Issues concerning the job preparation and development system for persons who are blind or visually impaired were identified by public and private sector leaders and used to develop a plan for full employment. Issues affected by factors external to the rehabilitation system and those influenced by the system are discussed. (SW)

This summary of a 1988 seminar meeting on service delivery to people with blindness or visual impairments focuses on rehabilitation, addressing access to information, consumers' impressions of services, purpose of evaluations, dealing with cultural differences, sites for delivering services, issues in rehabilitation, and training of rehabilitation…

This article identifies current problems that act as barriers to improved and expanded services and opportunities for blind and visually impaired people and their families, such as detachment of medical profession from service delivery, automatic student promotions, expectation of specialized programs in every district, parental choice of schools,…

A placement counselor offers his personal guidelines for a vocational placement process to serve blind individuals. Guidelines address the counselor's value system; the functional limitations of visual impairment and adaptive options; and the role of the employing agency in enhancing counselors' motivation for placement. A model placement policy…

This article compares residential and day school programs for children with blindness, from the perspective of a special educator with 50 years' experience. The roles of mainstreaming and teacher education are also considered. Four specific suggestions are offered for strengthening cooperative efforts between residential and day programs. (JDD)

This article refutes six myths associated with schools for students who are blind or visually impaired, such as specialized schools segregate and overprotect students from the real world, are for students with multiple disabilities only, and do not provide interaction with nondisabled children. These myths preclude some students from being…

This brief article outlines theories for the decrease in braille literacy among children with visual impairments. It stresses the need for braille instruction, the inability of itinerant teachers to adequately instruct many scattered visually impaired students, and resistance to using simplified Grade 1 braille. Special problems raised by…

In light of the Supreme Court's decision this Term in "Schaffer v. Weast," this Note analyzes the current state of special education law and argues that parents, attorneys, and advocates should look beyond the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to Section 504 in the post-"Schaffer" public school. This Note shows…

Quality education and rehabilitation programs for blind and visually impaired individuals are threatened by recent changes in federal and state education policy that favor noncategorical approaches in special education. Current special education policies are reviewed and suggestions are made for ways to avert domination by the interests of…

Chronicles the experiences and feelings of the authors, parents of a son who was blind from birth. It describes their encounters with the public educational system from kindergarten to college, concentrating on the boy's adolescent years, from middle school to college. Also discussed are mainstreaming, friendships, time management, contact with…

A young blind adult recounts his experiences in using a dog guide, describing psychological adjustment, trials and joys of being a student at a dog guide training center, bonding with the new dog, and adjusting to home life with a dog guide. Suggestions are offered for the improvement of orientation and mobility training. (JDD)

This article describes major issues in teaching Braille to students with acquired visual disability and presents results of a survey of 22 teachers of students with visual impairments in Texas. The survey addressed demographic characteristics, instructional schedules, materials, and instructional methods. Results have implications for development…

An administrator of a school for students with visual impairments and multiple disabilities raises concerns about assumptions of inclusive education that "all teachers can teach all children" and movements toward a generic "teacher of the handicapped" certificate. He maintains that blindness requires highly specialized interventions. (DB)

This article proposes that residential schools for children with visual impairments provide direct services to mainstreamed children, including occasional withdrawal to the residential school for instruction in specific skill areas unique to visual impairment including sports, computer training, tactile graphics, Braille music, and daily living…

This article offers a history of special California schools for children with blindness since the mid-1950s, from the perspective of a special educator. It points out that the two delivery systems of regular schools and special schools should not work in competition but in cooperation to develop the best education for meeting students' needs. (JDD)