Contact: Bob Ratliff
Mississippi State is announcing a new national training program for professionals working with the visually disabled.
The Vision Specialist in Vocational Rehabilitation certificate is a new program in MSU's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision. Support for the expanded service is provided through a four-year $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration.
RRTC director Elton Moore said the program "is unique because it's the only one of its kind available to students from any state or United States territory."
The first rehabilitation vision specialist training session will begin in June 2002. The curriculum includes four three-credit-hour courses spread over a 10-week term.
"We will provide vocational rehabilitation counselors and graduate students in vocational rehabilitation programs with the expertise to address issues and techniques specific to visual disabilities," Moore said. "The courses range from the medical aspects of vision loss to computer access technology and other resources for persons who are visually impaired."
To receive the training, students first must be admitted to the MSU Graduate School. Qualified applicants agreeing to work for at least two years with a public rehabilitation agency following graduation may be eligible for stipends covering tuition, travel and other expenses.
For additional information on the certificate program, contact project coordinator Stacy Butler at (662) 325-3304 or sle2@ra.msstate.edu.