Greetings, Illinois AER Members

Greetings, Illinois AER Members:

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer! With fall in the air, your IAER board and committees are hard at work planning the February 2018 IAER conference. Our theme is “EnVISIONing the Future.” Each year we try to outdo the previous one and this year will be no different! We hope to make the 2018 conference the best yet. Amy Lund is once again your conference chair. She will share important information regarding the conference later in this newsletter.

The next election of officers and members at large to the Illinois AER Board of Directors will take place in February 2018. Positions available are: President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member at Large (6 openings).To ensure that IAER continues to thrive, please consider running for a board position or nominating a colleague to serve. If nominating a colleague, please confer with your nominee before submitting their name! All nominees must be a member in good standing of IAER. Watch for an email blast in early December calling for nominations.

Your IAER chapter needs you! Consider becoming involved with fellow members by joining an IAER committee (awards, bylaws, conference, membership, mini-grants/stipends, scholarships, space camp, website/social media, and workshops). Consider writing an article for our newsletter and share your knowledge and expertise. We are always looking to expand our social media presence. Therefore, if you have a teaching tip/tidbit, vision-related event in your area, or update for the field to share, consider having it posted on our Facebook page.

It is no secret that AER membership has been in decline in recent years. Please reach out to fellow colleagues and encourage them to become new members or renew their membership. AER offers a variety of membership “types” and dues pricing. AER also offers several member benefits such as networking opportunities, professional development, access to publications, advocacy, recruitment resources, and scholarships just to name a few. Visit www.aerbvi.org for more information on membership and member benefits. Having an organization specifically for vision professionals is critically important as our field and the educational landscape continues to change.

Kind Regards,

Doug Anzlovar IAER President [email protected]

IAER Board Members 1 President: Secretary: Members-at-Large: Douglas Anzlovar Stacy Kelly Elizabeth Budzik- [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Jennifer Duncan- [email protected] Dayna Grismanauskas- [email protected] President Elect: Treasurer: Allyssa A. Harpst- [email protected] Olaya Landa-Vialard Cindy Miller Lisa Meadors- [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Molly Pasley- [email protected]

Past President: Amy Lund [email protected]

Committee Reports

Conference Committee

2018 Illinois AER Conference “EnVISIONing the Future”

Fall is an exciting time of year for Illinois AER. Call for papers are due and sessions are getting selected for yet another wonderful state conference. It is assured that this year’s program and conference changes won’t disappoint!

First and foremost- the program proves to be a well-rounded experience for all of our members. Careful consideration is made for each track to have a session each time slot-sometimes having too many great options to attend!

You will notice a change in registration this year. A goggle form and paypal option for registrants surely will make registration a smooth experience.

Thank you to all the committee chairs, committee members and IAER board for contributing hours of support to the conference already! We are currently locking in our Keynote speakers hope to announce via facebook and the website soon. Stay tuned!

The hotel link is posted on the IAER facebook page as well will be posted to the IAER website. Please make your room reservations ASAP! The block closes January 26, 2018.

IVLC Advocacy Committee:

IVLC Advocacy Committee update:

2 Two ISU Doctoral students: Kristi Probst and Lauralyn Randles are going to Washington, D.C. as part of the NLCSD Fellowship meeting to meet with Senators and Representatives to advocate for the Cogswell- Macy Act. It has been reintroduced so we need to push hard for passage. We will have tables again at IAER to have a call in day to show our support.

APH reached out to Olaya to help with their Quota Fund Campaign. They are meeting with representatives and senators in D.C. to ask for an increase in quota funds. Right now students get a quota of $250.00 each. This has been the quota amount for decades now. This barely buys basic materials, never mind some of the expensive technology our students need. So please when APH asks us to start making calls and sending letters let’s get together and show how strong we are and push for this increase in quota funding. Our kids depend on it! Part of what they asked for were quotes and pics from teachers, parents and students from Illinois. I asked for those from the field in Il and got a great response. I forwarded those to Gary Mudd at APH and he used them for the literature they were preparing for the meetings. As soon as I get a copy I will send it out to show how important Illinois is to this campaign. Thanks to all who provided quotes and pics.

Workshop Committee

Are you interested in hosting a workshop in your area? Apply for the IAER workshop grants. The grants will pay up to $400 this fiscal year towards workshops!

Applications are available on the our website: http://il.aerbvi.org/grants_scholarships.htm

If you have any questions on how to apply, please contact Allyssa Harpst ([email protected]).

Mini Grants/Stipends/Volunteer Service Grants

Greetings IAER Members!

