Rehabilitation efforts for children with congenital dual sensory impairments, or deafblindness, have a long-standing history. Rehabilitation for older people with acquired dual impairments has recently moved to center stage because of the increasing number of clients who require such services (Saunders & Echt, 2007). For both these groups of…

A statewide assessment of stakeholders' needs was conducted for a state agency providing habilitation, rehabilitation, and independent living services to persons of all ages who are visually impaired (that is, those who are are blind or have low vision). This needs assessment was designed to acquire an accurate and thorough picture of the agency's…

This study investigated practices in the production and distribution of braille and large-print textbooks, highlighting changes in production and delivery systems from 2000 to 2004. The findings indicate that fewer states use production models for the statewide acquisition and distribution of special materials and that there is a greater reliance…

Providing Access to the Visual Environment (Project PAVE) is a statewide multidisciplinary project that provides low vision services to children ages 3-21 in Tennessee. This article describes the project's administrative, direct service, and research components and the philosophy on which it is based. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study explored the types of services that 40 schools for students with visual impairments provided to students in local education agencies, the extent of collaboration, and perceived changes to improve the process. Most schools continue to serve a dual role as residential/day schools and as outreach service providers. (Contains 8 references.)…

This national survey sought to determine which service providers work with young children with visual impairments, characteristics of the children served, provider roles and responsibilities, and the professional competencies they consider important. Findings emphasized the need for knowledge about and competence in cultural and linguistic…

Thirty-one outreach coordinators of graded specialized schools for students with visual impairments completed questionnaires concerning the range of outreach services provided by their schools. These services included early intervention, preschool programs, school-age programs, academic-year programs, and innovative teacher training programs.…

This article describes the evolution of Iowa's model of low vision care for students with visual impairments. It reviews the benefits of a transdisciplinary team approach to providing low vision services for children with visual impairments, including a decrease in the number of students requiring large-print materials and related costs. (Contains…

This article profiles the program delivery models, funding sources, and faculty demographics of 43 personnel preparation programs in 2002-03. It shows that there was an increase in the number of programs and fulltime faculty and a greater diversity of delivery models, although the number of tenure-track positions declined.

Discusses providing culturally competent services to individuals with visual impairments and seven cultural values: communication, health beliefs and practice, family structure, attitudes toward authority, etiquette, expectations of "helping," and time orientation. Provides suggestions for meeting cross-cultural challenges through skills used in…

Describes, through the experiences and development of a young Ethiopian boy with congenital blindness, some of the cultural differences between Ethiopians living in Israel and Israelis, the complexity of cultural transition, and the importance of respecting and learning from different child-rearing practices and values. (Author/CR)

Excerpts from an interview with an Asian-American woman about her views on aspects of her life illustrate key issues related to the cultural implications of having a visual impairment. Suggestions for professionals who work with Asian-American or Pacific-Islander clients are also presented. (Author/CR)

Discusses how American cultural values have impacted traditional Confucian values and traditional Korean perspectives on legislation, policy, and special-education systems for people with visual impairments. The need for continuation of the transformation to enhance the educational system for people with visual impairments is stressed. (CR)

A survey of 39 personnel preparation programs in visual impairment examined such issues as the availability of programs, type of faculty, salaries, and program delivery models. Findings indicated that a variety of nontraditional models are available for delivering preservice education and that there has been a decline in the percentages of…

This interview between Mark Laird, statewide employment specialist with Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, and Gil Johnson, director of American Foundation for the Blind West, describes an innovative rehabilitation model that forges relationships with businesses and has doubled the number of consumers with visual impairments who find…