APH

For students preparing to transition to high school, college, or careers – as well as adults who may be losing their vision and want assistance with a career transition – it’s not always easy to find the information they need. Entering “transition services” into a search engine can deliver a wide range of services unrelated to blindness, such as those for other disabilities. Launched in August 2021, the APH ConnectCenter Transition Hub makes it significantly easier for people to find the services they need. It brings together a wide range of vision loss-specific transition programs and services in one centralized location, where teachers, parents, students, and career-seekers can search for the specific transition support they’re seeking.

For 163 years, APH has worked to level the playing field for students who are blind and visually impaired. In 2021, APH renewed its commitment to equity by establishing the department of Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, known as ABIDE. ABIDE will enhance APH’s efforts to welcome everyone, both internally for employees as well as externally, to serve as a resource to the field of education for the blind and visually impaired. Our goal is to lift up the voices and empower marginalized groups through equitable educational experiences. In order to provide those equitable experiences, professionals in the field of education of the blind and visually impaired must come to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of those groups whose voices have not been heard. The ABIDE program is just getting off the ground, but has already provided valuable training and guidance in the areas of:

• universal design.

• website accessibility.

• document accessibility.

• accessibility in marketing/advertising.

• inclusive language.

• blindness/disability 101.

• inclusive residential programming.