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Newsletter of Division 11
March 2004
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Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR-ELECT:
DEFINING OURSELVES
Serving on a team as a Rehabilitation Teacher can be a daunting adventure, since each professional has his or her personal view of how to address the topic or issue at hand. How do you define yourselves as Rehabilitation Teachers? Are you short- or long-range planners? Do you like to work on one task at a time, or tackle many projects simultaneously? I ask these thought-provoking questions so that each one of us will stop and take inventory as to where we’ve been, where we are and where we intend to go. Have you attended a conference or a seminar during the past year? Have you expanded your knowledge base academically or technologically? As Baby boomers age, we need to be adept not only in the area of daily life skills but also in accommodating and adapting a wide range of electronic materials.

Many of you have expressed concern that we are not sponsoring a Division Day this year in Orlando. The Executive Board met last summer and concluded that due to the unexpected change in leadership, we lacked the time and cohesiveness to plan a full day. However, be assured that Rehabilitation Teachers will have several opportunities during the international conference to conduct business meetings, provide updates, hold elections and enjoy an awards reception.

I recently attended my New York State chapter conference where Dr. Lauren Lieberman delivered the keynote speech on the topic of self-determination of children with visual impairments. A comment she made has remained with me: “It’s better for a child to have a bump or bruise while participating in a game with peers than to sit on the sidelines and be totally left out, since he may experience bumps and bruises in daily activity anyway.” As we know, many Rehabilitation Teachers did not receive training in working with children as part of their academic curriculum, but find they are increasingly drawn into that arena. Please let me know if this is a topic you would like Division 11 to address in more detail. We’ll be gathering input for program content for Orlando, so please feel free to contact me at mflemin3@nycap.rr.com with suggestions. We’ll see you all then!

Mary D. Fleming, RTC, Chairperson-Elect

Division 11 Officers for 2002-2004
Chair-Elect:
 Mary D. Fleming: mflemin3@nycap.rr.com
Secretary/Treasurer:
 Nancy Paskin: npaskin@worldnet.att.net
Past Chair:
 Maureen A. Duffy: mduffy@pco.edu

TWO NEW E-MAIL LISTS FOR VISION REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS
Vision Rehabilitation Listserv:

The Vision Rehabilitation listserv is an email list for ophthalmologists and others who are involved or interested in providing vision rehabilitation services, and enables its participants to communicate with each other regarding clinical issues and practice challenges. This listserv was developed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and its Vision Rehabilitation Committee. To join, go to www.aao.org/member and then go to the bottom of the "Member Center" list on the left side of the page where you'll find "Vision Rehab E-mail List." Click on this button and follow the directions from there.

BLIST: The Comprehensive Index Of Blindness-Related Emailing Lists:

The BLIST Website contains instructions on how to join over 200 blindness-related emailing lists and blindness-related newsgroups, along with hypertext links that allow you to subscribe to any of the lists. It also contains an extensive listing of accessibility and pan-disability lists, email lists that are not directly blindness-related, but which are frequented by blind members, and a selective list of related resources. This Website can be accessed at www.hicom.net/~oedipus/blist.html.

In Memoriam: Traci Cecelia Godwin
May 16, 1966 — August 13, 2003
Excerpted from Traci C. Godwin’s memorial service, August 20, 2003:

Traci Cecelia Godwin was the eldest of two daughters born to Harriet and Thomas Godwin on May 16, 1966. She was raised in Philadelphia and attended St. Malachy’s School in North Philadelphia. The family moved to the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia was Traci was 12 years old. She continued her education at St. Therese School and later graduated from Cecilian Academy High School in 1984.

A natural leader, Traci was always active during her childhood. She started dancing at age three with the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and continued dancing through high school where she showcased her talent in numerous school programs. She was also very involved in student government, glee club, cheerleading, and a variety of other organizations. Traci attended Temple University where she majored in Criminal Justice and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. It was during her college years that she began what became her lifetime commitment to sisterhood and community service. Traci was initiated into the Delta Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in the spring of 1986. Upon receiving her degree, Traci was employed with The Philadelphia Inquirer for over ten years. While affiliated with the Rho Theta Omega graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Traci served on numerous committees and was an officer.

Traci’s genuine love for social services was not only evident in her community service, but in her career choice as well. In 1999, Traci began her graduate studies at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment. In 2002, she earned a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Teaching. She began a rewarding career as a Rehabilitation Teacher for the Montgomery County Association for the Blind, where she remained employed until her untimely death.

