Becoming a Professional in Visual Impairment in
Canada
Profile: University of British Columbia
Kim T. Zebehazy, Assistant Professor
kim.zebehazy@ubc.ca
Located in Canada's temperate oasis of Vancouver, the University of
British Columbia (UBC) is one of two options for becoming a teacher of
students with visual impairments (TSVI). With the other program located at
Mt. Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the two programs
bookend the country, offering an east and west coast option. Students from
provinces across the country, particularly from British Columbia and Alberta,
attend UBC along with the occasional student from the United States and
abroad.
UBC's history of offering personnel preparation in the area of education
for students who are blind or visually impaired dates back to 1971, beginning
as a diploma program run by APH Hall of Fame Honoree Dr. Sally Rogow.
The UBC program, situated in the Department of Educational and Counseling
Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), now offers both a Masters of
Education (M.Ed.) and Masters of Arts (M.A.) option with a new cohort
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