AERWAVES
A publication of the Northern Rockies AER
(Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind
and Visually Impaired)
May, 2015
President’s Report
By Ken McCulloch
The chapter officers have been following through with
guidelines given at the October leadership meeting in
Bozeman to make our organization more "legal" and
responsible in the coming years.
In February an informal audit committee met and went
through the bank records of the past seven years. This
committee was led by treasurer, Claire Perrin and consisted
of the following, Ken McCulloch, Beverly Berg, and Anne
Rossmeier (office manager of an ophthalmology
office). Although the last conference was costly and
depleted treasury funds, no mismanagement of funds was
apparent. Several factors went into the financial loss
including the rather rural nature of the conference. Our
current balance stands at $15,358.22. Special thanks goes
to Claire Perrin for her time and efforts as treasurer.
In March the chapter became officially incorporated (in the
state of Montana) and will need to file annual reports to
remain viable. The board will need to decide which board
member is best suited to file this report.
A "feeler" put out by the Utah Chapter last year in joining
with our chapter has lost steam with new Utah officers.
Several of our members, however, have been working on
Utah members to come to our conference in Boise and we
are expecting several to attend including the president.
The current by-laws are in need of "tweaking" and in need of
some minor correction. Ken McCulloch, Pam Boespflug, and
Amy Wicks are working on them to present to the board and
then to the membership.
Dana Ard is doing a great job planning for the October
conference. It sounds like a "doozy" and lots of fun. Be sure
to plan to attend.
Please recruit people to join AER! Our NEW members get a
free collectible tea pot.
MARILEE GROSS
With a sad heart, we announce the passing of Marilee Gross,
a dynamic leader for years in our organization. She held
many of the chapter offices including president, and won
several of the chapter awards. She passed away on March
10 in Bend, Oregon.
While she was on the Boise School Board, her fraternal
organization took on the task of brailling books for the
visually impaired in the Boise Schools. One of the first
beneficiaries was our own Dana Ard. In her later years she
trained many transcribers including many prisoners at the
Idaho Penitentiary. Her loving smile and great sense of
humor will be missed.
2015 CONFERENCE SET FOR BOISE - OCTOBER 14 - 16
Plan Now To Attend The Exciting 2015 AER Conference With
the theme, "CELEBRATING HISTORY NOW AND IN THE
MAKING". It Will be Held at the beautiful Oxford Suites Hotel
in the Theater District of South Boise just off the interstate.
Tentative speakers include, Wendy David speaking on
dependency and mental health issues in the V.I. community.
Tracy Gavin will lead early intervention discussions. We
have several panels planned and much more, so stay tuned!
Tours will include the Bose trolley, Idaho Commission, as
well as a possible march to the capitol to celebrate White
Cane Day on the 15th!
Please Plan to Attend and Bring Your Cohorts!
CALL FOR AWARD NOMINATIONS
Every two years, the chapter gives out awards to deserving
folks and organizations serving the blind.
The H. Smith Shumway Award is given to the person who
has done the most for the chapter. They should be a
member but cannot be a current officer.
The Frank Smith Award is given to the person who has done
the most for persons with visual impairments in the
region. They do not have to be a member and cannot be an
officer.
The community award (which we haven't given a name to
yet) is "sometimes" given to the organization that has been
of service to persons with blindness that we would like to
recognize. We have given it to Wood River Lions and Ski for
Light in the past.
If you would like to nominate someone or organization for
one of these awards, please send you nominations to Amy
Wicks at awicks@msdb.mt.gov by June 25th.
Exciting gathering of professionals at: NRAER October
Conference in Boise, ID!
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn and socialize
with fellow professionals! The Northern Rockies AER 2015
Tentative Program is still a work in progress but the latest
information posted in this newsletter was revised as of May
2015. The conference, held October 14th-16th, will be held at
1426 S. Entertainment Ave in Boise, ID. The location itself
sounds fun. The theme set for this year is: Celebrating
History, Now and in the Making.
