonia

Public Schools. It is our hopes that you take

the knowledge and resources shared with

you in this eNewsletter and use it to promote

the independence and success of each and

every one of our students.

Table of Contents

(Click a link to go directly to the article)

Helpful Orientation and Mobility Tips: Birth to Six Months Old

Looking for a Local Pediatric Ophthalmologist?

Mobility Aids: Canes Vs. Guide Dogs

Modifying Materials for All Three Phases of CVI

Resources Available to Parents of Children with a Visual Impairment

Seedlings Low Cost High Interest Braille Books

Student Spotlight

The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons and the Pre-Employment Transition Services

The Expanded Core Explained

Transportation Options for the Visually Impaired

 

Student Spotlight

By: Ericka Crawford, TVI/Low Vision

Coordinator

In this edition, we have chosen to interview

and spotlight Grace, who is 19 years old and

enrolled in her first year at the Livonia

Transition Program (LTP). Grace is

currently working at Embassy Suites Hotel

in Livonia, MI as part of the LTP. Since

September, Grace has worked in three

departments which include housekeeping,

laundry, and food services. Grace was

recently featured as the February Student of

the Month for the Livonia Transition

Program.

We would first like the readers to get to

know you a little bit, what are some

things that you do outside of working at

Embassy Suites Hotel that you enjoy?

“I really enjoy sports and especially hockey,

bowling, swimming, and baseball. I also

enjoy spending time with my family. I

recently went to the Kelly Clarkson concert

and had a really great time!”

Can you explain some of the

accommodations that you use while

working at your job site?

“When I work on a computer, I use large

print text and a large print keyboard. I also

use a magnifier, large print schedules,

telescope, task lighting, adapted lock for my

locker, and of course my glasses.”

What are your plans after completing the

LTP?

“I want to work at a hotel in either

housekeeping or the laundry department.”

What are some skills that you have

learned while working at the Embassy

Suites that would prepare you for a job in

the hotel business?

“I have learned how to make beds, strip

rooms, empty trash, loading and unloading

washer and dryers, sorting linens, folding

 

towels, and tray runs. I really enjoy and

have learned how to work with people who

already have jobs at the hotel. I also enjoy

helping and being part of a hotel staff

department.”

Congratulations Grace on a successful first

year at the Livonia Transition Program!

Transportation Options for the

Visually Impaired

By: Patrick Draheim,

Certified Orientation

& Mobility Specialist

One of the biggest

struggles for

individuals experiencing blindness or low

vision is undoubtedly transportation. In this

article I am going to highlight a few of the

transportation options available to

individuals experiencing blindness or low

vision and review some of their pros and

cons.

Fixed Bus Routes

Overview: Fixed bus routes are the most

common form of transportation used for

those experiencing vision loss. Southeast

Michigan’s largest public transportation

provider is the Suburban Mobility Authority

for Regional Transportation, also known as

SMART. SMART offers public bus

transportation in Macomb, Oakland, and

Wayne counties and provides nearly 10

Million rides annually.

Pros: The biggest pro for using a fixed bus

route has to be the pricing. For individuals

experiencing blindness or low vision, a

reduced fair ride costs .50 cents and that

includes free transfers. In order to qualify

for reduced fare, an application needs to be

filled out and submitted prior to riding.

Reduced Fare Application

Cons: Although SMART offers a great

service, there are some negatives to using

public bussing. First of all, not everyone

lives close to a fixed bus route and in some

Metro Detroit cities, SMART does not have

fixed bus routes at all. Secondly, riders are

responsible for traveling to the bus stop, and

that includes when it is snowing, raining,

and extremely hot. Lastly, like any public

services, you have to deal with schedules,

buses running late, and in rare occasions,

busses breaking down.

SMART ADA Services

Overview: Not only does SMART offer

Metro Detroit fixed bus routes but they also

offer curb-to-curb bussing through SMART

Connector and ADA Services. In order to

qualify for ADA Services, an application

needs to be filled out and submitted to

SMART. Within the application, a licensed

professional needs to certify that the

individual applying for ADA bussing has a

disability.

Pros: The number one pro for this service is

the curb-to-curb pick-up/drop-off. Instead

of traveling through snow, rain, and any

other extreme weather, an ADA bus will

meet you at your door to provide a ride.

Although the fare is a bit higher than fixed

bus routes ($3 a ride) it is still much more

affordable than using a cab or rideshare

application. Drivers of these busses have

also been trained on how to provide

assistance to individuals with disabilities.

