VIDBE-Q 2026 Volume 71 Issue 1
Since graduation, both braille and technology skills have proven beneficial
to the student. Although her main focus has been recording music and performing,
she has also worked for the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired. Through the student's roles as a braille teacher for adults and a mentor
for high school students, she has directly shared her skills with others in the
community. Her experience with multiple transitions has made her a valuable
resource for people adapting to change and seeking to increase their independence.
In addition to helping adults and youths adapt to change, the student likewise
helped me be more flexible and adjust to uncertain circumstances. Within a year
after the student's graduation, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered numerous
challenges. Once again, I was working within the context of a wildly unpredictable
future. I had to find ways to make educational content accessible to students who
had not yet mastered braille or assistive technology and manage to teach them
these skills without being physically present. While I did not have to work across
time zones, I had to navigate remote instruction at a time when it was still new to
public education. My teaching strategies needed constant adjusting and I had to
seek more efficient ways to collaborate with teachers.
The flexibility and pursuit of improvement that I learned from my student
and the COVID-19 pandemic continue to serve me today. I am much more willing
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