Just a taste of what we all can look forward to:
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14th
 WORKING WITH ROUND-A-BOUTS
(in-hotel presentation) – Michael Goehring
 PANEL – How our states are working with new
Education and rehab directives in transition
Moderated by Beverly Berg
 NEW ZIPS, TIPS, AND MOVEMENT TO O&M – Jackie
Macy
 BOISE TOUR TROLLEY – MEET AT JOE'S CRAB SHACK
 SUPPER ON YOUR OWN – BOARD MEETING AT JOE'S
CRAB SHACK
 VENDOR ROUND TABLES
Eschenbach, Humanware, Portland State University,
Guiding Eyes, and others
 VENDOR RECEPTION
 SILENT AUCTION OPENS
THURSDAY – OCTOBER 15
 TRANSPORT TO IDAHO COMMISSION – 341 W.
Washington for White Cane Day March to the Capitol
(all attendees are invited to march to the capitol
building – a short walk – for a white cane proclamation
from the Governor's office – white cane users not
attending the conference are also invited
 IDAHO COMMISSION TOURS
 TRANSPORT BACK TO HOTEL
 CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY ISSUES IN THE V.I.
COMMUNITY – Wendy David – Washington V.A.
 ASSESSMENT FOR INFANT TODDLERS – Tracey Gaver
 LUNCH AND BUSINESS MEETING
Keynote - “Celebrating Our History – Now and In the
Making” A panel – Ken McCulloch, moderator, Dana
Ard, Michael Graham, Mary Rich-Williams
 BUSINESS MEETING – Ken McCulloch
 AWARDS – Amy Wicks
 SILENT AUCTION CLOSES
 HOW TO READ AN EYE REPORT (TBA)
 GUIDE DOGS IN AND OUT – Michael Goehring
 TECHNOLOGY – Using the Latest Electronic
Equipment in Preparing Your Students and Clients –
Carol Scholz
 MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE V.I. POPULATION –
Wendy David
 INTRODUCING A NEW DRIVER'S ED VIDEO ON WHITE
CANE LAWS AND OTHER V.I. ISSUES – Mark O'Brien
 SUPPER ON YOUR OWN (Vendors Close)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
 SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION PANELS:
A. SCHOOL TO WORK (TBA)
B. TRANSITION TO PRE-SCHOOL – Tracey Gaver
C. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WORKING WITH OLDER VI
ADULTS
– panel: Stephanie Killian, moderator
 DISABILITY RIGHTS IDAHO PRESENTATION
 PRESENTATION BY NORTHWEST BLIND ATHLETES
ASSOCIATION – Stacey Gibbons
11:30 CONFERENCE CLOSES
We are very excited as the schedule develops and look
forward to seeing you all in Boise!
Wyoming News
By Mary Rich-Williams
Wyoming Rendezvous
Vision Outreach Services, a division of the Wyoming
Department of Education has offered a Winter Rendezvous
for several years on Casper, Mountain. This event is
attended by parents, staff and students from around the
state each year. This year it was held on February 12th.
Students enjoyed cross country skiing, snowshoeing and
sledding. In the fall of 2015, on October 2nd, they will offer
the first Fall Rendezvous in Grand Teton National Park.
Activities will include hiking, complete with modern
technology and GPS, as well as a campfire cookout. Laura
Ozios-Townsend is the VOS Consultant to contact for
further information about the upcoming Rendezvous at 307265-8818.
Next Step Diagnostic Clinic
The Next Step Diagnostic Clinic is another project directed
through Vision Outreach Services, Wyoming Department of
Ed. This clinic is also part of the Deafblind Project for the
State of Wyoming. Joanne Whitson is the Clinic Director and
the Deafblind Project Manager for the State of Wyoming.
The most recent clinic was held on April 17, 2015. The next
clinic will be held in the fall. The clinic offers
transdisciplinary assessment to students from around the
State of Wyoming. The clinic has a nutritional team that
consists of a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist
and a nutritionist. There are three educational teams that
have a teacher of the hearing impaired, a teacher of the
visually disabled, an orientation and mobility specialist, an
occupational therapist, a speech pathologist, an
augmentative communication specialist, a physical
therapist and an assistive technology specialist. There is a
psychologist, an audiologist, an ENT, a pediatrician, an eye
doctor and a low vision specialist involved as well. It
provides an opportunity for families, districts and child
developmental centers that don’t have all the necessary
local expertise to get comprehensive evaluations of their
students.
