Professional Development

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
updated March 28, 2022
Taking initial coursework to become a vision professional is not enough to become or remain an effective vision professional. Part of professional practice is to remain a lifelong learner and staying current with developments in the field of visual impairments and also staying on top of current trends. This includes engaging in ongoing professional development to expand and develop your professional knowledge and skills. ​

Benefits of VI Professional Development

  • Involvement in vision-specific professional development provides you with instructional strategies and the latest in best practice to reflect on and incorporate into your instruction and share with teams on which you serve. 
  • Attending workshops and conferences allows you to network as well as share practices through dialogue, modeling, and demonstration.
  • Staying current in best practice allows you to be a better mentor, coach, and educate teams. 
  • Consistent involvement as a leader in VI activities allows you to contribute to a positive climate.

Professional Development Activities 

If you don't work at a school for the blind or organization that works primarily with individuals who are blind or visually impaired, it can be difficult to find professional development opportunities specific to instructing individuals with visual impairments. The following is a list of activities to help you continue to develop your professional skills and knowledge:
  • Attend local, state, regional and/or international conferences on the unique needs of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 
  • Become a member of a professional organization such as the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Division on Visual Impairments of the Council for Exceptional Children. Membership to AERBVI includes an electronic subscription to the  Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. Consider serving on the board as an opportunity to impact your chapter and also as an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the field of visual impairments. Additionally, if you serve on the board, you can earn ACVREP credits toward your renewal. 
  • Subscribe to professional list-serves on the internet to interact with colleagues and engage with other professionals in the field.
  • Participate in workshops or webinars to maintain proficiency in braille and technology updates as well as to stay current on best practice.  I now offer on-demand webinars on this website. Additionally, the American Printing House for the Blind now features the APH Hive that offers presentations, the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a wealth of articles and is a go-to resource in the vision field. Perkins School for the Blind offers Perkins eLearning. Additionally, they have a Paths to Technology site with many AT resources. Many other schools for the blind offer professional development opportunities as do consumer groups and organizations. The American Council for the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Fe​deration for the Blind are just a few. Additionally, many vision specific vendors offer webinar opportunities to learn about the latest vision technology.
  • Conduct ongoing research of best practices and strategies through the internet, professional resource books, and professional journals.
  • Even if you can't attend a live conference or webinar, you can sometimes access the PowerPoint presentations that were presented which can provide you with some details and links to resources. 
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." ​-Mahatma Gandhi
"I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way." ​ ~Franklin P. Jones