Traci was a long-standing member of New Covenant Church where she remained active until her death. Despite a series of medical challenges, Traci continued to pursue and accomplish her dreams. Born to parents both of whom were only children, Traci did not have a large biological family. Her loyalty to her friends and to those who knew her well enriched her life with an extended family that will cherish her legacy.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE 2004 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
The 2004-2005 version of the Rehabilitation Teaching Membership Directory will be published and distributed in Spring 2004. If you do not want to be included in this publication, please contact Maureen Duffy, RTC, Editor. If you would like an electronic version instead of, or in addition to, a paper copy, please contact Maureen with your current email address.

If you do want to be included, please make sure that your contact information is current with the AER Central Office. For more information, contact Paula Kephart at pkephart@aerbvi.org or Paul Stanley at pauls@aerbvi.org, or visit www.aerbvi.org.

THE SUGAR BLUES: REHABILITATION TEACHING AND DIABETES MANAGEMENT
Debra A. Sokol-McKay, RTC, CDE, CLVT, OTR/L
Rehabilitation Teachers can assume varying levels of involvement when working with clients who have diabetes and vision impairment. In addition to knowledge of eye diseases and their functional implications, an RT is highly skilled in analyzing activities, developing a range of alternatives, and providing individualized, multi-sensory instruction combining visual, auditory, and tactual strategies. Diabetes education for persons with vision impairment requires an approach that affords RTs an opportunity to utilize their unique skills, depending on their level of familiarity with diabetes and diabetes self-management programs. The following is a suggested model for determining the role, responsibilities and needs of the RT within adaptive diabetes education.

Level/RoleResponsibilitiesNeeds
Level A: Provides intervention to person with diabetes and vision loss but does not directly address primary adaptive diabetes self- management skills. Assesses for functional problems related to diabetes and visual impairment. Addresses secondary areas of adaptive diabetes self- management. Adapts environment to maximize low vision and nonvisual skills. Refers to diabetes professional. Basic knowledge of diabetes, its complications and functional implications. Basic knowledge of professionals in the field of diabetes.
Level B: Provides intervention to person with diabetes and vision loss; directly addresses at least one area of primary adaptive diabetes self- management on a situational basis. Addresses all responsibilities in Level A. Collaborates with diabetes professional on a primary adaptive diabetes self- management skill, as need arises. More in-depth knowledge of diabetes/ visual impairment, at least relative to area(s) being addressed through collaboration. Intermittent working relationship with collaborating diabetes professional.
Level C: Provides comprehensive adaptive program focused on primary diabetes self-management for persons with vision loss. Addresses all responsibilities of Level A and B. Assesses and addresses primary diabetes self- management performance areas (in collaboration with appropriate professionals).Directly addresses adaptations needed due to vision loss. Up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of all aspects of diabetes and diabetes self- management. Up-to-date, in-depth, hands-on knowledge of tools, techniques, adaptations, and equipment relative to vision loss in diabetes management. Ongoing working relationship with other appropriate professionals.

Primary adaptive diabetes management skills include but are not limited to those related to insulin measurement, blood glucose monitoring, nutrition, foot care, safe exercise. Secondary adaptive skills include those that support primary skills and are peripheral skills that allow clients to manage their diabetes and it’s complications. These include, but are not limited to methods for: medication identification; time telling for medication/insulin administration; tracking medical appointments and emergency telephone numbers; creating a grocery list; recording medical instructions and blood glucose readings; accessing written information such as meal plans, nutritional information, and healthcare instructions; using talking weight scale (for weight control and cardiac monitoring) and blood pressure cuff. RTs already address many of the secondary adaptive skills listed above.

