Contact: Kay Fike Jones
Following the gift of a trove of publications, a one-of-a-kind center at Mississippi State University now has one of the best libraries of blindness-related publications in the country.
Geraldine Scholl of Ann Arbor, Mich., recently donated five large containers of journals, proceedings documents and research bulletins to the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision.
Established in 1981, the RRTC is a cooperative program of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation and Mississippi State's College of Education. Serving all states and United States territories, its primary focus is the effects of blindness and low vision on employment and careers.
A long-time friend of RRTC Director J. Elton Moore, Scholl is a benefactor for several national efforts on behalf of the blind and visually impaired.
Moore said the Scholl Collection--including significant volumes no longer in print--long has been highly prized among scholars in the field.
"With the addition of these materials, our blindness-related holdings are probably superior to any university's in the country," Moore said. "Some of the publications literally cannot be replaced."
Among the collection are issues of The New Outlook for the Blind and the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, both of which date back to the 1960s.
"These publications will serve as a tremendous resource to our staff and students for many years to come," he added.
Moore said the RRTC's efforts are based on two assumptions: that all blind or severely impaired people have a right to work at wages comparable to the non-disabled and in careers providing satisfaction and advancement opportunities; and that many of these individuals may obtain satisfying and gainful employment through the use of research and training programs.
In addition to research and training, the center publishes a variety of reports, conference proceedings, assessment manuals, and literature reviews.