Process

  • Students must complete a course from the Introduction to Visual Impairment in the first semester or have taken an equivalent course approved by the WMU.
  • Braille Code and Communications (I) must be completed prior to enrolling in Braille Code and Communications (II).
  • Subsequent courses may be taken in any order and students may opt to take more than one course at a time.
  • Students must take a course from each of the following areas (course titles and credit hours may vary depending on the university offering the course):
    • Introduction to Visual Impairment
    • Braille Code and Communications (I)
    • Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
    • Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment
    • Instructional Strategies and Assessments for Students with a Vl
    • Braille Code and Communications (II)
    • Methods of Teaching Students with a VI
    • Principles of Orientation and Mobility
    • Implications of Low Vision
    • Practicum
  • The practicum is the final course in this program. Students must obtain approval from WMU in order to begin the supervised practicum experience.
  • Students are expected to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 overall.
  • Students must pass the practicum according to standards set by the university.
  • Students must pass the Praxis test Special education: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments (5282) before the state will issue an endorsement. Preparation materials for the Praxis test is available at http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials?WT.ac=praxishome_prepare2_121126. Contact Robert Wall Emerson at robert.wall@umich.edu regarding partial reimbursement for the cost of the test.
  • The advisor will determine if a course taken outside of the consortium will be an acceptable replacement for one of the mandated courses.
  • A transfer of course form must be completed by the advisor and retained in the file for the final audit.