OBVS Resource Guide_05.03.17.docxOBVS Resource Guide
This guide is from the Office of Blindness and Vision Services with lots of great information.
OBVS Transition Contacts 22.docxDORS OBVS Transition Contacts
Transition Resources Document.docTransition Resources for Blind Students and Families in Maryland
Scholarship Opportunities for 2023 - 2024 School Year
Open
American Council of the Bllind: (Due February 14, 2024)
AER Scholarship: For graduate students studying to be TVIs or O&M Specialists (Due March 15, 2024)
Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program: For full-time low-vision college students (January 15 - March 15, dates are confusing)
Jim Halladay HumanWare/NFB Scholarship: For full-time BVI college students (Opens December 1, 2023) (Part of the NFB national scholarship; select the check box)
The John Lepping Memorial Scholarship: For disabled college students in NY, PA and NJ (Due May 1, 2024) (Not available to Maryland students)
Lighthouse Guild: For BVI college and graduate students (Due March 31, 2024)
Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholarship Program: For BVI college students at one of the 12 participating colleges (Students must be accepted into a Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholarship college or university)
National Federation of the Bllind: (Due March 31, 2024)
National Federation of the Bllind of Maryland: Awarding up to 4 scholarships (Due April 15)
Not Yet Open
Microsoft Disability Scholarship: For BVI high school students planning to study technology in college/vocational school
Team See Possibilities Scholarship Program (Application deadline unclear)
Check out our MSB Outreach "Moment of Outreach" Video
Self Determination is an important skill for blind and low vision transition youth to learn in order to have success post high school. That can be employment or secondary education. Learn more by watching our video from our TVI Sara Borlie. Check out the full Moment of Outreach playlist here.
Accessing College: Maryland Accessible Textbook Program (MAT)
The Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland Accessible Textbook Program (MAT) to offer additional choices to all Maryland college students who are blind or visually impaired or who have other disabilities that make it difficult to read standard-size print. It is a program housed in the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD) in Baltimore. Colleges, universities, and community colleges, whether public or private, generally have a person or office to aid individuals with disabilities to address a variety of disability-related issues. Services available from Disability Student Services (DSS) staff include test accommodations and locating accessible books, among many others.
The MAT program offers you an additional choice for getting accessible textbooks for your own use if you want to have another entity aid inaccessible book procurement. The DSS office in the school you attend may also choose MAT to procure electronic texts for you. MAT is committed to providing a seamless book acquisition process for everyone who chooses its services.
Eligibility for MAT
MAT serves students attending any Maryland 2 or 4-year public or private college who have a print disability making the reading of printed material difficult. Before each semester for which you need books and prior to service from the MAT program, you need to sign and return a copy of the student agreement which MAT will provide on request. Publishers who provide MAT electronic files for your use in school have several expectations regarding how you will use those files. The agreement binds you to accept those restrictions and expectations to participate. The MAT also requires proof of your disability that we keep confidential. This proof can be any one of the following:
LBPD patrons automatically qualify for service.
A statement from your doctor indicating your disability;
A statement from your DORS counselor confirming you are eligible for the MAT program and that supporting medical documentation is available;
A statement of eligibility from the DSS office of the school you attend or from another expert at the school who can make such a statement on the school's behalf
By law, preference in receiving services is given to veterans who have been honorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
Learn More about Maryland Accessible Textbook Program (MAT) here