First I would like to thank all of you who have applied for a stipend for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. A large number of people utilized funds for the International AER Conference in Jacksonville, FL.

As of July 1, 2016, there has been a slight change to the provision of stipends. Members can continue to utilize $100 toward IAER conference expenses, however, as a board we have decided to open the $200 awards to national and international conferences (e.g. ICEVI, International AER, CEC, AFB, APH, etc.)! So far we have only had one person apply for a stipend so we have plenty more funds for members to utilize! This is a great resource for some of the quality conferences coming up.

We still have $2000 available in mini-grant funds! Priority is given to new and innovative programs but please don’t let this discourage you from sending in an application! As a member, you can use this money for planning quality programs for students and families.

Last, but not least, we have not yet awarded the Volunteer Direct Service grant for this fiscal year. If you or someone you know is traveling to provide services or programming in another country or area of the USA, please apply for this grant! More information is soon to come under “Grants and Scholarships” at http://il.aerbvi.org

3 If you have any questions, please see the contact information below.

Email: [email protected]

Address: Molly Pasley 300 High Oak Dr. East Peoria, IL 61611

Molly Pasley IAER Mini-Grant/Stipend/Volunteer Service Grant Chair

Awards Committee

Hello IAER members! It is that time again! Do you know an organization, police department, business, teacher, rehab specialist or overall exceptional individual in our field? Nominate them for an award! There are several awards to choose from. Three are individual awards for excellence in teaching, rehab and distinguished service and one community partner award. Let's show our colleagues and community partners how much their work in our field is appreciated and valued. The community partner does not have to be an IAER member or work in the field. Spread the word! If you need a copy of the application or have any questions, please email Lisa Meadors at [email protected]. The deadline for applications is December 15, 2017. Thanks!

Lisa Meadors Awards Committee Chair

Resource Updates

Hadley

Transforming Hadley into a Learning Destination

“Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired empowers people to thrive --- at home, at work and in their communities.”

Our new mission statement sets up lofty goals. It means providing the right tools at the right time to people who could most benefit from them. In order to do this, we have taken a close look at everything we do and have envisioned nothing short of a transformation in our future.

 Becoming a Learning Organization

4 In an effort to ensure we are meeting the needs of those who look to Hadley for help today and tomorrow, we will be introducing a series of surveys and process check-in’s to tap into consumer insights on a continuous basis. Our first initiative is to form the Hadley Advisory Panel. We’ve invited people with a visual impairment, their family members and professionals in the blindness field. Having this standing panel will allow us to learn from our learners about how we can best serve them. If you have not yet joined the Hadley Panel and would like to do so, please follow this link: https://www.hadley.edu/advisorypanel/index.asp

 Guided by Best Practices in Distance Education

Hadley’s Curricular Affairs team is conducting extensive research on state-of-the-art techniques in distance education. We are looking for innovative and accessible ways to promote engagement, skill- building, and collaboration. The end result will be an array of Hadley learning opportunities that meets learners where they are, engages their natural curiosity and desire to learn, builds their skills and confidence, and connects them to a community of learners. We are excited about the future and expect to learn from and partner even more closely with our friends and colleagues in the field. Stay tuned and please, as always, let us know how you think we’re doing.

Northern Illinois University Update

Have a job opening? Please forward information about job openings to Stacy Kelly ([email protected]) so we can share this information with our recent and upcoming graduates.

Generous Student Financial Assistance Available in TVI/O&M: We have remaining slots for full funding in our TVI, O&M, and AT programs. We would like to share our ad designed for a national audience. Please feel free to forward it on to others who might be interested, in state or out of state.

Training for a Rewarding Career Generous Student Financial Assistance

Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois) offers a nationally regarded program at the graduate level for individuals who wish to join a rewarding career in teaching children who are blind or visually impaired. There is an overwhelming need for teachers who specialize in instruction for students who are visually impaired. As a consequence, there are many job opportunities in all regions of the United States. Individuals who choose this career path can anticipate having no difficulty obtaining life-long employment with great job security! In addition to numerous job opportunities, good pay, and excellent job security, individuals who choose this career path experience a sense of fulfillment not commonly found in other careers. These teachers play a significant role in the lives of children who are visually impaired and their families.

Generous student financial assistance is available. We will pay all in-state or out-of-state tuition, all fees, health insurance, and a stipend of $5,520 per calendar year for qualified individuals who wish to come to Northern Illinois University to enroll in the Visual Disabilities Graduate Program focusing on special education for children who are blind or visually impaired with an additional emphasis in assistive technology.