The role of the Diabetes Educator and the Rehabilitation Teacher was defined and delineated in 1994 in a joint effort by the Visually Impaired Persons Specialty Practice Group (VIP-SPG) of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and Division 11 (Rehabilitation Teaching) of AER. “Guidelines for the Practice of Adaptive Diabetes Education for Visually Impaired” (ADEVIP) provide specific guidelines related to the required professional educational background, the respective role of each professional, and the expected process and content of adaptive diabetes education. The guidelines offer the following requirements for Rehabilitation Teachers:
  • Continuing education in diabetes treatment must be updated every 2 years.
  • Contact client’s primary health care professional to assure that client has had basic diabetes self-care instruction.
  • Only teach adaptations and not basic diabetes self-care (should reinforce proper self-care).
  • Never give specific advice on medication, nutrition, or exercise.
  • No direct care, such as pre-filling of syringes.
  • After client has learned adaptive techniques, but before relying on it for self-care, refer client back to client’s primary health care professional for confirmation of skill.
The guidelines were published in The Diabetes Educator, dated Mar/Apr 1994, Vol. 20, No 2, pp. 111—118. An additional article that extensively delineates and compares the roles of the Diabetes Educator and the Rehabilitation Teacher was written by Margaret Cleary, MS, RN, CDE, CRT, also published in The Diabetes Educator, dated Jul/Aug 1993, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 280—283. Copies of The Diabetes Educator can usually be obtained from libraries located in many local hospitals.

For those RTs pursuing Level 2 or 3, suggested resources for an introduction to diabetes education include:
  • Diabetes education at a major diabetes center.
  • AADE’s “ABC Course,” a one-day introductory course for beginning diabetes educators. This program is not offered according to a fixed schedule. Interested parties should contact AADE periodically at 1 (800) 338-3633 or visit their Website: www.aadenet.org.
  • AADE’s “The Core Concepts Course: The Art and Science of Diabetes Education,” a three-day intensive course. For dates and locations contact AADE as above.
  • AADE’s Diabetes Education: A Core Curriculum for Health Professionals, 5th edition copyrighted 2003. A comprehensive print curriculum for diabetes educators. Available through AADE; contact information is above.
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY PRESENTS 2003-2004 OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARDS
Western Michigan University (WMU), College of Health and Human Services, has named the recipients of the 2003-2004 Outstanding Alumni Awards The Rehabilitation Teaching award was presented to Nancy Paskin, a 1971 graduate from the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies, and the O&M award was presented to Dr. Steven LaGrow. This award was first presented in 2001 to Barbara Hunt in RT and Dr. William Wiener in O&M.

The award presentation occurred over two days. First, a reception in the Miller Auditorium, hosted by Drs. Paul and Susan Ponchillia in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies, offered the awardees an opportunity to meet and share their experiences with students and faculty. A reception at the College of Health and Human Services occurred on the following day, with the Dean presenting crystal awards and certificates to twelve recipients throughout the College.

During the Miller Auditorium reception, the following tribute from Maureen Duffy, Immediate Past Chair, Mary Fleming, Acting Chair and Chair-Elect, and all members of AER Division 11 was read to Nancy:

“It gives us great pleasure to convey our sincere and ecstatic congratulations to Nancy Paskin as she receives the Alumna of the Year Award from Western Michigan University. Nancy is, as you all know, a truly exceptional individual, as well as a legendary Rehabilitation Teaching professional.

Professionally, she has attained career milestones that few of us will ever realize:
  • Her honors include The Bruce McKenzie Award, the Charlyn Allen Award, and the New York State Rehabilitation Teacher of the Year Award.
  • Her turns in show business include consultations to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman, to Nathan Lane and Val Kilmer for Sight Unseen, and to the producers of As the World Turns. We are certain that Al owes his Oscar – in part – to Nancy’s expert instruction in techniques of daily living.
  • Her publications include the widely used Sensory Development Manual and Whatever Works.
More significant, however, is her tireless and lasting dedication to the field, to colleagues, and to students, which is usually less heralded and receives less overt recognition:
  • She has lectured and taught internationally in Australia and Canada, as well as at Hunter College, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, and Dominican College (where she was Maureen’s teacher, when no one else would take a chance on her). What can be more significant than training future professionals and thus ensuring the continuation of our profession?
  • She is always available to counsel a student, provide expert internship supervision, and offer invaluable hints and techniques about how to adapt virtually any item or activity. (I have never stumped her, by the way.) Each one of my students who has met Nancy has told me that the experience made a lasting impression upon her or him.
Thus, please accept our and Division 11’s sincerest congratulations and profound gratitude for your achievements, your deep humanity, your boundless optimism, and your incredible talent that you have – thankfully – lavished upon our fortunate profession. Thank you, Nancy, and we are all better persons and professionals for having known you.”

