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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 3
8. What are the standards of preparation and practice for other professionals
serving students with visual impairments, such as orientation and mobility
specialists?
Other professionals serving students with visual impairments have other
guidelines set forth by their professional organizations. For example, numerous
personnel preparation programs in orientation and mobility adhere to the
standards established by AER and the Academy for Certification of Vision
Rehabilitation and Blindness Professionals (ACVREP).
9. How can stakeholders continue to provide feedback on the
credentialing/licensing of TVIs?
There are numerous ways for stakeholders to continue to provide feedback on
the credentialing/licensing of TVIs. These standards are only one of many
guidelines that are used in personnel preparation. Each state may have
additional requirements for licensure and credentialing. Stakeholders can get
involved at their state level through guidance meetings in departments of
education, universities, or professional organizations.
10. How can TVIs use the CEC's Division on Visual Impairment and Deafblindness
(DVIDB) Initial Specialty Set: Blind and Visual Impairments and the AER
standards in communications with school districts to advocate for appropriate
services and best practices?
A teacher or teacher candidate who has been university trained and is seeking
employment can use the standards set forth by CEC DVIDB and/or AER to
demonstrate to an administrator or employer the knowledge and skills that
he/she possesses upon completion of teacher training. This document can
demonstrate to the employer or administrator why he/she should be hired instead
of someone who comes from another type of licensure/certificate program.
A teacher or parent may use the published standards in discussions with
administrators and IEP teams to help explain and clarify the training and role of a
teacher of students with visual impairments. While each state may establish its
own requirements for teachers, these accepted standards clearly outline the
knowledge and skills determined by the field of blindness and visual impairments
to be within the scope of a the TVI profession.
