AIS Academy 11.20.2026

Are you interested in learning more about professional development opportunities from Allied Instructional Services and other leading professionals in the field of Visual Impairment? Good news - you've come to the right place! 

Join AIS for a day of professional development! Our schedule includes a keynote address followed by three concurrent sessions in three different time slots. Session topics include information relating to vision, AT, O&M and complex access needs; check out descriptions and additional information for each session below. 

Sessions are free for AIS contractors and $15 each for outside participants per session or $40 for 4 sessions. ACVREP/CEUs are available to all attendees.

Remit payment through PayPal. Click the registration link included with each session topic and register for your preferred sessions. We will see you soon!

Session Details

AIS Academy is a full day of PD, with 3 concurrent sessions running in 3 different time slots over the course of the day on November 20th, 2026. Additionally, we will start the day with a keynote session occurring at 9:00 am with the Babies Down, Bottles Up Team - you won't want to miss this! If you have any questions on registration or payment, please reach out to Julia Hutchinson - jhutchinson@ais-llc.com

9:00-10:30 EST

Keynote Address Provided by Babies Down, Bottles Up!

REGISTER HERE!

Presenters: 

The Babies Down, Bottles Up Team - Terrin Landry, LaKisha Holmes & Josselyn Sosa. Babies Down, Bottles Up is a media and education company created by blind mothers with a shared mission of battling misconceptions and parenting with a purpose. Through the Babies Down, Bottles Up podcast, the team shares candid conversations about blind parenting, disability, family life, and independence. Their work extends beyond the podcast through in-person events, educational presentations, and an active social media presence. By sharing their lived experiences as blind women and mothers, the team provides perspectives that help professionals, families, and communities better understand blindness and parenting.

Description:
Terrin Landry: Braille, O&M, and Preparing for Progressive Vision Loss 

Terrin will discuss losing vision during high school and how limited Braille literacy and O&M instruction affected her transition into adulthood. Her section will address the value of teaching blindness skills to students who still have remaining vision and communicating that value to students and their families. 

LaKisha Holmes: Preparing Students for Independence Beyond K-12 

LaKisha will discuss receiving strong academic access, Braille, assistive technology, and basic O&M instruction while discovering after high school that she needed greater preparation in self-advocacy, independent problem-solving, and real-world independence. Her experiences in college and Structured Discovery training will illustrate how academic achievement can coexist with gaps in preparation for adult independence. 

Josselyn Sosa: The Power of High Expectations 

Josselyn will discuss how teachers of students with visual impairments can shape a student’s future by believing in their potential, setting high expectations, and connecting them with opportunities they may otherwise never encounter. Drawing from her experience as a low-income, first-generation college student and English-language learner, she will share how one vision teacher’s encouragement, advocacy, and commitment helped place her on a path toward academic success and college. 

Objectives:

• Participants will identify strategies for discussing Braille literacy and O&M instruction with students and families, including those of students who retain functional vision. 

• Participants will identify ways to incorporate self-advocacy, independent problem-solving, and real-world O&M experiences into a blind student’s education before graduation. 

• Participants will understand how maintaining high expectations and intentionally exposing students to academic opportunities, resources, and possibilities can help students with visual impairments develop the skills and confidence to pursue ambitious educational and personal goals. 

10:45-11:45 EST

Session 1: Beyond the Basics: Advanced Abacus Skills 

Presenter: Cameron Melott

Description:
This session explores strategies for teaching advanced abacus skills to students who are blind, with an emphasis on efficient computation, problem-solving strategies, & building mathematical independence. Participants will explore instructional techniques & practical activities they can use to move students beyond basic abacus operations. REGISTER HERE!

Objectives: 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify advanced abacus skills appropriate for students who are blind.

• Explore methods for teaching multiplication & division using the abacus.

• Identify strategies for improving student accuracy, efficiency, & mental math skills.

• Apply advanced abacus instructional strategies to real-world & classroom mathematics tasks.

• Identify ways to gradually build student independence and confidence with the abacus.

Session 2: The Roles That O&M Specialists Can Play re Formalized Bioptic Driving Practices 

Presenter: Chuck Huss

Description:
This presentation will provide an overview of the two(2) major types of pre-driver readiness skills that enhance student/client acceptance and likelihood of successful completion of formalized (in-car) biopic driver training. With appropriate short-term in-service training and legislation if needed, COMS and CLVTS can come to serve in various capacities or roles re adaptive driving services for select, visually qualified students/clients who want to apply for restrictive driving privileges.  REGISTER HERE!