Online Professional Development Series
Vision Outreach Services also sponsored an online
professional development series once a month during this
school year on a variety of topics. The topics were first
presented in a live format each month then, were made
available to individuals unable to attend that day and time.
The last session for the year was presented in April. VOS is
currently developing the series for the 2015-16 school year.
WIND/WATR
The Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) and Wyoming
Assistive Technology Resources (WATR) are valuable
resources for adaptive materials and assistive technology in
the state of Wyoming. WIND has the Wyoming Accessible
Materials Clearinghouse and will be hosting the 2015 ECHO
Conference on August 9 and 10 in Laramie, WY. WIND is
also part of the Wyoming Vision Collaborative whose
mission is to establish and ensure cohesive, statewide
systems of care for childhood vision services. WATR offers
assistive technology assessments, trainings, webinars and
devices for loan. Both WIND and WATR are housed at the
University of Wyoming in Laramie. The website is
http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/
Allen H. Stewart Lion’s Camp
The Summer School for the Blind and Visually Impaired at
Allen H. Stewart Lion’s Camp has been operating since
1946. The 2015 camp is made possible through the
Wyoming Lion’s Project and the Montgomery Trust Fund.
The camp is available to visually impaired students ages 918 from the states of Wyoming, Colorado and Montana.
There is no charge to attend, but transportation to the camp
is the responsibility of the family. The camp offers
educational, recreational and career skills to students
addressing all the areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
Classes on the current roster are Aids to Daily Living,
Amateur Radio, Assistive Technology, Crafts, Digital
Photography, Lapidary, Literacy Workshop, Low Vision,
Music, Orientation and Mobility, Outdoor Adventures,
Pottery, Physical Activity, Robotics, Oral Communication,
Transition, and Woodworking. Past recreational and social
activities have included swimming, bowling, goal ball, trips
to the mall, parades, horseback riding, museums and air
shows. Applications and brochures can be found on the
website
http://www.lionsofwyomingfoundation.org/ahslc.php
Wyoming Council for the Blind
The Wyoming Council for the Blind will be holding an annual
conference on June 9th and 10th in Casper, Wyoming. The
theme will be “Solutions for Daily Living”. WCB is an affiliate
of the American Council for the Blind. WCB publishes a
quarterly newsletter and offers scholarships to visually
disabled students who are residents of the state Wyoming
attending Post-secondary schools. More information can be
found at their website http://www.wycb.info/
Campbell County School District
Our longtime colleague Rennie Maki is retiring from
Campbell County School District. She has plans to travel
and relax with her dogs and family when she is at home.
Mary Rich-Williams who also works for CCSD is transferring
to a classroom position at Hillcrest Elementary working in a
District Program for students with multiple disabilities. One
of the TVI/COMS positions will be filled by Jerisha Ganske
who is completing her Master’s degree through Salus
University. This leaves CCSD with another position to fill.
Interested applicants should apply through the district
website http://www.campbellcountyschools.net/ Follow the
employment tab to Job Openings & On-line Applications. It
is listed as Exceptional Child Specialist/Visually Impaired.
While dual certified individuals are preferred, applications
will be considered for TVIs, COMS, and CVRTs. Mary and
Rennie want to encourage you to consider Campbell County
School District, as it a great place to work. They have each
been with the district over twenty years. We hope some of
you are interested in joining our team. Act fast, as the job
opening closes on June 9th.
Idaho News
By Dana Ard
The Idaho Commission for the blind and Visually Impaired
will hold its annual College Days program from June 29-July
3. The NFB of Idaho has partnered with the commission to
offer students an opportunity to attend the NFB national
convention in Orlando, Florida following college days. Four
students will be attending the convention. The ICBVI will
also hold its Summer Work Experience Program June 22nd
through July 31st.
AER member Dana Ard was recently elected state president
for the NFB of Idaho, at their state convention in Boise.
Press Release May 11, 2015
The National Federation of the Blind of Idaho (NFBI) elected a Boise
resident, Dana Ard, as its new President Friday, May 8. The statewide
organization of blind people held its annual convention this weekend at
the Boise Hotel and Conference Center. Ard recently retired as a
rehabilitation counselor at the Idaho Commission for the Blind and
Visually Impaired where she worked both in Southwest Idaho and in
Lewiston during a career of 36 years. Ard is well-known in Boise where
she is active in Toastmasters, sings with the Boise Choristers, and sings
in the St. Michael's Cathedral Adult Choir.
