Welcome to the special Canadian issue of Visual Impairment and
Deafblind Education Quarterly! Despite the fact that special education in Canada
operates in a different legislative context than in the United States, service
delivery for students with visual impairments unfolds very similarly north of the
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parallel. Most students attend community schools and are served by itinerant
teachers of students with visual impairments and O&M specialists. However, just
as in the United States, a range of placement and service delivery options exist to
meet the unique needs of learners. The three articles by Canadian authors
highlight just some the various programs in place across the country. Dr. Kim
Zebehazy, assistant
professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in
Vancouver, details the training program at UBC as a hub for personnel
preparation and innovation. Daniel Maggiacomo, principal at the W. Ross
Macdonald School in Branford, Ontario outlines the various programs and
initiatives taking place on the specialized school scene. Finally, as manager of the
Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired in British Columbia, I
report on one province's experience of promoting inclusion and equitable access
through provincial resource programs to support itinerant service delivery. While
each is a snapshot of specific programs, together they give a sense of the
constellation of service delivery options and supports that exist for students with
visual impairments in Canada. Superfluous vowels (e.g., "colour" versus "color")
and holiday calendars (e.g., Boxing Day, Thanksgiving in October) aside, my
Introduction to a Canadian Focus for the Winter Issue
Adam Wilton, MA, COMS
Manager, Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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