A reaction from Nancy: “For me, the meaning of this award is immense. It is such an honor to be recognized by the university that prepared me for the work I am now doing and love. I am very, very proud. I was also pleased that Nancy Johnson, the individual who first connected me with the programs in RT and O&M and gave me my start in this field, was present at the ceremonies. Nancy is an O&M graduate from WMU and continues to work in O&M in Chicago, IL. What a lot of catching up we did in those few days! And finally, it was Western’s centennial and the honor of being an award recipient during that year was just wonderful. The celebration was grand, and included tailgate parties, football games, campus tours and art exhibits.”

MEDICARE VISION REHABILITATION SERVICES ACT UPDATE
Lorraine Lidoff, Director, National Vision Rehabilitation Cooperative
The much-anticipated and long-awaited agreement between House and Senate conferees on the Medicare prescription benefit bill, H.R. 1, finally passed both Houses of Congress just before the Thanksgiving holiday. On November 22, 2003 the House agreed to the conference report on H. R. 1 by a vote of 220-215; the Senate vote on November 25 was 54-44.

The final version of the legislation did not include the provisions of the Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Services Act that had been part of the Senate-passed bill. However, the legislation does order a study to "determine the feasibility and advisability of providing for payment for vision rehabilitation services furnished by vision rehabilitation professionals." Those professionals were defined as an orientation and mobility specialist, a rehabilitation teacher, or a low vision therapist. The study, with recommendations for legislation or administrative action is due from the Secretary of Health and Human Services no later than January 2005. For further information visit http://www.medicarenow.org.

Thus, this bill legislates a one-year study to produce recommendations for legislative or administrative action "providing for payment for vision rehabilitation services furnished by vision rehabilitation professionals" by January 1, 2005.The study will also specifically address the obstacle that blocked coverage at this time: the lack of state licensure for vision rehabilitation professionals.

At the same time, two important provisions in the still-pending Senate Omnibus Appropriations bill complement this achievement:
  1. The Omnibus bill conference report establishes a five-year demonstration project, commencing July 1, 2004, to provide national coverage for vision rehabilitation services, which includes services provided by vision rehabilitation professionals, and
  2. It requires the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop policy recommendations by January 2005 that will allow vision rehabilitation professionals to provide services in patients' homes and environs.
What does this mean for coverage of vision rehabilitation services and the work performed by vision rehabilitation professionals?
  • CMS is directed to spend $2 million in the coming year to get national coverage of vision rehabilitation services, including those provided in the home by vision rehabilitation professionals under general supervision, "up and running."
  • Meanwhile, CMS will be examining problems and issues that have proven to be stumbling blocks for our profession to date, including the small number of vision rehabilitation professionals practicing nationwide which has precluded national licensure.
  • The National Vision Rehabilitation Cooperative and other interested organizations are specifically named as entities with which CMS must consult while the study is being conducted.
Once the study is completed, we will continue with the five-year demonstration project while also seeking Congressional approval to adopt final statutory language to establish these services on a permanent basis after the demonstration.

We have crested a milestone hurdle for our field in several ways. For the first time in history, vision rehabilitation professionals, defined as orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers and low vision therapists, are explicitly named in the Medicare statute.

In addition, when taken together, the study and the demonstration project establish vision rehabilitation services provided by vision rehabilitation professionals as valuable for Medicare beneficiaries and provide us with an outstanding opportunity to gain our full goal of permanent Medicare coverage for these services. The entire field of vision rehabilitation needs to strategize and take action now to meet the challenges involved in assuring successful outcomes for these groundbreaking initiatives.

Please feel free to contact Lorraine with any questions or comments:
Lorraine Lidoff
llidoff@att.net
250 South Eastham Street
Eastham, MA 02642
http://www.medicarenow.org

ACVREP and Division 11 congratulate new certificants and individuals who were recertified for the quarters ending September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2003:
New Certificants: Rehabilitation Teachers
Victoria Burns, CA
Dirk Evans, ID
Amy Freeland, MI
Monica Grote, OH
Naomi Mendelsohn, NY
Diane Salina, FL
April Shinholster, ME