Cons: In order to keep the system running

smoothly, SMART urges users to make ride

reservations up to 14 days in advance. So an

unexpected ride up to the store is not ideal

when using this bussing option. Also,

SMART ADA services have a 30-minute

window from your pick-up/drop-off time.

For instance, if you say you would like to be

picked up at 9:00 AM, SMART ADA will

pick you up anywhere between 8:30 AM -

9:30 AM, so make sure to provide plenty of

time when making your reservations.

Rideshare Applications (Uber/Lyft)

Overview: Rideshare applications such as

Uber and Lyft are becoming increasingly

popular and provide a quick and efficient

transportation method for the visually

impaired.

Pros: The biggest pro for Uber, Lyft, and

other rideshare applications is that they

provide individuals a quick and efficient ride

literally minutes after pressing a few

 

buttons. This option also takes the “stigma”

out of using public transportation and riders

are transported in a variety of vehicles just

like their peers. Using this mode of

transportation also offers the convenience of

door-to-door pick-up/drop-off.

Cons: Using Uber or Lyft can definitely be

the most expensive option, with typical rates

being $2.00 per mile and a base rate of

$1.00. These companies have also been

known to utilize something called “surge

pricing” where if they are experiencing a

high demand of ride requests, they will

double or even triple the normal rate. Also,

these companies typically have an 18 and

older policy so for many of our students, it is

worth learning about but not a viable option

until they are older.

Overall individuals with visual impairments

have a number of different options to get to

where they need to go. There is no

definitive best option and many people end

up using a combination of transportation

modes depending on the day. Orientation

and Mobility Specialists make sure to teach

their students about these various

transportation options and how to utilize

them.

Helpful Orientation and Mobility Tips: Birth to Six Months Old

By: Jim Baird,

Certified

Orientation &

Mobility Specialist

& Teacher

Consultant for the

Visually Impaired

If you have a child with a visual impairment,

it is never too early to start thinking of ways

to expose them to early Orientation and

Mobility concepts. Here are some activities

and adaptations you can do in your home

environment:

Exposure to sensory stimulation- With

your child, provide exposure to indoor and

outdoor sound toys. Allow them to touch or

hold the toy so they can begin to learn the

representations of object to sound. Keep

visually attractive sound producing objects

within reach during play time. Allow the

child to explore textures of various

household objects, and toys that have a

 

cause and effect response. Daily massage

and physical contact with your baby can be

an important tactual stimulation as well

Environmental Concepts: Doing

household chores and activities can be a

great time to give your child exposure to his

or her environment. You can include them in

activities such as doing the dishes and

putting their hands in the water to keep them

engaged, or when folding laundry, put them

in the basket to expose them to different

textures.

Body Image - Providing daily movement

stimulation in the form of bouncing,

swinging in prone position, gentle spinning,

rolling, and gentle play allow children to

feel more intune with their body. As they

begin to visually explore their feet and

hands, children develop the motivation to

reach beyond what they see.

Spatial Relationships: (object to object,

object to self, and self to objects) - In a

defined space such as a crib or a playpen,

place a few attractive and favorite toys

nearby. Hand your child one of the toys to

explore. Allow your baby time to explore

the toy with his or her hands. Next, place

the toy around or above your child and just

within reach. Add movements and sounds to

the toy to encourage visual and/or physical

contact. Use a preferred toy to motivate

turning, rolling, and reaching.

Gross Motor - Encourage developmentally

appropriate motor skills. This may include

placing them in a prone, supine, side lying,

or sitting position. To encourage the act of

crawling, an emphasis should be placed on

utilizing the prone position.

Modifying Materials for All Three Phases of CVI

By: Lori Marsh,

Teacher Consultant for

the Visually Impaired

In the last edition of The

Inside Look we discussed Cortical Visual

Impairment (CVI) and its 10 characteristics.

As a refresher the 10 characteristics are:

color preference, need for light, need for

movement, distance viewing difficulties,

visual field difficulties, visual novelty,

visual complexity, reflex responses, visual

latency, and visually directed reach. Dr.

Roman-Lantzy, author of Cortical Visual

Impairment: An Approach to Assessment

and Intervention, divides CVI into three

phases. Most children start in Phase I, which

means that most of the 10 CVI

characteristics are present. As a child

progresses through the three phases, many

of the characteristics begin to resolve. As

children progress through the three phases of

CVI they will need materials adapted and

modified to meet their unique visual needs.

In this article we will discuss different ways

to adapt materials for each phase.

Phase 1

In Phase 1 the goal is to increase visual

behaviors by encouraging the child to look

at, or visually attend to, objects. In order to

increase visual attention we need to modify

materials to make them less visually

complex and more visually pleasing for the

child. For many children in Phase 1 this

means using light, movement, and reflection

on visually simple plain black backgrounds.