Objectives:

• Provide a definition and status of  bioptic driving;

• Provide a sample list of the roles that COMS's and CLVT's can assume in the provision of pre-driver readiness training;

• Provide a definition and overview of the two (2) major types of pre-driver readiness skills (i.e., basic on-foot travel skills and advanced, front seat passenger-in-car (PIC) commentary driving skills) to be introduced and reinforced;

• Provide a sampling of the basic components and importance of both types of pre-driver readiness skills;

• Provide a sampling of how to establish a baseline of pre-driver readiness before entrance into formalized adaptive behind-the-wheel (BTW) driver's training.

Session 3: AMP'd Up Reading

Presenter: Dr. Gina Bailey

Description: This seminar will explore the impact and utilization of tools you can add to your reading toolkit, with a focus on accessible media tools and resources that can be used for all learners,  especially those with sensory loss. REGISTER HERE!

Objectives: 

• Demonstrate Accessible Media Impact: Demonstrate the impact of using accessible media tools, digital media, and visual supports to enhance overall student engagement during read-alouds.

• Apply Active Read-Aloud Strategies: Use interactive techniques like the C-A-R framework (Comment, Ask, Respond), targeted reading purposes, and multi-sensory supports (props, sound effects, digital tools) to maximize student engagement.  

• Implement Accessible & Inclusive Supports: Integrate Assistive Technology (AT) and AAC options (light-tech/high-tech devices) to ensure both verbal and non-verbal students can actively participate in reading activities. 

12:30-1:30 EST

Session 1: Eye.t Braille Transcriber - The New Braille Workflow
Presenter: Cody Laplante

Description:

We know you spend the majority of your week transcribing worksheets, and constantly repeating, "I need assignments two weeks ahead of time". Give the Braille Transcriber an inaccessible PDF or picture of a worksheet and it will transcribe it into fully formatted braille in seconds. Come see how the Eye.t Braille Transcriber can help you spend less time transcribing and more time teaching! REGISTER HERE!

Objectives: 

• Outline 3 features of the Eye.t Braille Transcriber and Braille Editor

• Transcribe an inaccessible document into formatted braille, including properly formatted lists, headings, tables and math.

• Describe the difference between traditional braille transcription technology and a "braille first" approach. 

Session 2: Becoming an A11y Ranger (Accessibility Ranger)
Presenter: Matt Philipenko

Description:
We will cover all of the EPIC features Free in Windows and Office Apps as well as free tools such as Seeing AI and other AT tech that will give you a well-rounded landscape that will help anyone adapting to the new normal of vision loss. REGISTER HERE!

Objectives:

• Learn how to create accessible content in Windows and Office Apps.

• Learn how to configure Accessibility Settings in Windows and Office.

• Identify which wearable tech to use, and when to use it.

Session 3: Ongoing Learning Media Assessment (LMA) for Tactile and Dual Media Learners  

Presenters: Olivia Ferreira & Tiffany Jones

Description:

This presentation focuses on using the Learning Media Assessment (LMA) process to identify the student's current primary learning medium and make data-driven instructional decisions. Participants will explore how ongoing assessment is used to determine a student's independent, instructional, and frustration levels, including the rationale for teaching braille at the student's instructional level rather than grade level until mastery of the braille code is achieved. 

This presentation will also examine how to develop meaningful, individualized goals that align with LMA results and support the systematic progression of tactile literacy skills. Emphasis will be placed on teaching the continuum from emergent tactile skills through advanced tactile competencies to promote successful braille literacy and long-term independence. REGISTER HERE!

Objectives:

•  Identifying a student’s current primary learning medium through the Learning Media Assessment (LMA) process. 

• Identifying a student’s independent, instructional, and frustration level through ongoing assessment. Including giving an explanation and justification for why braille should be taught at the student’s instructional level and not at grade level until they have mastered the braille code.  

• Creating goals in alignment with the LMA and teaching the progression of skills from emergent tactile skills to advanced tactile skills.   

1:45-2:45 EST

Session 1: Knowledge is Power: Methods for Decreasing Vulnerability to Sexual Assault for People with Visual Impairments

Presenters: Dr. Stacy Kelly & Dr. Gaylen Kapperman 

Join Dr. Kelly and Dr. Kapperman as they describe methods which can be employed by vision professionals to instruct individuals who are visually impaired to decrease their vulnerability to sexual assault. The presenters will describe additional resources related to this topic. Presentation based on: The New RE:view 2024 Manuscript. Disclaimer: If an individual finds discussion of these topics to be disturbing, we recommend not attending this presentation. REGISTER HERE!

Objectives:

• The members of the audience will be able to describe at least five examples of appropriate methods and tools to be used by individuals who are visually impaired to reduce their vulnerability to sexual assault.

• The members of the audience will be able to describe at least five examples of ineffective/not recommended methods and tools that should not be used by individuals who are visually impaired when they are attempting to reduce their vulnerability to sexual assault.

• The members of the audience will be able to describe at least three additional resources related to the topic of this presentation.