TEACHER OF THE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED (ITINERANT)

1. DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT LEVEL DELIVERY MODEL

The Teacher of the Blind or Visually Impaired supports and promotes inclusion for students in the most enabling environment within their school community and provides leadership in the provision of services for learners with visual impairments. The Teacher of the Blind or Visually Impaired, in consultation with Student Support, will participate as a member of a collaborative team with teachers, administrators, community partners, and parents/guardians to provide support for learners through:

a) demonstrated ability to cope with ambiguity and rapidly changing demands;

b) maintaining a current knowledge base of evidence-based/promising practices in learning, issues, trends and research developments in the field of blindness and visual impairment;

c) maintaining a current knowledge base of programs and services of the Ministry of Education, Provincial Resource Center for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) and Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

d) maintaining a liaison with CNIB and PRCVI.

Key responsibilities of the Teacher of the Blind or Visually Impaired (Itinerant)

In-Service, Consultation

a) facilitating district in-service and development for paraprofessionals, teachers, administrators, etc., regarding vision and vision loss;

b) partnering with and representing the district in relation to various provincial level resources including the Ministries of Health, Child & Family Development, and Education, as well as Provincial Outreach Programs and other community partners, to maintain current knowledge of issues, trends, and evidence-based interventions, and promote inclusion for students with blindness or visual impairment;

c) sharing program information with outside agencies and groups;

d) interpreting the nature and degree of the learner's vision loss and its educational implications for access;

e) assessing the level of student support required;

f) providing information regarding the role of education assistants;

g) providing assessment support which may include curriculum-based assessment, criterion-referenced or norm-referenced assessments, systematic observation and collection of baseline data;

h) providing consultation with parents/guardians and community partners.

Collaborative Planning

a) collaborating with the Classroom Teacher and/or Integration Support Teacher and/or Learning Support Teacher and/or Education Assistants (EA) / Applied Behaviour Analysis Support Workers (ABA SW) to apply principles of universal design for learning, and to design or implement curricular content revisions, differentiated instructional strategies/materials, or the environment to facilitate learning;

b) participating as a member of an interdisciplinary problem-solving team, during school-based team, integrated case-management, and other meetings;

c) supporting educational teams when facilitating transitions for students who have diverse abilities or disabilities;

d) working closely with school-based teams to plan for and organize support for students with blindness or visual impairment, including those with diverse abilities or disabilities;

e) encouraging and supporting innovations in evidence-based/promising practices in inclusive education (e.g., student independence and self-direction, positive behaviour support).

Specific Instruction

a) coordinating/writing/co-writing Individual Education Plans (IEP's);

b) coordinating vision assessments, equipment, repair, etc.;

c) providing instruction in Braille and/or Orientation and Mobility;

d) identifying and ordering materials and equipment through the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) and other sources;

e) modelling/demonstrating and supporting school teams in utilizing inclusive practices, specific materials and equipment;

f) teaching students to develop strategies for use in the classroom and other settings.

2. MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

a) a valid B.C. Teaching Certificate; 

b) a Master's degree in the education of students with visual impairments, or enrolment in and progress towards completion of such a degree;

c) in-depth knowledge of blindness or visual impairments and current issues in delivery of services to students who are blind or visually impaired;

d) familiarity with vision assessments and recommendations and their implication for educational programming.

3. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

a) minimum of two years satisfactory teaching experience and two years in a role working with students who are blind or visually impaired;

b) training in Orientation and Mobility;

c) elementary and secondary teaching experience;

d) familiarity with psycho educational and medical assessment recommendations and their implication for educational programming.

4. REPORTING STRUCTURE

The Teacher of the Blind or Visually Impaired is accountable in the execution of the assigned duties to the Director of Instruction, Student Support or designate.

Revised May 2021