Phase II

In Phase II CVI students are beginning to

integrate vision with function. The child is

starting to understand that what they are

seeing has meaning. In this phase we see

students visually attending to objects that

contain two-three colors or some patterns.

Students are also beginning to tolerate toys

that contain more than one sensory

component (ex. light/sound/movement). In

this phase the child may start to visually

attend to simple pictures.

Phase III

Phase III can be a difficult phase to

recognize because many of the 10 CVI

characteristics may be resolved with only a

few remaining. Research has shown that one

of the first characteristics to resolve is the

need for light. In Phase III the student likely

will not need light to initiate or sustain

visual regard. However, they may benefit

from a focus light on their reading or writing

materials, overhead lights dimmed, or a

backlit device such as a tablet or computer

screen. In this phase the child may be able to

tolerate objects of many different colors and

patterns. They may be able to look at

pictures in books and regard human faces,

both familiar and unfamiliar. Something that

the Phase III student may still require is

highlighting around words and/or pictures.

Students may always need this visual anchor

to make locating information in text easier

and more efficient for them. Students may

also continue to have difficulty with their

lower visual fields. Objects placed in their

lower fields may be difficult to locate or

they may struggle with moving up and down

stairs or curbs. The Phase III student may

still have trouble with visual complexity. If

too many objects are present, they may

 

struggle to locate information on a page.

This may show up when the student is in a

crowd of people. They may have trouble

locating a sign, an item, or even a friend or

family member in a crowd.

These are only a small sample of ideas for

modifications for each phase of CVI. There

are many, many ways that you can

encourage your student to use their vision

based on their own personal preferences.

Understanding your child’s current CVI

phase will help you in adapting and

modifying materials to meet their unique

visual needs. If you are unsure of which CVI

phase your child or student is in, don’t

hesitate to reach out to your child’s Teacher

Consultant for the Visually Impaired, or

Certified Orientation and Mobility

Specialist. We are here to help.

The Bureau of Services for Blind

Persons and Pre-Employment

Transition

Services

By: Tori Haber,

Teacher Consultant

for the Visually

Impaired

Under the Workforce Opportunity

Innovation Act (WIOA), all students with a

disability, ages 14 and up, will have access

to transition services through a vocational

rehabilitation agency. The Bureau of

Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) is

Michigan’s vocational rehabilitation agency

that provides individuals who are blind and

visually impaired with services including

training, counseling, support services, and

transition services.

These transition services, termed

Pre-Employment Transition Services

(Pre-ETS), prepare students to meet their

post-secondary goals. Students receive

training in the following five areas:

1. Self-Advocacy: During self-advocacy

training, students may learn ways to request

their own accommodations and more about

their visual diagnosis. Students can also

learn when and how to disclose their needs

to potential employers, peers, teachers, etc.

Self-advocacy helps students develop

independence in preparation for success in a

work and/or post-secondary educational

setting.

2. Workplace Readiness: Students learn

social skills necessary to thrive in working

environments. Another element of

workplace readiness can include

development of Independent Living Skills.

Independent Living Skill training can

include hygiene, ways to dress and match

clothing, laundry skills, and money skills.

3. Work-Based Learning: Students

participate in work-based learning

opportunities around the community during

the school year, or during the summer.

Through work-based learning, students are

exposed to local businesses and the

day-to-day functions of working.

4. Post-Secondary: Pre-ETS helps students

develop educational goals and can include

educational counseling and enrollment

opportunities.

5. Job Exploration: Students explore their

own interests and abilities to determine

potential careers. The students may conduct

research, seek career counseling, conduct

mock job interviews, and apply for jobs.

 

Pre-ETS Opportunities Coming Up:

This summer, BSBP and Livonia Public

Schools are partnering for the Pre-ETS

Summer Program. During the last two

weeks of June, students will participate in

activities in the five target areas of Pre-ETS.

Activities will include: field trips to local

businesses and community organizations,

independent living skills, work-based

learning opportunities, presentations from

professionals who are blind and visually

impaired, and more.

BSBP and LPS Pre-ETS Summer Program

For students with a visual impairment, ages 14+

June 17th-21st & June 24th-28th

9:00am-3:00pm

Franklin High School 31000 Joy Rd, Livonia, MI 48150

*If you would like to register your child for

the Pre-ETS Summer Program or to request

more information, please contact your

child’s Teacher Consultant for the Visually

Impaired or O&M instructor.

Looking for a Local Pediatric

Ophthalmologist?

