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<div dir="ltr">Good afternoon happy Friday everyone:</div>
<div dir="ltr">Thank you Miss Baldwin for sharing! It’s a long time coming for an apprenticeship to return to the rehabilitation center for the blind and visually impaired. I truly feel this web accessibility testing program will secure more blind and visually
impaired folks with meaningful employment opportunities; given the landscape of today’s technology.</div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces@nfbnet.org> on behalf of MARILYN BALDWIN via NFBF-L <nfbf-l@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 3, 2023 9:50:30 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nfbf-l@nfbnet.org <nfbf-l@nfbnet.org>; nfbf-leaders@nfbnet.org <nfbf-leaders@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> MARILYN BALDWIN <commmdb@aol.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [NFBF-L] Fwd: Florida Department of Education's Division of Blind Services (DBS) Announces First in the Nation Job Apprenticeship Program</font>
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<div dir="auto">See the information below. Have a good weekend everyone.
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<div>Marilyn Baldwin </div>
<div>President </div>
<div>Central Fl Chapter </div>
<div>NFBF </div>
<div>(407)810-0554 Cell </div>
<div>(407)293-0565 Home <br>
<br>
<div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div>
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<div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Sheila <sheilayoung125@att.net><br>
<b>Date:</b> March 3, 2023 at 9:15:06 AM EST<br>
<b>To:</b> Sheila <sheilayoung125@att.net><br>
<b>Subject:</b> <b>Florida Department of Education's Division of Blind Services (DBS) Announces First in the Nation Job Apprenticeship Program</b><br>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">850-245-0413</span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Florida Department of Education’s Division of Blind Services (DBS) Announces First in the Nation Job Apprenticeship Program</span></b></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Daytona Beach, Fla., March 2, 2023 –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"> Today, the Florida Department of
Education’s Division of Blind Services (DBS) </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">announced a first in the nation, state agency led registered apprenticeship program to create employment opportunities for blind and visually
impaired individuals, training them to enhance website accessibility for internet users for all disabilities. The Department’s new Web Accessibility Specialist Registered Apprenticeship Program combines on-the-job training with educational instruction to progressively
increase workers’ skill levels, wages and career options. Graduates will also receive internationally recognized portable credentials, and their training may be applied toward further post-secondary education.<span style="color:black"></span></span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“We are proud of the work DBS is doing every day for the blind and visually impaired community,”
<b>said Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr.</b> “Today’s announcement doubles down on their daily efforts by creating the first internship of its kind in the nation. I look forward to seeing the new apprentices in action!”</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“This is a significant advancement for DBS clients,”
<b>said Senior Chancellor Henry Mack.</b> “It provides the benefit of being employed while also allowing participants to gain valuable skills that will enable them to make the web more accessible for themselves and their peers. We are very excited to launch
this program.” </span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Web Accessibility Specialist Registered Apprenticeship Program was created to provide another pathway into the Information Technology arena for blind and visually impaired
clients served by DBS. Web Accessibility Specialists will review and evaluate websites to actively enhance or improve user accessibility and end-user experience, with specialization in accessibility for blind or visually impaired individuals. Web Accessibility
Specialists may also contribute to the website design process, recommend user flows, collaboratively work with a larger team to troubleshoot accessibility errors, and fix accessibility compliance issues.
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Apprentices selected into the program will serve as DBS employees and receive training at the DBS Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The competency-based
apprenticeship is approximately 12-months. </span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Interested applicants should contact their DBS counselor and must:</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Division of Blind Services is committed to ensuring that blind and visually impaired Floridians have the tools, support and opportunities to achieve their goals and live
productive and independent lives.<span style="color:black; background:#F5F4ED"> </span>
DBS oversees 15 district offices throughout the state of Florida including the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Daytona Beach. The Center is a residential facility where visually impaired students temporarily reside to gain skills, education, and/or training
that enables and empowers them to lead productive, self-sufficient lives. </span>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information about the Florida Department of Education’s
</span><a href="https://dbs.fldoe.org/"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:windowtext; text-decoration:none">Division of Blind Services</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, visit:
</span><a href="http://www.dbs.fldoe.org"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">www.dbs.fldoe.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information about the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, visit:
</span><a href="http://www.dbs.fldoe.org/Rehab-Center/index.html"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">www.dbs.fldoe.org/Rehab-Center/index.html</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.</span></p>
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<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit
</span><a href="http://www.fldoe.org"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">www.fldoe.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.</span></p>
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