Additional issues include the high cost of assistive technology and funding
constraints faced by schools, organizations, and families. Today, it has become
impossible to 'know it all,' which can leave TSVIs with a sense of insecurity about
their ability to meet student needs (Zhou et al., 2012). Fortunately, it is possible to
clear some of these obstacles from students' paths. A lack of training & self-rated
readiness for TSVIs can be improved by options such as college level coursework,
professional development, and communities of practice (Smith, 2009; Siu, 2015).
In addition, the strategies that follow can assist even the weariest travelers along
the way.
Travel Efficiently
A variety of navigation strategies can help TSVIs as they guide their
students through the discovery and trialing of various assistive technologies. These
strategies include knowing the role of the TSVI in regard to presenting and
teaching AT to students with visual impairment, implementing best practices of
working efficiently with the AT, and adopting an "AT Mindset" while encouraging
their students with visual impairment to do the same. A TSVI may imagine that
their role involves becoming an expert in each and every possible piece of AT in
the entire landscape. This thought can be overwhelming and self-defeating.
Reframing their understanding of their roles can allow them to focus clearly.
According to Siu & Wall Emerson (2017), a TSVI should empower students'