By: Ericka Crawford,

TVI/ Low Vision

Coordinator

Below are local

Pediatric Low Vision

Ophthalmologists that families of our

program have experienced.

Children’s Eyecare of Michigan

Detroit Office

3901 Beaubien Blvd

Detroit, MI 48201

313-745-3937

Dearborn Office

22731 Newman St. Suite 245

Dearborn, MI 48124

313-561-1777

West Bloomfield Office

7001 Orchard Lake Rd. Suite 200

West Bloomfield, MI 48322

248-538-7400

 

University of Michigan W. K. Kellogg Eye Center Ann Arbor Office

1000 Wall Street, Floor 1

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

734-764-7558

Northville Office

39901 Traditions Dr., Suite 230

Northville, MI 48168

248-305-4400

Canton Office

1051 N. Canton Center. Rd.

Canton, MI 48187

734-844-5400

Ypsilanti Office

1974 N. Huron River Drive Suite 100

River Place Office Building

Ypsilanti, MI 48197

734-615-0788

Mobility Aids:

Canes Vs. Guide

Dogs

By Kirsten Davies,

Certified Orientation

and Mobility Specialist

For people who have a visual impairment or

are blind, traveling within unfamiliar

environments independently can be a

daunting task. Luckily, there are mobility

aids that will allow a blind traveler to

achieve independence. There are two main

mobility aids that we will be comparing in

this article: the long white cane and the

guide dog. As an Orientation and Mobility

Specialist, one of the most common

questions I receive is: What are the pros and

cons of being a cane user vs. a guide dog

user and how do I make that decision?

Before we can compare the two, it is

important to understand that in order for

someone to receive a guide dog, they must

have already received Orientation and

Mobility training in cane instruction and be

an independent cane user and traveler. That

is important because:

1. The person who is receiving a guide dog

should be visually impaired enough that they

NEED and would benefit from the use of the

dog in their everyday life and

2. The person must be able to travel routes

independently because while the dog is

trained, it can always make mistakes that the

PERSON handling the dog should be able to

override and correct the dog as needed.

The first and most commonly used mobility

device is the long white cane. The long

white cane is a tool that will allow the user

to detect objects within their path of travel

and negotiate around them.

Orientation and Mobility Specialists are

trained to provide cane instruction to people

throughout the lifespan, along with a variety

of other tools and low vision devices based

on the students’ needs. Another tool that is

commonly utilized for people who are blind

is a guide dog. Like a cane, the dog will

allow the user to avoid unexpected objects

or uneven terrain, but instead of detecting

the object and moving around it, you avoid

the obstacle. Canes=object detectors and

Dogs=object avoiders. In order to get a

guide dog you must be legally blind, able to

care for a dog physically/financially, be

efficient in O&M skills, and usually must be

at least 16 years or older. There are 17 guide

dog Schools located in the United States. In

Michigan, there is one guide dog School,

Leader Dogs for the Blind, and it is located

in Rochester, MI. Once the guide dog is

trained and is ready to be paired with a

student, the trainee goes to the guide dog

training center and receives instruction there

with the dog for around three weeks

depending on the school. In the next edition

of The Inside Look, we will go over the

guide dog training process and how guide

dogs can enhance the lives of people who

are visually impaired.

Once you or your child/student have

becoming a proficient cane user and start

getting older, conversations about guide

dogs and options for the future would aid in

making the best personal decision for your

mobility needs. For further information on

guide dog schools in the United States,

 

please visit the National Federation for the

Blind website under Guide Dog Resources.

Seedlings Low Cost High Interest

Braille Books

By: Julie Burger,

Teacher Consultant for

the Visually Impaired

“There is no such thing

as a child who hates to

read; There are only children who haven’t

found the right book” quote from, Dr. Frank

Serafini, current Professor of Literacy

Education and Children's Literature at

Arizona State University. We all understand

there are hundreds of wonderful reasons

why reading is important. As parents and

educators we recognize this. We try every

way we think of to expose and enrich

children in reading opportunities. However,

there is a Braille literacy crisis in America.

This has had a major impact on literacy with

our students with visual impairments. Nearly

90 percent of America’s children who are

blind are not learning to read, according to

the National Federation for the Blind.

Reasons for that in part is not having access

to Braille materials. Braille materials have

been difficult to find and are often very

expensive. Only a tiny proportion of books

published are available in braille, well under

1%. Many school and local public libraries

offer few Braille books or none at all.

Oftentimes when they do have braille books,

it is a classic such as “Call of the Wild.”

Let's be truthful, even our most favorite

book when read over and over can lose its

luster.

