VIDBE-Q 2026 Volume 71 Issue 3
Arizona. Each summer, FBC operates a five-week residential program at Arizona
State University (ASU), totaling approximately 39 nights for 18 high school
students with vision loss. Students have the opportunity to experience
independence through living in an apartment style dorm with other student peers as
roommates. Each student receives their own bedroom, and has a shared bathroom
with 1 other roommate, and a shared living room and kitchen with up to three other
roommates. Through classroom instruction, community-based learning, recreation,
residential living, and peer engagement, students practice the skills needed for
future success in college, employment, and independent living.
One reason these programs have remained accessible to students across
Arizona is the support of grants, community partnerships, and state vocational
rehabilitation (VR) services. This funding allows students to participate in a five-
week residential program at no cost to families, including instruction, housing,
meals, transportation, and community experiences. Throughout the summer, staff
collaborate with students and VR counselors to support individualized goals
related to employment, college, independent living, assistive technology, and
transition planning. These partnerships help ensure that students leave the program
with new skills, meaningful experiences, and a team of professionals who can
continue supporting their goals after the summer ends.
29
