Serving visually impaired students across the state.
Serving visually impaired students across
the state.
| What does the School for the Blind Foundation Do? | What does the School for the Blind do? |
| Some things the Foundation does | Some things the School does |
| What Can You Do? | |
WHAT DOES THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND FOUNDATION DO?
The foundation helps provide services to blind and visually impaired students of North Dakota. It furnishes computers, high-tech reading devices, speech improvement equipment, and scholarships for higher education and vocational training. It also funds social, recreational, and athletic events for North Dakota's visually impaired students.
All services and equipment provided by the foundation are over and above the basic educational services appropriated by the state legislature.
SOME THINGS THE FOUNDATION DOES
Grants to students
Each school year, the foundation awards at least eight grants, up to $500.00 each, to visually impaired students from all over North Dakota. These grants help meet educational, social, and recreational needs of students. Equipment purchased through these grants becomes the property of the student rather than the school district.
In the past, funds have been awarded for computer equipment, adaptive switches, talking dictionaries, Braille labelers, special Braille books, tuition for International Music Camp, and many other needs.
If you know of a visually impaired student in North Dakota who has special needs and would benefit from one of these grants, please write to the address below for more details and an application form.
NDSBF
Grants to Students Committee
1395-A So. Columbia Rd.
PMB 153
Grand Forks, ND 58201-4011
Summer adventure is camping fun plus learning. The primary goal of this summer camp, which is partially funded by the foundation, is to provide visually impaired students with additional experiences relating to skills that are unique to the visually impaired.
Frequently, these students do not have the opportunity to socialize with their visually impaired peers. This camp enables them to get to know other visually impaired students and to share experiences with them. Summer adventure provides opportunites in the following areas:
| Career Awareness | Recreation | Personal Adjustment |
| Daily Living Skills | Technology | Communication |
| Music | Orientation | Mobility |
WHAT DOES THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND DO?
The school for the blind has recently expanded its role in serving visually impaired North Dakotans. It is now called North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind. Its mission is to function as a statewide comprehensive resource, and to work with related agencies in providing a full range of services to all persons who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities.
Visually impaired children from nearly every county in North Dakota receive services from North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind. The state is divided into eight regions with vision regional consultants serving each region.
Evaluation and Consultation Services
Evaluations and consultations are conducted in the local education agency or at the school in the following areas: orientation and mobility, daily living skills, technology, Braille, vocational, career education and functional vision, music, and recreation/leisure. This will enable parents and local agency administrators to determine which methods most effectively meet their visual needs.
Specific Skills and Compensatory Skills
The Specific Skills Program is one-week sessions for students in grades 1-12 which offers training in the instructional areas of daily living skills, orientation and mobility, technology, Braille, Braille music, careers, and personal development. Incorporated into the daily schedule is time devoted to personal development and homework, including study and organization skills. Local follow-up is completed by outreach personnel.
The Compensatory Skills Program teaches and reinforces compensatory skills focusing on the unique classroom needs of low vision and blind students in grades 1-12. Students may be integrated into the local public school program for appropriate subject areas and participation in extracurricular activities.
Inservice Training
Inservice training is provided for parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff working with visually impaired persons. Training sessions are held at the school, or outreach personnel may provide the training in the home, school, job site, or workshop.
| Braille literacy | Orientation and mobility techniques | |
| Technology | Visual enhancement | Vocational and classroom adaptations |
| Daily living techniques | Recreation/ leisure | |
Adult Services
Adult center based adaptive skills training and evaluation are provided on a fee for service basis in the areas of adaptive technology, Braille, daily living skills, orientation and mobility, recreation/leisure, personal adjustment, vocational/career education, comprehensive vocational evaluation, and job development. Follow-up services will be provided as requested in the home community.
for
more information about these services, contact:
Carmen Grove Suminski, Superintendent
North Dakota Vision Services/School
for the Blind
Grand Forks, North Dakota 580203-2799
(701) 795-2700
Your tax deductible contribution or charitable gift will help blind and visually impaired students across the state.
if you
would like to support the foundation, please contact:
Kathy Ashe, President
North Dakota School for the Blind Foundation
1395-A South Columbia Road
PMB 153
Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201-4011
(701) 772-4770
Email Kathy Ashe: ashekathy@hotmail.com
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