Deb Bonde with Seedlings’s Braille Books

for Children have made it their personal

message to make popular children’s books

in braille for a low cost. Seedlings believes

in getting braille books into the hands of

teacher, parents and children with visual

impairments. They make braille books at a

low cost due to numbers of volunteers and

donors they have. You can choose books

for children learning to read all the way up

to high school popular interest books.

Books with just braille and books with print

and Braille are available. Reading as a

family is one thing my kids love. If you have

a child with braille needs and another child

who loves the pictures, it can be beneficial

to have them reading the same book out loud

to one another.

 

Seedlings also offers ongoing special

projects to help get free braille books to

children, teachers and families. Use the

Book Angel Program for V-I Children to

receive three free Braille Books per year.

Teachers of the Visually impaired can use

the The TVIP Program for four free

1-volume braille books from Seedlings each

calendar year. The Adopt-a-Reader

Program can be used if you live in

Michigan, Ohio, or Illinois. One of their

donors will invest up to $100 of free

Seedlings' books. These are many ways

Seedlings is paying it forward to our VI

community.

Seedlings hosts numerous fundraising events

throughout the year to help keep the braille

books at a low cost. Like the Bowl-A-Thon

on March 9th at Novi Bowl. Not only do

you get to mingle with other children,

parents and professionals that have had

similar experiences as you, there is a lot of

fun, prizes, and raffles. And through the fun

you are helping blind children read!

Please check out seedlings on the web at

http://www.seedlings.org/index.php or call

them at 734-427-8552 to set up a time to

visit them at their headquarters in Livonia.

The Expanded Core Explained

By: Caitlin Oliver,

Teacher for the

Visually Impaired

What is the

Expanded Core?

Students who are blind or that have visual

impairments need specialized instruction in

order to understand concepts in our visual

world. The Expanded Core (EC) is a

guideline for students with visual

impairments to enhance the learning in

academic settings. There are many things

children with typical vision pick up just by

observation. The EC covers skills in areas

important to a student’s functional living in

order to participate with other classmates in

school and in the community.

What areas does the Expanded Core

cover?

Compensatory Access- This will help your

student learn about the world around them.

Compensatory access lessons tend to cover

ideas such as; organization skills, time

management, and teaching the abacus

(calculator for the blind).

Sensory Efficiency- A student may need

instruction on maximizing their use of

vision, and identifying textures tactually and

underfoot. Lessons may focus on tracking,

visual motor activities, scanning, and visual

discrimination.

Assistive Technology- The majority of

students who are blind or visually impaired

will need some form of assistive technology.

Assistive technology comes in many forms

such as apps, braille writers, tablets, screen

readers, screen magnifiers, and audio books.

Orientation and Mobility (O&M)- It is

imperative for students with visual

impairments to learn to move safely,

independently, and efficiently through all

environments. We have three of the best

O&M specialists on staff. Kirsten Davies,

Pat Draheim, and James Baird.

Independent Living- This involves skills that

people perform to manage their home and

personal life. The following lessons are in

place to instill responsibility and

independence: dressing and clothing

management, mealtime independence,

housekeeping, money skills, and time

management.

Social Interaction- Having reduced vision

makes it difficult for students to acquire

information about their social environment.

Lessons for this could include, teaching

 

 

non-verbal communication, self-concept,

and other social skills.

Recreation and Leisure- This area focuses

on development of interest and skills

involved in physical and leisure activities.

Lessons for this area could include, play,

physical activity, health and fitness, team

and spectator sports, and leisure activities

and hobbies.

Career Education- This area includes

self-awareness and career exploration

activities. Lessons that teach subjects such

as career awareness, career exploration,

career preparation, and career placement

would all support this area.

Self Determination- This refers to the child’s

ability to advocate for his or her own needs

and desires to make choices for oneself. This

helps promote independence and successful

functioning in society. Self determination

can be reinforced through teaching

self-knowledge, awareness of individual

rights and responsibilities, how to make

informed choices, problem solving skills,

self-advocacy, and empowerment.

Resources Available to Parents of Children with a Visual Impairment:

Michigan Department of Education-Low Incidence Outreach

Lions Club International

Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments

The Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

Upcoming Events

VI Spring Picnic - May 14th 5:00 - 7:30

Please join us for our annual picnic! With

friends, good food, and fellowship you

won’t want to miss it. The VI staff will

provide the main dish and dessert .

Please provide a side dish to share and

drinks for your family.

RSVP: To your VI/O&M teacher

When: May 14 Where: Rotary Park in

Livonia at 6 mile