VIDBE-Q 2026 Volume 71 Issue 1
business world seemed absurdly unnecessary. Luckily, most of the required
textbooks were available through BookShare – but I had to quickly ramp up my
fledgling audio reading skills.
After making a strong showing in the first few semesters in the MEd
Program in Vision Rehab, I was allowed to simultaneously enroll in a parallel
Master's Certificate program in Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired.
My combined course load was full, but many of the classes in the two different
programs were rather complementary.
Completing these educational credentials is an essential requirement for
obtaining certification from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation
Educational Professionals (ACVREP). However, these programs prepared me well
for these two certification exams, and I'm now both a Certified Vision Rehab
Therapist (CVRT) and a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist
(CATIS).
Each program required a unique and separate practicum, and I was able to
complete both practicums sequentially over two semesters at Second Sense – a
non-profit vision rehab agency located in downtown Chicago. Second Sense
requires their program staff to be certified, and fortunately my dual certification
credentials allowed me to meet a need at Second Sense for someone to be the
primary technology instructor, who could also crossover as an independent living
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