Individuals Who Were Recertified: Rehabilitation Teachers
Siahm Atshan, NJ
Susan Baker, ID
Stacy Blackwell, MS
Betty Blecher, IL
Joan Marie Diggs, NH
Lenore Dillon, Korea
Crystal Hoffman, OH
Marilyn Johnson, AR
Bernadette Kern, CT
J.T. Kold, AZ
Kathleen Kroon, MO
Joyce Lopez, CA
Eleanor Martin, MA
Suzanne Martin, FL
Ireneo Martinez, NY
Thomas McCarville, NY
John McMahon, MI
Maureen Motely, NY
Daniel Nuce, AZ
Mary Oates, AL
Steven Perry, FL
Sally Plant, FL
Linda Register, AR
Teresa Sanders, AL
Sue Schulgin, AL
Kristy Swallow, ME
Claire Wade, NY
Marilynn Ward, MD
Laura Whitten, AL
Tracy Wicken, ND


Technology Training for Technology Trainers: A Hands-on Workshop sponsored by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision and the National Federation of the Blind
The first of three National Training Conferences on Assistive Technology sponsored by cooperatively by the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision and various consumer and consulting groups will be held this spring. You and your key personnel are invited to attend the hands-on access technology training conference co-sponsored by the RRTC on Blindness and Low Vision and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The unique training event will be held on April 7-9, 2004 at NFB’s new Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. It will be an outstanding training opportunity for technology trainers from around the country to keep their knowledge base at state-of-the-art levels.
The featured speakers will include Ray Kurzweil, a legendary leader and world-class developer of access technology for persons who are blind; Dr. Joanne Wilson, Commissioner of the U. S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration; and Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind.

Eight concurrent small-group sessions, with hands-on training on the most up-to-date equipment, will be available. Leading access technology distributors will be exhibiting their products and participating in the training sessions. In addition, CRC credits will be available. Please call if you have questions regarding CEU credits.

To ensure a high-quality training experience and personalized hands-on training for all attendees, the total number of participants is limited to just 100 attendees. A block of rooms has been reserved at Baltimore’s Holiday Inn — Inner Harbor, nearby the National Center for the Blind. Please register and make your hotel reservations no later than March 8, 2004. The registration fee is $130.

If you have questions, please call Stacy Butler, Interim Training Director at the RRTC: 662-325-2001, e-mail her at Sbutler@colled.msstate.edu , or check for conference information at http://www.blind.msstate.edu/2004%20Training%20Conference/conference.html.

ACVREP NEWS: ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, FEE CHANGES, CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS AND PROGRAMS
Changes In ACVREP's Board Of Directors
At the September 12-13, 2003 board meeting, four current board members (David Ekin, Marshall Flax, Judy Rutberg Kuskin, and Gina Palmer) were reelected for another three-year term and two new board members were elected. The first new member is Tom Miller. Tom is the Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans Association. He is a veteran who is visually impaired. He was elected to fill one of ACVREP's five non-certificant board positions. The second new board member is James Kracht. James is an Assistant County Attorney at the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office. He is also visually impaired and was elected to fill one of the five non-certificant seats. Look for additional information on Tom Miller and James Kracht in the next ACVREP email newsletter. In terms of ACVREP's new board officers for 2004, Martin Yablonski was elected as the Chairperson, Judy Rutberg Kuskin as the Vice-Chairperson, Gale Watson as the Secretary, and David Ekin as the Treasurer. Their terms begin January 1, 2004.

Change In ACVREP Eligibility Criteria For All Three Disciplines
At the September 12-13, 2003 ACVREP Board of Directors meeting, the board decided to make a slight modification in its existing eligibility criteria for all three disciplines (Low Vision Therapy, Orientation and Mobility, and Rehabilitation Teaching). All eligibility criteria for certification will now state that the applicant must possess "at least a Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalency."

The board recognizes that the educational and academic systems in other countries are different and that these countries may not have a diploma or degree that is titled a Bachelor's degree. This change is a positive step in helping ACVREP to expand its certification programs to include applicants from other countries. If you access our Website at www.acvrep.org, you will notice that we now have a new page titled "Eligibility Criteria." The change discussed above will be included in these criteria within the next week.

