[Trainer-Talk] education question

[Scott Davert]

Hi George.
If you want to be a trainer, while a TVI or VRT may not be necessary, it certainly helps to have some sort of background in teaching. I do have a VRT degree, but that's certainly not the only path one can take. I suppose it depends on how far along you'd like to go career wise. Many higher level positions require a Master's degree. However, if you want to be an independent contractor, which has its own pluses and minuses, a Master's is not required. My undergrad background is in the social sciences, and I didn't know what I wanted to do until after I graduated.
As a general rule, it can't hurt to get your certification in JAWS and some other screen readers. It will also help you stay up-to-date on developments with both Windows and that dedicated screen reader. It's not free, but getting ahead in life requires sometimes making sacrifices. At this time, as far as I know, there is no accessibility certification for Apple products. The best thing you can do is keep up with what's happening in the industry and go volunteer some time at a local blindness organization to get your name out there. While you may not initially make any money, if you get some experience under your belt, and other people have positive experiences with you, this will help you market yourself. In our digital age, I still think word of mouth is the most powerful testament a person can give. This will also help with networking.
I'm no authority on the subject, and I think others have also offered valuable advice on this topic. I hope you find it of use and wish you luck!

Regards,
Scott

Scott Davert, MA, VRT
Coordinator, New York Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC)
141 Middle Neck Rd.
Sands Point, NY 11050
scott.davert at hknc.org
516-393-7561 (Voice)
http://www.icanconnect.org/new-york :: HKNC: http://www.hknc.org

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-----Original Message-----
From: Trainer-Talk [mailto:trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jan Brandt via Trainer-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 9:26 AM
To: List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology
Cc: Jan Brandt
Subject: Re: [Trainer-Talk] education question

Hi Jorge,

I have a B.A. and teaching endorsement in Business Marketing and Information Technology, but you will probably find a variety of educational backgrounds in this field.  I think you need a very good foundation in technology - PC, Mac and mobile - along with mainstream applications and how they are used with screen readers and magnification programs.  Good luck to you!

Jan

On Sun, Sep 6, 2015 at 11:25 AM, Jorge A. Paez via Trainer-Talk < trainer-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi all:
> My name is Jorge, and I'm currently completing my second semester of 
> Freshmen year in Community College, where I'm working on getting my A.A.
> later to transfer to a 4-year university.
> My question is, is there any specific education/classes I should take 
> if I want to be an assistive technology trainer?
> I've been looking all around but the only thing I found was some 
> college courses on technology aimed at either teachers or teachers of 
> the visually impaired.
> So, other then that, any certification, course, etc. that I'd have to 
> take if I just want to focus on the technology training part of it 
> rather then on becoming a teacher?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jorge
>
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