Visual Field Newsletter
Florida Instructional Materials Center - Visually Impaired
Florida Low Vision Initiative (FLVI)
The FLVI, an IDEA–funded state project through Florida Supportive Services for Students with Visual Impairments is accepting referrals for the 2026-2027 School Year.
Low vision services are available to students with low vision, grades PK4-8th grade, who are receiving direct instruction from a TSVI, as documented in the student's IEP.
Florida Low Vision Initiative Participants:
- Receive a free, comprehensive low vision evaluation.
- Are eligible to receive glasses and a wide variety of portable optical aids, when prescribed for their specific low vision needs.
- TSVls receive support with developing skill-specific IEP goals for the prescribed devices and implementing a plan to support the student's specific low vision needs.
- TSVls benefit from ongoing support from the FLVI Team and FLVI Low Vision Specialist to address the student's changing visual demands in-and outside of the classroom.
- Families are provided with valuable medical resources to learn more about their child's visual impairment and specific low vision needs.
Please use this link to Request Services
To learn more about the services and instructional support provided by the Florida Low Vision Initiative, please visit our LiveBinders resource platform.
Please email Samantha Kelly with any questions.
Interactive Learning Series: Strategies for Travel
October 24, 2026 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm EST
Did you travel this summer? How did you prepare for your trip? Let’s share ideas and learn new strategies for packing, preparing, and traveling by plane, car, or train. Class materials will be
shipped directly to your home!
Florida students ages 6-17 who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), Blind or
Visually Impaired (BVI), or Dual Sensory Impaired (DSI) are encouraged to
register! Please note, a parent/guardian needs to be present online to support
their student. Siblings are invited to participate as well.
All Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) Outreach Interactive Learning events are led by certified teachers of the Deaf/Hard of hearing or Blind/Visually Impaired. These classes are
strategically designed to promote skills needed for success both in and out of the classroom. All events are aligned with Expanded Skills and Expanded Core Competencies.
Contact: Jennifer Valderrama at valderramaj@fsdbk12.org | 904-827-2454
Strategies for Travel PDF Flyer | Plain Text Flyer
Graphing in a Box for 5th-8th Grade Students
A free, online program offered by Project INSPIRE NextGen.
Through fun activities and games, students will build skills with:
- Number lines
- Line/dot plots
- Coordinate planes
- ... and more!
Held on 6 consecutive Saturdays from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern/8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Pacific
Dates:
- October 17, 24, and 31
- November 7, 14, and 21
Discover Arts4All Florida
Arts4All Florida provides inclusive arts opportunities for people with disabilities of all ages through free and low-cost programs offered virtually and across the state.
🎤 Featured Program: Young Performers
Under the direction of Matt Weihmuller, the Arts4All Florida Young Performers Program celebrates the talents of young artists with disabilities through original music videos that inspire, educate, and showcase their creativity.
Watch the Young Performers playlist
Learn more and get involved:
Southeastern Orientation and Mobility Association and South Western Orientation and Mobility Association conference (SOMA/SWOMA)
The SOMA/SWOMA Orientation and Mobility (O&M) conference at the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans December 5-8, 2026, will the best EVER!
Registration is only $275 for:
- An amazing program packed with 50 sessions for O&Ms plus 11 for Guide Dog Mobility Instructors (more than 80 presenters)!
- 21 hours of ACVREP-approved credit
- Sessions that are interactive and engaging -- no prolonged lectures allowed!
- Exhibits with innovations that will blow your mind!
Visit the SOMA/SWOMA conference site to learn more and register.
Global Braille Survey
A global braille survey is being launched by International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU) through a joint Global Braille Literacy Campaign, “More Braille: More Empowerment”. The survey is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a comprehensive understanding of the international braille landscape.
When we talk about braille, we often hear statements like:
- “Only 7–10% of blind people read braille.”
- “Blind children aren't learning braille at school like they used to.”
- “Technology is making braille irrelevant.”
But how true are these statements? Help us on our mission to find out!
Led by the ICEVI, the WBU, and collaborating organizations and individuals, this global research initiative aims to strengthen our understanding of how braille is learned, taught, accessed and used – and of the factors that enable or create barriers to braille literacy.
Who can participate?
We warmly invite responses from:
- Adults aged 18 years and over who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind (do not have to be a braille reader);
- Parents and guardians of children of any age who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind;
- Teachers and other professionals involved in braille education; and
- Braille transcribers.
When you follow the above link, you will first be invited to select your preferred language, then review the informed consent information, and then complete a short set of questions to determine which survey or surveys are relevant to you.
If you are eligible for more than one survey – for example, if you are both an adult braille user and a braille transcriber – you are welcome to contribute from each perspective. Simply complete one survey and then return to the link when you are ready to complete another.
Why does your participation matter?
Every response adds to our global understanding of braille literacy. The findings will help build a stronger evidence base to inform advocacy, policy, research, resources and practice, and to support efforts to strengthen access to braille literacy around the world.
Please help us spread the word
We want to hear from people across countries, regions, languages and communities.
Every experience matters. Every perspective adds to the evidence. Every voice can help strengthen the future of braille literacy.
Take and share the Global Braille Survey
Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults (HKNC)
HKNC has recently undertaken a project to improve and expand services for DeafBlind youth with complex support needs, as well as the professionals, educators, family members, and home teams who support them in their communities.
As part of this effort, we are gathering input from professionals and others who support these youth. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete the needs assessment below. Your experience and perspective will help us better understand current needs, identify gaps in services and supports, and guide the development of future training, resources, technical assistance, and community-based supports.
Thank you in advance for your time and feedback. We truly value your input and appreciate your continued partnership.
David Volper | Regional Representative
Helen Keller National Center
Texas Tech University
Seeking parents of blind, low vision, and visually impaired youth to participate in paid research with your child!
The Well-being and Health Among Low vision and Blind Youth (WHALABY) study is a first-of-its kind project, led by disabled, blind, and low vision scientists, to better understand the experiences of children with visual impairments. To enroll, both your child (age 9-17) and yourself or another parent or guardian must be able to participate. The study takes place virtually and takes 3-4 hours of your time. Some children will be asked to wear an activity monitor for two weeks after the first virtual session; this is optional and the device would be mailed to your family and returned in a prepaid envelope.
Families can receive up to $250 in gift cards for their time and effort. The study has been approved by the Texas Tech University Institutional Review Board (IRB2024-582).
Questions? Contact the team.