ACVREP Fee Changes
At the ACVREP board meeting on September 12-13, 2003, the board approved the following three fee changes:
  1. There is no longer an AER member discount for the ACVREP examination fee (which used to be $75.00 for AER members). This fee is now $100.00 for everyone, regardless of whether or not the applicant is an AER member.
  2. There is no longer an AER member discount for the certificate replacement fee (which used to be $10.00 for AER members). This fee is now $20.00 for everyone, regardless of whether or not the applicant is an AER member.
  3. If you are late with your annual payment or submit your recertification packet past your recertification expiration date, the late fee is now $50.00 (versus the former $25.00 late fee).
Changes In ACVREP's Continuing Education Program
There are five changes that all ACVREP certificants need to be aware of. They are as follows:
  1. The board approved a new Continuing Education Application that CE providers will need to complete when seeking ACVREP approval for their CE program/activity. This application will be posted on our Website no later than October 10th. You will be able to access and download the application on the "Downloads" page of our Website.
  2. CE providers will now be able to seek ACVREP approval for a specific CE program/activity for a two-year period, as long as the program/activity content remains basically the same and is not technology related or medical in nature. If the CE provider elects this option, s/he will only have to submit one CE application for the two-year period. However, the provider will have to pay for the application fee and two offering fees (one offering fee per year) upfront. For example, if you would like to seek ACVREP approval for an online course where the content doesn't significantly change over a two-year period, this option may be of interest to you. By electing this option, you would only have to pay one versus two application fees (a savings of $75.00).
  3. Individual ACVREP certificants or a group of certificants can now seek ACVREP approval for a CE program/activity. For example, if a certificant wants to complete an ACVREP CE application in order to seek ACVREP approval for a local workshop, in-service training, conference, etc., s/he will be able to do so. If possible, we recommend that you contact other ACVREP certificants in your area to assess their interest in attending the same CE program/activity and whether or not they would be willing to share the costs related to the ACVREP CE application and offering fees.
  4. If you want to claim CE credit for a college/university course that is a "foundation" course (its content applies to one or more of ACVREP's core domain areas), you will not be required to seek ACVREP approval for this course. However, if the course is not a foundation course (those that generally offer continuing education units or CEUs), you or a CE provider will have to seek ACVREP approval for the course, if you want to claim CE credit for the course as part of your recertification points.
  5. The CE application fee for ACVREP approval of a CE program/activity is still $75.00, whether you are an individual certificant, a non-profit organization or a for profit organization. However, the offering fees for an individual certificant or non-profit organization versus a for-profit organization have changed. If you are an individual certificant or non-profit organization, the annual offering fee will be $50 for one to four offerings and $250 for five or more (unlimited) offerings. For "for profit" organizations, the annual offering fee will now be $100 for one to four offerings or $500 for five or more (unlimited) offerings. Please don't hesitate to contact the ACVREP office at 520-887-6816 if you have any questions or need additional information.
Obtaining CE Hours From ACVREP Approved CE Providers, Effective July 1, 2004 – Clarification
For clarification purposes, the requirement for certificants to obtain their CE hours from ACVREP approved CE providers, effective July 1, 2004, only applies to certificants who elect to use the new recertification criteria (effective July 1, 2003), whether or not they were certified prior to July 1, 2003. The only certificants who are not required to adhere to this deadline are those who were certified prior to July 1, 2003 and who elect to use the old recertification criteria. Please note: If certificants who were certified prior to July 1, 2003 elect to use the old recertification criteria when they recertify, this will be the last time they can use the old recertification criteria. After that, they will be required to use the new recertification criteria (effective July 1, 2003), whether or not they were certified prior to July 1, 2003.

The only certificants who are not required to adhere to this deadline are those who were certified prior to July 1, 2003 and who elect to use the old recertification criteria. Please note: If certificants who were certified prior to July 1, 2003 elect to use the old recertification criteria when they recertify, this will be the last time they can use the old recertification criteria. After that, they will be required to use the new recertification criteria when seeking recertification. When you have an opportunity, please review ACVREP's new recertification policies, procedures, and application on the "Recertification" page of our website. I think that you'll like the new recertification criteria better and find it much easier to use.

ACVREP Board Meetings - Certificant Feedback Requested!
The ACVREP Board of Directors meets face-to-face twice a year (March and September). The next board meeting is scheduled for March 19-20, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia. What do you like or dislike about ACVREP? Does a policy and/or procedure need to be added, modified or deleted? What concerns/issues do you have that you would like the board to consider/address? Now is the time to have your voice heard! Please share any concerns, issues, etc. you have with Sharon Mikrut at the ACVREP office (520-887-6816) by March 15th. She will take them to the board on your behalf.