For more information, go to the following YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUfWnBbNZMg

Also, go to the following website to read about the program: www.vision.niu.edu

Interested individuals can contact the Project Director, Stacy Kelly, at the following e-mail: [email protected] Or by calling 815-753-4103

Admissions requirements are as follows: Online application with a fee of $60 GRE scores of 30%tile verbal and 30%tile quantitative ($205 fee) Official transcripts of all previous academic work GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale ACT score of 22 or successful completion of the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) Two letters of recommendation Personal statement The link to the online application process for the Graduate School can be found on the page, www.vision.niu.edu.

The direct link to the online application can be found on the page, http://www.niu.edu/grad/admissions/apply-now.shtml.

This is not an online program. All courses except for the field experiences (e.g., student teaching and the assistive technology internship) are taken on campus in DeKalb, Illinois, the home of Northern Illinois University. DeKalb is conveniently located 60 miles west of Chicago, Illinois.

Students progress through the program in cohorts. Each cohort begins in the fall of each academic year. The generous financial assistance is awarded on a first come, first served basis to qualified applicants. Be sure to notify Stacy Kelly ([email protected]) of your intent to apply as soon as the decision is made to ensure that your name is included in the pool of candidates!

6 Presented by Northern Illinois University uebot.niu.edu

 Free 1-month course o 10 free ACVREP CEUs o University credit available  Flexible on-line training to meet busy schedules  One month Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)  Course available through late 2019

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/UEBOT1

or Google+ http://bit.ly/uebot-google

U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Grant #H235E140006

Northern Illinois University Presents Project VITALL Training for a Rewarding Career 7 Generous Student Financial Assistance

Want a challenging and rewarding career with numerous employment opportunities and free tuition?  Graduate program in special education for children who are blind or visually impaired.  Overwhelming need for teachers.  Financial aid – all tuition and fees as well as health insurance.  Stipend of $5,520 per calendar year.  22-month program with bachelor’s degree in any field.  Licensure in teaching and certification in assistive technology for people who are visually impaired.  For information about the program, go to: www.vision.niu.edu.  Start your application today by contacting the Project Director, Stacy Kelly, at: [email protected] or 815-753-4103.

U.S Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs Grant #H325K160016

Northern Illinois University Presents Camp VITALL Summers-Only Assistive Technology Certificate of Graduate Study for Practicing Vision Professionals

8  If currently licensed/certified as a TVI, COMS, and/or CVRT, eligible to study in Camp VITALL summers-only program  New ACVREP Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS)  Financial aid – all tuition and fees  Stipend of $920 per summer  Summer 1 – 8-week on-campus courses  Summer 2 - Approx. 12-week full-time internship  Learn more the about new ACVREP CATIS at: www.acvrep.org/certifications/catis.  For information about the NIU Program, go to: www.vision.niu.edu.  Start your application today by contacting the Project Director, Stacy Kelly, at: [email protected] or 815-753-4103.

U.S Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs Grant #H325K160016

Illinois State University Update

ISU Field Based Students for Fall of 2018 spent the first day of the Fall 2017 semester at APH. The Kentucky School for the Blind is gracious enough to put us up for the night on Sunday night and then APH hosts us the next day. What is exciting about this particular trip is that it occurred on the day of the solar eclipse. ISU students got to participate in the eclipse day activities and experience the Graphiti in action. For a look at the experience take a look at this video: APH Touches the Sun-People who are blind experience the solar eclipse at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfH3gSpcHlw&feature=youtu.be ISU students can be seen in the video at 1:00 – 1:02.

9 ISU Braille Birds

The Braille Birds are organizing a Sports in the Dark Event for Thursday, November 16, 2017 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. They are still in the planning stages so more info will be coming soon!

Braille Birds Fund Raiser: T-shirts for sale. There will be a link sent out to the IVLC for wide distribution for people to purchase T- shirts online. We will also be selling some at the IAER conference like last year. Stay tuned for a link to buy T-Shirts and help the ISU Braille Birds with raising money for their philanthropic and community engagement activities.

10 Help send the one and only special needs cheer team in the Bloomington/Normal community to the national cheerleading competition in Florida! One of our Metcalf students is pictured being held up by her cheer team mates. If you can help please email Sara at: [email protected] Braille Birds is pitching in as well. 

EL VISTA: Early Learning Visual Impairment Services, Training and Advancement ISU will be recruiting for the 4th and final cohort for the EL VISTA program. Please visit: https://education.illinoisstate.edu/cert_vision/elvista/ for more information. A resource that has been created by the EL VISTA program has great resources and information for those working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments. Please visit: www.eiviprofessionals.com for information.