Establishing community-based rehabilitation projects for visually impaired populations in developing countries in the South Pacific presents challenges in communication, logistics, security, and other factors. Program development must consider differences in geography, population distribution, resources, cultural and religious values, and needs.…

This article describes a program called Blind FOCUS, in which the medical community and rehabilitation services cooperate to provide integrated services to people with diabetes who become visually impaired, in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. (DB)

Grants received by 32 programs for training personnel and conducting research in visual impairments from federal, state, and other sources were surveyed. Resulting recommendations address training grants, the 75 percent rule, and research funding. Issues considered include personnel needs, discrepancies in Department of Education annual counts of…

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 addresses the development of an orientation and mobility (O&M) certification examination by Division Nine of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. It describes the collection of data that establishes the relative importance of the competencies necessary for O&M. (Contains eight…

Suggests resources for school librarians who need materials for visually impaired or blind students. Highlights include the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; Louis Database of Accessible Materials for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired; Braille books; large print books, audio books; assistive technology; and…

This article discusses development of the Blind Rehabilitation Services Functional Outcomes Survey during a research project on the rehabilitation of adults with visual impairments. It describes the development process, the methods used in establishing survey reliability and validity, and the results of intermediate analyses of the data. (Contains…

Reviews the current state of postgraduate preparation for educators of students with sensory disabilities in Australia. In particular, it describes and discusses the Renwick College program, which has resulted from an innovative partnership between a regional university and a reputable community service-provider agency. (Author/CR)

The Braille Readiness Skills Grid identifies activities and skills that foster braille readiness in children with visual impairments. The grid assesses five readiness areas: tactile, fine motor, listening/attention, concept, and book/story. It is intended to encourage systematic braille readiness activities from infancy and foster children's…

Describes a variety of programs which provide youth with visual impairments with work experiences. These include transition programs which may rotate students in various positions such as cooperative programs with nonprofit agencies, internships for blind college graduates, employment in rehabilitation businesses, and National Industries for the…

Promotes the provision of interfaces that allow users to access most of the functionality of existing graphical user interfaces (GUI) using speech. Uses the design of a speech control tool that incorporates speech recognition and synthesis into existing packaged software such as Teletext, the Internet, or a word processor. (Contains 22…

Developing appropriate prevocational services for students with visual impairments and additional severe disabilities presents a challenge. A recent pilot transition program acknowledged this difficulty by deciding that "the inclusion of students, who require an extraordinary amount of individual attention to learn skills, would detract from…

This paper describes techniques developed as solutions to problems encountered while teaching blind or visually impaired students in chemistry courses at high school and postsecondary levels. Establishing and maintaining a sound student-instructor relationship is critical to the success and implementation of a plan of action for blind or visually…

This report describes different methods used by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Texas Tech University to provide training to rural teachers in serving students with visual impairments. Distance education is well-suited to the problem of rural personnel preparation. UAB uses videotaped lessons in conjunction with on-campus…

This report describes activities and recommendations of the Texas Commission on Braille Textbook Production, which monitors the acquisition Commission on Braille Textbook Production. The primary purpose of the commission is to monitor the expeditious acquisition of publisher computerized files in the form of textbook diskettes which are needed for…