Meet ACVREP Board Member, Gina Palmer
Born and raised in New Jersey, Gina Palmer graduated from Boston College in 1978, majoring in Special Education. She attended Western Michigan University's Rehabilitation Teaching program in 1979 and worked for the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, MA for one year. She was then hired by the VA's Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, in Palo Alto, CA in 1980. In 1982, she and her husband, Jim, also in the field, decided to venture south as part of the original cadre of staff to open up the VA's Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center, in Birmingham, Alabama. Currently employed at the SBRC as a Team Leader, Gina serves on many national and hospital-wide committees. Gina joined the ACVREP Board of Directors in 2000 and has served as past Secretary. She is currently a member of the Rehabilitation Teaching Committee. In addition to keeping busy with work, Gina's fifteen-year-old daughter keeps them on the go with swim team practices. When not working or traveling to swim meets, Gina enjoys cooking, sailing, and the beach.

ACVREP Contact information:

Please mail all correspondence to our office at 4633 N. 1st Ave., #1, Tucson, AZ 85718- 5608. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sharon L. Mikrut at 520-887- 6816 or email: smikrut@acvrep.org. Website address: www.acvrep.org.

SPREADING THE WORD: USING YOUR POWER AS A RECRUITER
KC Dignan, Ph.D., National Personnel Shortage Initiative Coordinator
“You say that being a VI professional is a brand. How does that information affect my life?” Although the answer to that may not be obvious, it is a factor. Certainly, as you go about your day, working with individuals with visual impairments, other professionals and caretakers, it may not make a big difference. However, everything you do affects other people’s perception of what it means to be a VI professional.

Good recruiters use the information available to them. Consider the following: According to marketing experts Perry and Wisnom*, people make decisions about important and trivial things according to a hierarchy of values:
  • It is important to understand why people select a product or service.
  • It is also important to communicate information according to that hierarchy.
  • A recent survey confirms that most VI professionals (63%) come to the field from another profession (Dignan, September, 2003). Your co-worker, parent, or caregiver may be thinking, “I wonder what it’s like to do that job?”
That same survey provided insights on factors (beyond exposure) related to why people choose a VI profession. The top three factors were:
  • Liked teaching, but wanted a non-traditional setting or population;
  • Profession seemed challenging or stimulating;
  • Wanted to work in a “helping profession.”
Gathering information about why existing VI professionals selected this field and using it to attract future VI professionals can help us build the “hierarchy of values” that Perry and Wisnom discussed.

So what does that mean to you as a service provider or recruiter? Certainly each situation is unique; however, when you notice someone who is asking questions or is watching what you do in an interested way, think about providing them with information that includes
  • How you appreciate the variation and uniqueness of your position, and
  • How being a VI professional has provided numerous interesting, challenging and stimulating situations and areas of interest.
I would also like to caution you to resist the temptation to gripe about your job near a potential recruit. Your word is very, very powerful. If you wouldn’t say it around a student or adult with a visual impairment, why say it around another service provider?

For more information about training options and universities that provide training, you can visit the AER university directory webpage: www.aerbvi.org/certification/universities.htm. You may contact KC with your reactions, thoughts and suggestions at kcd@tsbvi.edu.

* Perry, A., & Wisnom III, D. Before the Brand: Creating the unique DNA of an enduring brand identity, 2003. McGraw-Hill.

INTERNET WEBCAST SERIES - FEATURING DR. LEA HYVARINEN ON CORTICAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
This is an exciting, educational event specifically for educators, therapists, and eye specialists who work with young children, ages birth to five, with CVI. It is presented by the VIISA Outreach Project, SKI-HI Institute, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-6500. Webcast Lectures are one hour each and include the following topics:
  1. General Features and Symptoms of Cortical Visual Impairment, March 26
  2. Pathways, April 2
  3. Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity, April 16
  4. Visual Field and Spatial Awareness, April 23
  5. Vision for Communication, April 30
Lectures will be posted on the Website at weekly intervals beginning Friday, March 26, 2004, at 10:00 a.m., Mountain Standard Time. Once posted, lectures may be viewed at any time while they remain posted (approximately two weeks). This assures that all participants may view the lectures at a convenient time or repeat the viewing if desired.

All participants must register. The fee is $50 for all five lectures. For easy registration and more details on the Webcast series, Dr. Hyvarinen, or the sponsors, log on to: http://www.ksar.usu.edu/leacvi.

Maureen A. Duffy, RTC
Editor, RT News



Click to view archived RT News: Newsletter of Division 11




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