Vision Rehabilitation Specialists

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Revised April 9, 2020

Vision Rehabilitation Specialists, also called Independent Living Specialists, Living Skills Instructor, or Blind Rehabilitation Specialist, help adults who are blind or visually impaired in living independently in all of their environments and cope with the demands of everyday life. ​
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Vision Rehabilitation Specialists focus on teaching clients in the following areas:
  • low vision skills: This includes instruction in the use of residual vision and the use of optical and non-optical devices
  • communication: This includes instruction in adaptive skills and the use of alternative means of accessing print, writing, mathematical calculations, and listening which may include the use of assistive technology such as text-to-speech readers and computer magnifiers.
  • personal management: This includes activities of daily living that include personal hygiene, grooming, medicinal management, and clothing care.
  • orientation and movement in familiar indoor environments.
  • home management: This includes general home care, kitchen skills, home repairs, and book keeping skills. 
  • leisure-time activities: This includes crafts, adapted games, and active forms of recreation. ​
Rehabilitation specialists work with individuals in their homes, on college campuses, or in rehabilitation centers. ​When rehabilitation specialists work with individuals who have had a visual impairment from birth or childhood, they provide instruction as a teacher teaching new skills. When they work with individuals who have had recent vision loss, the goal is to help the individual regain the level of independence in performing tasks they had previously done using their vision. 
Each state has an agency that oversees vision rehabilitation services. The agencies provide adult services and rehabilitation programs in the communities they serve. Certified instructors build custom plans of service based on the needs of each individual client who range in age from high school students to the elderly. Rehabilitation specialists should be invited to IEP meetings when the student is a Junior or Senior to assist the team in developing a transition plan for the student. The Vision Rehabilitation Specialist can assist in developing collaborative plans for the student. They can provide resources, support, and sometimes funding options for students and assist in helping the student meet post-school goals. They may offer or be aware of weekend programs or summer camps to help student's develop independent living skills. 

You can learn more about VRT's at the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education professionals (ACVREP).