[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: [nrtcnotes] NRTC Notes: Monthly News from the NRTC on Blindness & Low Vision

Mon Dec 2 15:44:35 UTC 2019

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Damm, Emily <edamm at colled.msstate.edu>
Date: Mon, Dec 2, 2019 at 10:17 AM
Subject: [nrtcnotes] NRTC Notes: Monthly News from the NRTC on Blindness &
Low Vision
To: nrtcnotes at lists.msstate.edu <nrtcnotes at lists.msstate.edu>

*December 2019*

   1. We have a new resource for professionals:  *Combined Traumatic Brain
   Injury and Visual Impairment: Recommendations for Service Provision*.
   These information sheets offer recommendations for providing services to
   individuals with a combined traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual
   impairment based on the results of a research study. They also include a
   list of training options about TBI. The fact sheet was developed for
   vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals who work directly with
   consumers, and the policy brief was developed for VR administrators. These
   resources are on our main page under the Resources for Professionals
   <https://www.blind.msstate.edu/our-products/professional-resources/>
   tab.
   2. Classes start next month for students in our Vision Specialist
   graduate certificate program
   <https://www.blind.msstate.edu/training/training/vision-specialist/>.
   This program includes four courses that will increase participants’
   knowledge about working with individuals of all ages who are visually
   impaired. The NRTC is excited to continue contributing to the preparation
   of professionals in our field given the shortage of qualified personnel to
   provide counseling and training to individuals who are blind or visually
   impaired. Applications for the 2021 Vision Specialist program will be
   accepted starting summer 2020.
   3. The OIB-TAC has five new fact sheets with strategies for providers
   working with individuals with *anxiety, cognitive impairment,
   depression, grief, and substance abuse*. These resources are on the
   OIB-TAC Community of Practice under the “Direct Service” tab
   <https://www.oib-tac.org/direct-service/working-with-other-health-conditions/>.
   Service providers who utilize these resources may also want to take our
   course Identifying Mental Health Impairments in Seniors
   <https://www.ntac.blind.msstate.edu/courses/courses.php?course=working-with-older>.

   4. The OIB-TAC will host its first webinar on Friday, December 6, at
   2:00 p.m. CST. The OIB-TAC will have guests from three guide dog schools to
   discuss older persons' use of guide dogs. For more information and to
   register for the webinar, visit the OIB-TAC Calendar of Events.
   <https://www.oib-tac.org/events/>
   5. We have three new publications on our NRTC Publications page
   <https://www.blind.msstate.edu/research/nrtc-publications/2016-toPresent/>
   with the option to download them as PDFs:
      1. McDonnall, M. C., & Sui, C. (2019). Employment and unemployment
      rates of people who are blind or visually impaired: Estimates
from multiple
      sources. *Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness*. Advance online
      publication. doi: 10.1177/0145482X19887620

                                                   i.      Examining four
sources of data to evaluate the employment status of people with visual
impairments, researchers found that employment rates ranged from a low of
36.3% to a high of 44.2% (based on American Community Survey estimates),
with estimates from all other data sources falling within this range.
Results indicate consistent employment rates for people with visual
impairments across time and different measurement methods and questions.

   1. McDonnall, M. C., & Antonelli, K. (2019). A second look at factors
      associated with employers hiring behavior regarding people who
are blind or
      have low vision. *Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness*. Advanced
      online publication. doi: 10.1177/0145482X19887642

                                                   i.      Employer
attitudes and personal relationship with someone with visual impairment
were significant predictors of hiring, even when including the strong
predictor of having received an application from a person with visual
impairment

   1. McDonnall, M. C., & Antonelli, K. (2019). The impact of a brief
      meeting on employer attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire.
*Rehabilitation
      Counseling Bulletin*. Advanced online publication. doi:
      10.1177/0034355219889409

                                                   i.      We conducted an
experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of a meeting between a VR
professional and employer utilizing two different approaches (dual customer
vs. educational) and vision statuses of the VR professional (blind vs.
sighted). Regardless of the approach used or vision status of the VR
professional, the meeting was successful at improving employers’ attitudes,
knowledge, and intent to hire.

*Want more updates? Check out our Fall 2019 newsletter, Quarterly
Connections **here*
<https://www.blind.msstate.edu/news/newsletter/newsletter_summer_2019.php>
*!*

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Please feel free to forward our NRTC Notes to interested parties. To
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with unsubscribe nrtcnotes in the message body. To subscribe or change your
contact information, contact the NRTC at nrtc at colled.msstate.edu.

*blind.msstate.edu <http://blind.msstate.edu> - ntac.blind.msstate.edu
<http://ntac.blind.msstate.edu> - oib-tac.org <http://oib-tac.org>*

-- 
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103
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