Dear AccessWorld readers,
I feel like time flies these days. It seems like just yesterday that I took over AccessWorld in July 2020 but a year has already passed. The summer is also already half over. In just a few short weeks, many of our readers will be returning to school or university. As usual, this month we bring you our Back to School issue of AccessWorld.
If you are someone with a visual impairment, the transition from school to university can seem daunting. Many are going from a school where the state is legally providing all of their books and assignments in an accessible format and where they have access to an advocate in their Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), to a place where they are alone and must advocate for themselves to receive accommodations. That being said, there are numerous resources aimed at preparing the new college student with a visual impairment for university life. I wanted to take this space to provide you with some of these resources.
I always recommend that you check out our previous article on college transition, Educational Resources and Tips from the AFB Information and Referral Center . This article has been periodically updated since its initial publication in 2010; the majority of the information contained in the piece is evergreen and quite useful. I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Veronica Lewis, a recent university graduate and active accessibility advocate who also publishes a very helpful blog called Veronica with Four Eyes. She has published articles of interest to the new university student and I have collected some of those that I thought would benefit AccessWorld readers below:
- SEEING THE FUTURE: A PROPOSED RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS WITH VISION IMPAIRMENTS
- Ten Questions To Ask When Choosing A Virtual Class
- Online Activities That Help Prepare For College Transition
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
Veronica also frequently will include related links from her blog under sections of each post. For example, in the first post linked above, she will link posts detailing the topics she describes in her outline of her proposed website.
The Perkins eLearning website contains resources and information for the prospective student. Also, keep an eye on Perkins programs, as they will often host courses and programs to give students or young adults with vision loss experience in college or the workplace. Also I would recommend the APH CareerConnect Transition to College: Program Activity Guide. This detailed guide will take you through the process of preparing for university and is also designed so that it will be useful as a teaching tool for TVIs. CareerConnect is a great resource for anyone attending college or seeking employment. The website is full of thorough information on any topic relating to employment specifically, but also includes college resources. Even though it is focused on employment, this article by former AFB employee Joe Strechay has great information on working with your state's vocational rehabilitation program. Even though they are focused on employment, I found taking part in my state's program was helpful for the possible assistive technology funding that you might be able to receive.
As always, I love to hear your comments. If you attended a postsecondary education program, how was the experience for you? Is there anything you would like to share with other AccessWorld readers that you found particularly important on your journey through college or university? Let us know!
Sincerely,
Aaron Preece
AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