Dana Neely Ard was the first blind child to be educated in the Boise
Public School system. Her mother learned to transcribe books into
Braille so Dana could read her assigned materials in school. Her
stepfather, Graydon Smith, served as Idaho's Attorney General from
1955-59. Dana attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. She
married Mike Ard in 1988.
Parnell Diggs, blind attorney from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,
represented the NFB President and spoke to the convention at its
banquet Saturday evening. He said that sighted people often perceive
that blind persons cannot do what is easy to accomplish without vision,
but the blind must continue to work to educate others in order to
participate competitively at work and in society.
Mrs. Carlton Cook Walker, attorney and teacher from Pennsylvania,
came to the convention as President of the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children, a division of the National Federation of the
Blind. She addressed the convention and worked with Idaho's parents
of blind children. Walker has a 14-year-old daughter who is
blind. According to Walker, Parents should expect their blind children
to grow up to lead normal and productive lives. "Parents are the first
teachers," "but there will be many more teachers throughout school
and life. Parents must push their blind children to perform, even when
it seems difficult and a little scary. "She said we need more specially
trained teachers, but the techniques exist for blind people to do almost
anything except driving a car or truck.
Dana Ard says that that's what her parents did 60 years ago, and she
appreciates it.
Montana News
By Sharon Woods
Montana Association for the Blind
The Summer Orientation Program (SOP) is a non-profit,
program that teaches adults from Montana who have
recently experienced vision loss the skills necessary to live
independently and to function in their home, community,
and at work. This year’s program begins June 15th and
ends July 9th. SOP is held on the campus of Carroll College
in Helena, MT. Please see http://mtblind.org/sop.htm for
more information. Skills taught include:
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Safe travel in home and community
Use of adaptive equipment for home and work
Alternative methods of writing including Braille and
writing guides
Computer programs for the visually impaired
Methods of marking appliances and equipment
Use of assistive technology
Support networks are formed
Community resources are shared
Adaptive recreation
Montana Chapter of NFB
The Yellowstone County Chapter will be having a spaghetti
dinner on June 7, 2015 at the Knights of Columbus 2216
Grand Ave. This event will begin at 5 PM and end at 8 PM
with a cost of $5.00 per person for all you can eat. Everyone
is welcome. Proceeds will go towards transportation to
monthly meetings, social outings and purchasing adaptive
aids for the blind to make their lives easier and more
independent.
Montana School for Deaf and Blind
Family Learning Weekend is designated for families of blind
and visually impaired children. These popular weekends
include dynamic national speakers and a wealth of
information on learning to relate to their child’s unique
needs. This year’s Family Learning Weekend is being held
on the Montana School for Deaf and Blind campus in Great
Falls on June 19-21st. This program is designed to be both
informative and empowering for families. The weekend
provides opportunities for families to learn about blindness
and visual impairment, share their experiences with other
families, and communicate with one another in a warm and
caring atmosphere.
Participants include parents, professionals, and children of
all ages, both blind and visually impaired, and their siblings.
A wealth of information is presented by various experts,
including technology and computer specialists, transition
specialists, teachers of the blind, orientation and mobility
specialists, and most importantly, parents. For more
information: http://www.msdb.mt.gov/campus/summerprograms.html
Visually Impaired Summer Skills Program
The Visually Impaired Summer Skills Program is open to
blind and visually impaired students, ages 9-16. During this
camp participants learn a wide range of living skills, all of
which build self-confidence. Campers cook meals, do
laundry, learn to sew, plan menus, shop, and use public
transportation. There are opportunities to learn new
orientation and mobility skills, which can dramatically
increase independence. Campers learn new communication
skills, including Braille, JAWS - a computer program that
reads information on the screen aloud - as well as other
assistive technology. This camp includes many recreation
and leisure activities filled with fun and adventure. Through
all the experiences at camp, participants learn to overcome
obstacles to living as other children do, all the while
enjoying the company of other kids with visual impairments.
