As educators, teachers for the blind or visually impaired play a crucial role in providing direct instruction to students who are blind or visually impaired. They focus on teaching the Nine Areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum, which emphasizes disability-specific skills. In addition to this, they also provide schools with information and training to help meet the needs of their students. They offer professional learning (PL) days when this option is available, and work with classroom teachers and IRT to adapt materials to meet the child's unique learning needs.

Teachers for the blind or visually impaired also provide ongoing in-servicing and professional development to other professionals and community agencies such as MUN, Janeway, etc. They provide services to students who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple exceptionalities, using Dr. Lilli Nielsen's Active Learning Approach, among others. They complete formal assessments, including Functional Vision Learning Media and CVI, and interpret eye reports to educate the school team regarding appropriate accommodations/adaptations specific to the student's eye condition.

Teachers for the blind or visually impaired must have knowledge of low vision, blindness, and cortical visual impairment and their educational implications, as each area is unique. They participate in specialized training, which is typically only offered outside of the province, to keep their skill set current. They work collaboratively with a large variety of professionals, including school teams, OT, PT, SLP, CNIB, preschools, Ophthalmology, Orthoptists, etc. They attend eye appointments at the Janeway eye clinic and work with community agencies to access programs and funds available for their students, such as the Lions Club and Military Police, who have provided thousands of dollars' worth of assistive technology for their students.

As an educator, it is crucial to work diligently with students to ensure they are aware of and have access to a variety of scholarships, grants, and bursaries. This includes those that are specific to vision loss. It is also important to order or create alternate format materials, such as textbooks, handouts produced in braille, e-text, and audio, as well as any specialized equipment or supplies that may be necessary.

Collaboration with the APSEA team is also essential to coordinate and avail of their services. By working together, we can provide students with the support they need to succeed academically and beyond.