VIDBE-Q 2026 Volume 71 Issue 1
anyone who was blind or had low vision, so the idea of working in this field had
never crossed my mind.
I did not really know what the field was or what the work looked like. My
counselor connected me with the program director, and after meeting with them,
everything began to click. They spoke honestly about the field, how no two days
look the same, how hands-on and deeply student-centered the work is, and how
important relationships are in supporting student learning. It felt like a good fit in a
way I had not experienced before. I also began to see how my interest in Deaf
education could translate into this work, particularly through supporting students
who are Deafblind.
I completed both my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Florida State
University. My undergraduate degree is in Visual Disabilities Education, which
prepared me to work as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI). I
then earned my master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization
in Orientation and Mobility, preparing me to become a Certified Orientation and
Mobility Specialist (COMS) through the Academy for Certification of Vision
Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Learning that the program was federally funded and that there was a strong
need for professionals in the field helped solidify my decision into a profession I
had never even heard of before college. Federal funding made it possible for me to
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