Valley’s visually impaired assured to be college/ career ready
BRAWLEY — The visually impaired for years, thought incapable of ascending to the professions have located here for more than 30 years, demonstrated their resolve thanks to Imperial County Office of Education’s cando spirit.
Lupe Gonzalez, who already has a master’s degree in special education, recently completed her specialist credential for the visually impaired. Finishing work at California State University, Los Angeles, while caring for her family, she now directs five others at ICOE’s Del Rio campus.
Her crew devotes their rare expertise to 40 visually impaired students throughout the Valley with the goal of ensuring they are academically prepared to enroll at higher education institutions. They range from totally blind to those with low vision. Yet, all are immersed into general education classes owing to high tech tools and their mentors’ devotion to make certain they, half of whom have multiple disabilities, achieve parity with their sighted peers.
Students range from birth to 22-years-old, and as soon as a student loses sight, they are referred to the VI Hub where the totally blind enter a direct service model to learn Braille or those with low vision enter the consultative model to become acclimated with assisted technology to navigate the everyday world. Two transcribers transcribe academic materials into Braille via computers that have an embossing machine to create Braille text.
There’s also a mobility specialist offering students white cane orientation and mobile directionality so they can navigate more independently. It is all done under the direction of Kurt Leptich, director of Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), the consortium that funds the wide variety of special education needs.
Starting a week before general education classes, the VI Hub assures materials are ordered ahead of the school calendar. Still, the work of the VI Hub continues all summer constantly updating curriculum and tech tools. One challenge is sighted students can learn incidentally, both academics and social skills from the Web.
“A lot of students learn from social media, but our kids can’t,” Gonzalez pointed out. “We have to do a lot of description. They also must learn to use assistive technology or Braille code to access daily academics.”
Gonzalez recently helped three students receive their diplomas. One is now a music studies major and the other two are completing general education courses at Imperial Valley College. The VI Hub serves all county school districts and so far has aided the visually impaired to attain academic standards.
“SELPA has an excellent program that provides all our needs,” said Gonzalez. “We work closely with principals, school staff, special education directors and parents. All students are fully mainstreamed into the general education population. But I couldn’t do it without the support of my transcribers or orientation and mobility specialist.”
How fast a student progresses depends on their grade level and literacy skills. For students who already completed several years with sight intact, they have a solid foundation and learning or assistive tech is similar to learning a second language. But those just entering school, must assimilate two sets of skills simultaneously. There is no, one-size fits all program and it must alter to fit the needs of the individual.
“We’re continually juggling our schedule to avoid interfering with general education’s core subjects, but we have a great team here and make it work,” said Gonzalez. “We work to make a difference in the kids’ lives. I love what I do and have a very supportive husband and children.”