The Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) is federally funded (RSA #H177Z150003) to help OIB programs improve services. In 2015, the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University received the competitive award to support the OIB-TAC. The OIB-TAC provides technical…

Introduction: According to previous research, locus of control (LOC) has a crucial role in an individual's psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was 3-fold: (1) comparing LOC of college students with and without visual impairments while controlling for gender, educational level, and age; (2) investigating the relationship between LOC…

The ability for students with visual impairments to perform independent living skills is essential for the successful transition from youth to adulthood. Although independent living skills are required to be taught by the teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) in the expanded core curriculum (ECC), many of these skills are introduced as…

Stephanie Enyart reflects on few key aspects of what the blind and low vision community has gained because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although it is true that blind people received individual accommodations before the legal requirements arose, the ADA created a duty to accommodate in many new instances and on a broader range of…

Introduction: This study examines the postschool outcomes for youths with deafblindness, aged 18-30 years, in the areas of independent living, employment, and friendships. Methods: Survey data were collected on 80 youths with deafblindness across the United States. Data addressed postschool outcomes, in addition to youths' demographics and high…

Introduction: This article focuses on the development of "4to24," an informational app for parents of students with visual impairments, with emphasis on obtaining stakeholder input, developing content, and establishing content validity. The app provides information, resources, and activities to help students, ages 4-24 years, prepare for…

To prepare high school graduates with visual impairments for college, staff members at Perkins School for the Blind developed a nine month residential program, College Success@Perkins. This article describes components of the program design and provides data on eight students who successfully completed the program in the first cohort. It concludes…

Editor's Note: This commentary is based on the conference sessions, "Orientation and Mobility Career, College and Community Readiness Standards," by Kathryn Botsford and Mary Tellefson, and "Engaging Students, Families and Teams for Success After High School," by Sheila Koenig, which took place on Thursday, February 28, 2019,…

Research indicates that children with visual impairments demonstrate delays in fundamental motor skills, including locomotor, object control, and balance skills (Haibach, Lieberman, & Pritchett, 2011; Houwen, Hartman, & Visscher, 2010; Wagner, Haibach, & Lieberman, 2013). All of these skills are prerequisites to living an independent…

Introduction: Seeing the Possibilities with Videophone Technology began as research project funded by the National Center for Technology Innovation. The project implemented a face-to-face social networking program for students with deaf-blindness to investigate the potential for increasing access and communication using videophone technology.…

A statewide assessment of stakeholders' needs was conducted for a state agency providing habilitation, rehabilitation, and independent living services to persons of all ages who are visually impaired (that is, those who are are blind or have low vision). This needs assessment was designed to acquire an accurate and thorough picture of the agency's…

The provision of services to youths with visual impairments who are in transition from school to work and adult life is not a new concept. Projects have focused on this population for many years within the rehabilitation and education communities. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the U.S. federal government passed numerous pieces of legislation that…

This article discusses the challenging process of developing a common data set for independent living programs serving older adults who are visually impaired. The three-year project, which included collaborative efforts among many stakeholders that encompass diverse program models, resulted in the development of the Internet-based Nationally…

Using a standardized assessment instrument, the authors compared 182 adults with congenital deaf-blindness and those with acquired deaf-blindness. They found that those with congenital deaf-blindness were more likely to have impairments in cognition, activities of daily living, and social interactions and were less likely to use speech for…

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States for persons aged 60 and older. Compared to individuals without disabilities, individuals with low vision demonstrate a 15% to 30% higher dependence on others to perform activities of daily living. In addition, low vision can adversely affect a person's quality of life.…