For information please see:
http://www.msdb.mt.gov/campus/summer-programs.html
University Systems Support Training of VI Rehab/TVI/COMS
By Sharon Woods, secretary
Article is written to get the word out about ways to
strengthen our ranks of professionals serving individuals
with visual impairments in our region. There are several
university systems that are working in cooperation with our
states and surrounding states for this purpose. The
following compilation of information is a work in progress so
please keep me posted on any other programs available to
potential TVI/COMS/VI Rehab professionals.
Published by Portland State University
News flash! The Pacific & Northwest Consortium for Vision
Education (PNWCVE) hosted through PSU received a 5-year
grant from the Office of Special Education Programs to train
teachers of students with visual impairments over the next 5
years. Under this grant, eligible applicants will receive
tuition waivers.
Please help me get the word out about this fantastic
opportunity to prepare highly-qualified TVIs! Our next
cohort starts in the summer of 2016. We are, however,
accepting applications from individuals who are on a
provisional license and need training starting in the fall
2015.
Recently published by VHA Healthcare Talent
Management:
Visual Impairment and Orientation & Mobility Professionals Scholarship Program
(VIOMPSP)
2015 VIOMPSP Application Period
VHA Healthcare Talent Management and Blind Rehabilitation Services are honored to inform
you that VA will accept applications for VIOMPSP during the following dates
June 1, 2015 – July 15, 2015
As we strive to meet VHA’s needs for qualified blind rehabilitation specialists, we are asking for
your assistance in attracting the best applicants to apply for this exciting scholarship and future
VA employment opportunity
Eligibility
 Eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or accepted for enrollment in, an academic
program located in the United States that prepares graduates to meet the VA
qualification standards for employment
 Applicants must be citizens of the United States and pass a background investigation
Covered Expenses
 Full-time students
Tuition and required fees/Maximum $15,000 per academic year/$45,000 total
award
4 years to complete education
 Part-time students
Tuition and required fees/Award maximums are based on ratio of full-time
attendance
6 years to complete education
Service Obligation
 Participants work as permanent, full-time VA employees in blind rehabilitation practice
upon completing their educational program and licensure/certification
 Participants agree to a 3-year service obligation
 Participants sign a Mobility Agreement to relocate at their own expense if required to
fulfill their service obligation
 Participants who fail to meet the requirements of their service obligation shall repay an
amount equal to the unearned portion of the scholarship award, plus any penalty fees, to
be determined by VHA Healthcare Talent Management
2015 Application Period
Students interested in applying must follow the instructions in the “How to Apply” section of
the Program Announcement on USA Jobs. Applications will be accepted through USA Jobs at
https://www.usajobs.gov/ June 1, 2015 – July 15, 2015
Application Process
 VA will publish the open period for accepting VIOMPSP Applications on VA Careers at
https://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/education-support.asp
 VA will post a Program Announcement and accept applications through USA Jobs at
http://www.USAjobs.gov
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Applicants must submit a complete application package consisting of
Application (VA Form 10-0491g)
Academic Verification (VA Form 10-0491)
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Evaluation and Recommendation (VA Form 10-0491e). Include one each
from:
– the academic program where currently enrolled or where the applicant will be
enrolled;
– a person who has known the applicant for a minimum of 2 years; and
– if a current or previous VA employee, the applicant’s VA supervisor or
equivalent
Academic Transcript (An unofficial transcript is acceptable)
Résumé
Declaration for Federal Employment (OF 306)
All applications must be received by the deadline date in the program announcement
See https://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/education-support.asp for more
information and to download any required forms
How can you help?
Please share this information with any audience who would express favorable consideration for
this VA effort. We are confident that with your support and engagement, we can attract the best
applicants, award students with excellent scholarships, and provide exciting opportunities in the
visual impairment and/or orientation and mobility fields that will assist our Veteran population
with receiving specialized treatment.
Texas Tech University
AER member states have been and continue to be involved
in training programs for TVI’s and COM’s. These programs
are primarily on-line. Each state has a contact person
representing the state. Contact the following individuals: in
Montana: Barb Balko, in Idaho: , In Wyoming
For a comprehensive list of programs in the United States
and abroad, please see: http://www.tsbvi.edu/pds/95professional-prep/498-university-directory