The purpose of our online courses is to provide free learning content in short digestible lessons to address the gaps in available resources and instruction for youth with visual impairment and those who support them in preparing for the transition to adulthood. Use the link above to access lessons on transition for students, for families, and for professionals. If this is your first time accessing this link, you will need to create a free account.
Available courses at a Glance:
Student-facing courses are meant to supplement the instruction and support from school and agency service providers, such as school transition services and pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) from Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). Courses can be completed independently or with the support of a family member, professional, mentor, or friend. These courses are not meant to serve as stand-alone replacements for TVI or agency services. Instead, they should encourage collaboration among students, families, and professionals within transition planning and provide all parties a common language to talk through issues that arise in the planning process.
Family-facing courses are meant to increase the capacity of family members, guardians, and friends who support youth with visual impairment in their successful transition to adulthood. We encourage families to utilize our courses to become more empowered within the transition planning process and recommend that school and agency providers (e.g., family training and information centers) disseminate our courses to families with whom they collaborate.
Professional-facing courses are meant to supplement professional development and training for those working in schools, disability agencies, or other settings. Potential users could include general and special educators, teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs), related-service providers, school counselors, Pre-ETS providers, VR counselors, Centers for Independent Living staff, or any others who support transition-aged youth with visual impairment. These courses should encourage the joint efforts of school and agency providers in taking responsibility for preparing youth with visual impairment to achieve their post-school goals and provide all parties a common language to talk through issues that arise in the transition planning process.
If you would like a short walkthrough on how to create a YESLMS profile and sign up for our free courses, check out the video below.
All of our lessons are fully accessible. If you have suggestions for future lesson topics, feedback about our lessons, or want to ask a question, feel free to email us at info@empowervi.org.
Footnote: In our lessons for families, we use the word "child" to talk about the transition-aged family member with a disability. We also use the term "parent/guardian" to speak to our broader audience. However, you may fill another role (e.g., grandparent, aunt, family friend) and we welcome you to learn with us.
